“He said he likes playing with me because I set a lot of screens for him,” Jack Cooley said.
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Cooley was able to remind Ryan Kelly about that when the two were in South Bend together on official visits the weekend of Sept. 13th. Also on campus that weekend was Irish verbal commit Joey Brooks, and the two have been calling and texting the 6-foot-10 ½ Kelly since they’ve all departed.
“Oh yeah,” Cooley stated. “Me and Joey have been texting him and talking to him since he left. We’ve been trying to get him to come, and he’s a really good player and it showed when we scrimmaged. We really do want him.
“I just text him to say hi and talk about stuff, and slightly mention Notre Dame once in awhile. I don’t want to overwhelm him because the coaches are doing that, but I want to help and do my part. He’s been texting back and talking. It’s just good stuff. Joey talks to him a lot more than I do though.”
Mike Broghammer verbally committed to Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey the weekend before Cooley, Brooks and Kelly were in town. Now the Irish staff would like to add Kelly and four-star shooting guard Matt Vogrich to wrap up the class-of-2009.
Both Vogrich and Kelly reported to Irish Eyes that they had good times on their recent official visits to Notre Dame. Vogrich was in on the same weekend as Broghammer. Cooley always loves coming to South Bend, and the Glenview Ill., product’s official visit was no exception.
“It was really fun,” Cooley said. He came in with his parents and younger sister. “I really, really liked it, and I got to know a lot more of the staff. I got to the know the doctors and the team, and I got to hang out with (Luke) Harangody which was really cool, and the game was awesome.”
The Irish football team defeated Michigan 35-17 that day, in front of a rain-soaked sellout crowd.
“It was nuts,” Cooley stated. “At halftime, we decided we were going to go in and watch the game on the big screen the team has in the locker-room, because nobody wanted to be out in the rain anymore. Then it got a lot worse after we left, so we left the game at the right time.”
Cooley was hosted by sophomore forward Tim Abromaitis.
“It was really fun,” Cooley said. “We went to the dorms the first night, just hanging out and relaxing. The second night, I went with (Luke) Harangody because he’s my hero and all.”
Cooley obviously shares a similar look with Harangody.
“It was pretty scary,” Cooley said. “Some people made the connection and his brother was there and it was kind of funny.”
Cooley just watched the Irish practice when he was in town, because he’s a little banged up. He hopes to make it back to Notre Dame this basketball season, and is expecting the Irish staff at a few of his games. He will sign his letter-of-intent in November.