Corey Stokes (born April 24, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
at
Villanova University
Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...
and was best known for his
three-point shooting.
High school
A native of
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne ( ) is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is situated on a peninsula located between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east. As of ...
, Stokes played high school basketball for head coach Dan Hurley at St. Benedict's Prep School in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.[J. R. Smith
Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Smith played high school basketball at New Jers ...]
(Cleveland Cavaliers),
Lance Thomas
Lance Thomas (born April 24, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils where he started at power forward for the national champion 2010 team.
High school career
Thomas att ...
(New York Knicks) and many fellow Division I basketball players, including Eugene Harvey (Seton Hall), David Cubillan (Marquette), and Samardo Samuels (Louisville), among others.
Freshman
As a freshman in 2003–04, Stokes averaged 8.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and two steals per game for a talented Gray Bees squad that finished 29–2 with a runner-up finish in the 2004 Prep A state tournament.
Sophomore
As a sophomore in 2004–05, Stokes helped lead St. Benedict's to the Prep A state title, averaging 15.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.3 steals. He was named the Metro Hoops Sophomore of the Year and a second team All-State pick by NJHoops.com
Junior
As a junior in 2005–06, Stokes averaged 13 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists for the 30-2 Gray Bees, who won their second consecutive New Jersey Prep A state championship. He was a first team All-Prep selection by NJHoops.com.
Senior
As a senior in 2006–07, Stokes averaged 35.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in leading the Gray Bees to a 24–1 record. He was named to the prestigious McDonald's and
''Parade'' All-American teams, as well as being named an EA Sports All-American and first team All-New Jersey by the ''Newark Star-Ledger''. Stokes also participated in the Roundball Classic and was invited to try out for USA Basketball's 19-and-under team following the season. Scout.com ranked Stokes as the 9th best shooting guard in the high school class of 2007 (37th overall), while Rivals.com ranked him as the 8th best small forward (28th overall).
College
Stokes verbally committed to play for head coach
Jay Wright at
Villanova University
Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...
in June 2006, selecting the Wildcats over the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
and
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
, among others. He cited the desire to play alongside fellow guard
Corey Fisher
Anthony Guy Corey Fisher (born April 8, 1988) is an American-Georgian professional basketball player for Vichy-Clermont of the LNB Pro B. A point guard, he attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Fisher decided on Villanova due to its com ...
as one of his reasons for selecting Villanova.
Freshman
Stokes' transition to the college game in 2007–08 started slowly, as he averaged less than four points per game in limited action over the team's first 19 games. Beginning in mid-February, however, he played a major role in Villanova's late-season push to the NCAA Tournament. Stokes scored in double-figures in seven of the team's final 12 games, including a career-high 20 points versus Siena in the second round of the
NCAA Tournament. He was named the Big East Conference Rookie of the Week on February 25 after scoring 16 points in a win over West Virginia and scoring 18 points, on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc, in an upset victory over then No. 13 Connecticut.
Stokes was involved in one of the more controversial calls of the college basketball season when he was whistled for bumping Georgetown's
Jonathan Wallace
Jonathan Lewis Wallace (born May 16, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Walter Tigers Tübingen of the Basketball Bundesliga. The 6'2" guard from Huntsville, Alabama played college basketball for Georget ...
out of bounds with one-tenth of a second remaining in the February 11 match-up. The foul call was made during a tie game, nearly 70 feet away from the basket. Georgetown won the game, 55–53, on Wallace's free throws.
Stokes finished his freshman season averaging 18.3 minutes, 6.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. He shot 37% from the field, including 30% from three-point territory, and 88% from the foul line.
Sophomore
In Stokes's sophomore season he averaged 22.8 minutes, 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists. He hit numerous vital shots to propel his team to the Final Four, where they lost to North Carolina. He shot 41% from the field, 41.8% from 3-point territory, and 85% from the foul line during the season.
Junior
During Stokes's junior season, he averaged 26 minutes, 9.5 ppg, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. He shot 41.6% from the field, 38.3% from the 3-point territory, and 87.3% from the charity stripe.
Senior
Stokes's senior season was highlighted by ESPN's
College Gameday coming to campus for a game against the University of Pittsburgh. Due to
turf toe
A metatarsophalangeal joint sprain is an injury to the connective tissue between the foot and a toe (at a metatarsophalangeal joint, one of the joints in the ball of the foot). When the big toe is involved, it is known as "turf toe".
Causes
Turf ...
injury that plagued him for most of the second half of the season he was unable to play in the game. For his senior year he averaged 14.9 ppg, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. He went undrafted in the
2011 NBA draft
The 2011 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2011, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. Kia Motors was the presenting sponsor ...
and is currently exploring his professional options in France, Spain and Turkey.
Professional career
In September 2011, Stokes signed his first professional contract with
BBC Bayreuth
Medi Bayreuth, official stylized as medi bayreuth, is a German professional basketball club that is based in Bayreuth, Germany. It was re-founded as BBC Bayreuth in 1999. The team plays in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the highest division of ...
of the German
Basketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season ...
. He later left Bayreuth in January 2012. In March 2012, he was acquired by the Maine Red Claws. The Red Claws waived him a week later due to injury.
In January 2013, he signed with LF Basket Norrbotten of Sweden. Later that month, he was waived due to injury after just 2 games. In February 2013, he signed with
Keravnos B.C.
Keravnos B.C. (Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Στροβόλου «Ο Κεραυνός»), also known as Keravnos Strovolou, is a professional basketball club based in Strovolos, Nicosia, Cyprus. It plays its home games in the C ...
of Cyprus.
On October 31, 2013, he was re-acquired by the Maine Red Claws. However, he was later waived on November 17.
References
External links
Official Villanova profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stokes, Corey
1988 births
Living people
American expatriate basketball people in Cyprus
American expatriate basketball people in Germany
American expatriate basketball people in Sweden
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from New Jersey
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
St. Benedict's Preparatory School alumni
Sportspeople from Bayonne, New Jersey
Shooting guards
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball players