View source for Ed Cota

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Short description|Panamanian-American basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name         = Ed Cota
| image        = Cota.jpg
| height_ft    = 6
| height_in    = 0
| weight_lbs   = 195
| nationality  = American / Panamanian
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1976|5|19}}
| birth_place  = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| high_school = [[Samuel J. Tilden High School|Samuel J. Tilden]]<br />([[Brooklyn]], New York)
| college      = [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball|North Carolina]] (1996–2000)
| draft_year   = 2000
| career_start = 2000
| career_end   = 2008
| career_number = 
| career_position = [[Point guard]]
| years1       = 2000–2001
| team1        = [[Gary Steelheads]]
| years2       = 2001–2002
| team2        = [[Telindus Oostende]]
| years3       = 2002–2004
| team3        = [[BC Žalgiris|Žalgiris Kaunas]]
| years4       = 2004–2005
| team4        = [[BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg]]
| years5       = 2005–2006
| team5        = Žalgiris Kaunas
| years6       = 2006
| team6        = [[FC Barcelona (basketball)|Barcelona]]
| years7       = 2006–2007
| team7        = [[Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.|Hapoel Jerusalem]]
| years8       = 2007–2008
| team8        = [[Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski]]
| highlights   = 
* [[International Basketball Federation|FIBA]] Europe League All-Star (2005)
* [[Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga|Lithuanian Basketball League]] All-Star (2004)
* 3× Second-team [[List of All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball teams|All-ACC]] (1998–2000)
* [[Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year|ACC Rookie of the Year]] (1997)
* [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] All-Freshman Team (1997)
* Second-team [[Parade All-America Boys Basketball Team|''Parade'' All-American]] (1996)
* [[McDonald's All-American]] (1996)
| medal_templates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's Basketball}}
{{MedalCountry|{{PAN}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Centrobasket]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2006 Centrobasket|2006 Panama]] | [[Panama men's national basketball team|Team]]}}
}}

'''Eduardo Enrique Cota''' (born May 19, 1976) is a Panamanian-American former professional [[basketball]] player.

== High school career ==
Cota played his freshman and sophomore years at [[Brooklyn]], New York's [[Samuel J. Tilden High School]]. As a sophomore, he averaged 31.5 points, 11 assists and six steals per game and led his team to the semifinals of the New York Public School Athletic League.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/cota_ed00.html |title=University of North Carolina - Official Athletic Site |website=tarheelblue.cstv.com |access-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422202647/http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/cota_ed00.html |archive-date=April 22, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Cota underwent a devastating family tragedy in the ninth grade when his parents were in a car accident in Panama that would hospitalize them for several years. His mother spent a year in the hospital, his stepfather spent two and left in a wheelchair, never to regain use of his legs. He struggled to stay on track in school but was helped by the return of his mother and help from his high school coach Eric Eisenberg to get him counseling and find a prep school to attend to get a fresh start.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/rt/97apr01.html |title=Random Thoughts<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=September 14, 2007 |archive-date=November 18, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118184904/http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/rt/97apr01.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He then enrolled in [[St. Thomas More School (Connecticut)|St. Thomas More School]] in [[Oakdale, Connecticut]], where he led his team to the New England private school title his junior year as he averaged 21 points and nine assists a game. He was selected for the United States Junior National Select Team and played in the 1996 [[McDonald's All-American]] Game, which featured future stars [[Jermaine O'Neal]], [[Stephen Jackson]], [[Mike Bibby]] and [[Kobe Bryant]]. The one-time truant high school student also excelled in the classroom, eventually finishing his high school career as an honor-roll student.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

== Collegiate career ==
Cota is probably best known to basketball fans for his play at [[point guard]] for the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina]] (UNC) from 1996 to 2000. At UNC, Cota led the Tar Heels to three [[Final Four]]s in his four years as a starter. During the 1997–1998 season, Cota was a member of new coach [[Bill Guthridge]]'s successful "Six Starters" rotation with [[Antawn Jamison]], [[Vince Carter]], [[Shammond Williams]], [[Ademola Okulaja]], and [[Makhtar N'Diaye (basketball player)|Makhtar N'Diaye]].

Cota garnered many accolades during his college career.  He was named the 1997 [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] [[Rookie of the Year (award)|Rookie of the Year]] and a 1997 Freshman [[All-America]]. Cota was the leading vote-getter on the 1997 All-ACC Freshman Team.  He earned 2nd-Team All-Conference honors three years in a row, as a sophomore (1998), junior (1999) and senior (2000).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226110256/http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/acc/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/mbk092111 theACC.com – The Official Athletic Site of the Atlantic Coast Conference<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>  As a sophomore, he broke the ACC record for most [[assist (basketball)|assists]] in a single season.  He was named a 1999 [[Associated Press|AP]] All-America Team Honorable Mention.  He earned three [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] All-Regional Team selections as a senior while leading UNC to another Final Four. By the time his college career concluded, he had become the first player in NCAA basketball history to score 1,000 points, and have 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds in a career. Additionally, he finished with the third highest assist total in NCAA history, and owns the record for most assists in a career at Carolina. Remarkably, Cota also played an NCAA record 138 games without ever fouling out.<ref>[https://www.ncaa.org/library/records/basketball/m_basketball_records_book/2008/2008_m_basketball_records.pdf NCAA stats from NCAA.org] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528055000/http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/basketball/m_basketball_records_book/2008/2008_m_basketball_records.pdf |date=May 28, 2008 }}</ref>

== Professional career ==
Cota was not [[NBA draft|drafted]] by the [[NBA]] after graduating from North Carolina.  His lack of height (6' 0") and jump shot were cited as a major impediments to success as a pro. Instead, he was drafted by the [[Gary Steelheads]] of the minor league [[Continental Basketball Association]], where he spent the 2000–2001 season. That season Cota proved his doubters wrong, leading the league in [[Three-point field goal|3-point]] shooting with a 48.5% mark.

After that season, Cota left the CBA and began what would become a very successful basketball career in Europe. He signed with the [[Belgium|Belgian]] pro team Telindus BC Oostende for the 2001–2002 season. They went on to win the 2001–2002 Belgian National Championship. Cota joined [[BC Žalgiris|Žalgiris Kaunas]], a [[Lithuania]]n team, for the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 seasons, during which he consecutively led the [[Euroleague]] in assists. Cota's team won the Lithuanian National Championship both season.<ref>[http://www.basket-stats.info/players/playerfile/c/ed-cota.htm Players Index: Ed Cota<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060620190413/http://basket-stats.info/players/playerfile/c/ed-cota.htm |date=June 20, 2006 }}</ref> Cota also played in the 2004 Lithuanian All-Star Game.

Cota joined [[BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg]], a member of the [[Russian Basketball Super League]] that competes as a member of [[FIBA]] [[Europe]], in 2004–2005. It was the club's first year of existence. The Dynamo went undefeated in the [[EuroChallenge|FIBA Europe League]] that season and won the championship.<ref>[http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_f43ulKJBGLcVnbH-aqLVu2.teamID_96278.compID_BYg5Rb55Jw-G5I3MZ6JB01.season_2005.roundID_4109.html FIBA Europe<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Cota played in the 2005 FIBA Europe League All-Star Game.

After his stint in St. Petersburg, Cota returned to Lithuania and Žalgiris Kaunas to start the 2005–2006 season, but moved to [[Spain]] to play for [[FC Barcelona (basketball)|FC Barcelona]] before the season ended.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.euroleague.net/plantillas/jugador.jsp?id=BAW| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020525053550/http://www.euroleague.net/plantillas/jugador.jsp?id=BAW| archive-date = May 25, 2002| title = COTA, EDUARDO}}</ref>

Despite his success overseas, Cota continued to work toward the goal of playing in the NBA. Over the years, he has played on the NBA Summer League squads of the [[Los Angeles Clippers]], [[Indiana Pacers]], and [[Washington Wizards]].

Cota competed internationally with the [[Panama men's national basketball team]] (his parents were from Panama and he maintains [[dual citizenship]] status) at the [[2006 FIBA World Championship]] tournament.

Cota signed with Israeli side [[Hapoel Jerusalem]] for the 2006–7 season. In January 2008 he joined [[Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski|Atlas Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski]] playing in [[Poland|Polish]] [[Dominet Bank Ekstraliga]].

== See also ==
* [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career assists leaders]]

== Career statistics ==
{{Cleanup section|reason=The table is full of incorrect information (MPG, FG%); It also require "Career row" which currently doesn't exist|date=November 2014}}
{{Euroleague player statistics legend}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em"|
|Led the league
|}

=== Euroleague ===
{{Euroleague player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[2001–02 Euroleague|2001–02]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Telindus Oostende]]
| 8 || 7 || 32.0 || .550 || .281 || .649 || 2.9 || 5.1 || 1.5 || .1 || 14.6 || 14.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[2002–03 Euroleague|2002–03]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[BC Zalgiris|Zalgiris]]
| 14 || 14 || 35.5 || .508 || .208 || .784 || 4.6 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|6.5 || 1.2 || .1 || 12.1 || 16.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[2003–04 Euroleague|2003–04]]
| style="text-align:left;"| Zalgiris
| 20 || 19 || 36.2 || .513 || .465 || .754 || 3.6 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|5.7 || 1.6 || .1 || 13.4 || 16.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[2005–06 Euroleague|2005–06]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[FC Barcelona (basketball)|Barcelona]]
| 20 || 10 || 20.0 || .423 || .211 || .667 || 2.8 || 2.6 || .7 || .1 || 3.3 || 5.0
{{S-end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=BAW&seasoncode=E2005 Euroleague.net profile]

{{BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg 2004–05 FIBA Europe League champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cota, Ed}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2006 FIBA World Championship players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American sportspeople of Panamanian descent]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Basketball players from New York (state)]]
[[Category:BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg players]]
[[Category:BC Oostende players]]
[[Category:BC Žalgiris players]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona Bàsquet players]]
[[Category:Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players]]
[[Category:Israeli Basketball Premier League players]]
[[Category:Liga ACB players]]
[[Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans]]
[[Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Panamanian expatriate basketball people in Spain]]
[[Category:Panamanian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Panama]]<!-- [[Category:Citizens of Panama through descent]] -->
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:Samuel J. Tilden High School alumni]]
[[Category:Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski players]]