Cox realises US college dream

A DIVISION One offer was the last thing Geelong United Supercats forward Georgia Cox expected to hear during a late-night phone call from a United States college last month.

One of NBL1 head coach Matt Paton’s promising young talents, Cox will be a Panther by the end of the year, after head coach Mike Bollant offered the 18-year-old a spot on Eastern Illinois University’s (EIU) women’s basketball roster.

Cox said she was super-excited for the opportunity to take the next step in her basketball career.

“I started playing basketball when I was about five years old, it’s always been my number one sport.

“From a very young age, I was like ‘This is really what I really want to do’.

“I’ve always wanted to aim the highest, and I really want to get better at it, so college is what I really want to do with my basketball.

“I think it will be a great opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to going over there and developing not only my basketball but personally and academically as well. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Cox made her way to Geelong for 2023 from the Ballarat Miners, making her NBL1 debut this season for the Supercats and also playing a key role for the association’s Big V Youth League side.

She has set foot on the NBL1 court seven times this season, scoring on four of those occasions in her rookie year.

Cox will head to EIU on a full academic scholarship but will look to develop her game further leading up to her flight to the United States.

“Being six foot three, I’ve always been a ‘big’ growing up, so I’d love to develop my outside game, especially being in America that’s going to push my boundaries and I’m working towards playing more of a guard/stretch role,” she said.

“I’ve always been a pretty great shooter, so working on the ball-handling I have and 1v1’s with guard groups is really helping me as well; just strengthening my versatility on the floor.”

EIU is one of 10 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, and Cox is likely to travel overseas in August.