Basketball
Cole Cloer, the 6-foot-7 standout from North Carolina, is making one of the biggest decisions of his young basketball career.
The IMG Academy transfer has narrowed his college choices to eight elite programs, but according to recruiting insider Mark Zanetto, recent success won’t be the deciding factor.
Basketball What Cole Cloer Is Really Looking For in His College Decision
Zanetto’s analysis shows that Cloer’s move to IMG Academy tells the real story. “He made the move to IMG Academy, which tells you Cloer wants structure, skill development, [and] accountability. And it starts to feel like Curly’s approach is exactly what he’s looking for,” Zanetto noted in his recent podcast.
The numbers support Cloer’s talent. At Caldwell Academy last season, he averaged 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.
Cloer’s decision to transfer to IMG Academy for his senior year speaks volumes about his priorities. As one analyst said, “I was trying to figure out what could prepare me the best for my freshman year of college. Whenever I step on campus, I want to make an impact.”
IMG Academy’s reputation for growth and preparation for the next step fits very well with what Cloer is looking for.
While Florida can lean on their recent national championship success, Zanetto believes this “recency bias” won’t be the determining factor. “Florida probably is the only one that can kind of say, Hey man, did you see what we did last year? The recency bias. So maybe there’s some validity to that,” he acknowledged.
The main difference between the finalists seems to be which programs focus on sustainable growth versus those with just a recent wave of success. According to Zanetto, UConn makes a strong case.
“All eight schools have a real pitch, but UConn’s pitch is simple. We win, we develop, and we get guys paid. Do you want to be a part of something special?”
Dan Hurley’s track record of developing NBA talent supports this approach. In his seven seasons at UConn, Hurley has sent nine players to the NBA, including recent lottery picks Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan.
Cloer has official visits scheduled to Florida, Alabama, and UConn. His recruitment timeline remains open, and he has stated he could commit after his first official visit.
Top 25 ranked Cole Cloer caught fire in front of UConn’s Dan Hurley and dropped 29 points in the first half tonight ????????@slam_university @colecloerr @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/4Bl7fokfXT
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 12, 2025
The recruiting battle will come down to which program can best show its commitment to development and preparation for pro basketball. While Florida’s recent title is impressive, Cloer seems more focused on long-term growth than a program just riding momentum.
As Zanetto put it, while some schools sell the idea of “building something,” the key will be which one shows the structure, development, and accountability Cloer is looking for after his move to IMG.
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