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By JOSEPH CASSIDY
Staff Writer
The Niagara Knights men’s basketball team starts the season on Oct. 3 and Lincoln Cole wants nothing more than for the team to go all the way. “Team-wise, I want to see us do better than last year [knocked out in first-round of playoffs by St. Lawrence Vikings]. This year we want to win the Ontario College Athletic Association Playoffs [Algonquin College, March 6–7] and go out west.”
 The winner of the OCAA finals  qualifies for the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, National Championship at University of Northern British Columbia, March 19–21.
The most important change in this year’s team is the atmosphere among the players.
“Last year we started out strong and then had a rough finish. This year is different because we are more like family, on and off the court. That is going to keep us strong.
“Last year we had some fighting on the team, and guys weren’t really together. That’s what brought us down at the end, but I don’t see that this year. This year we have to be together as one. We have eight guys returning from last year and we are going to play strong defence.”
Nick Faydel, one of the Niagara Knights captains, says, “He [Cole] is a very solid player, and I love the way he plays defence.” His advice as captain to Cole is to “be confident. We have a good team and we need him as a core player.”
Cole added, “The team motto is be as one, be like a family and we will be strong. I have a slogan. Everyone always says practice makes perfect, but I think a perfect practice makes perfect. Going to the gym and giving 100 per cent all the time.”
While growing up in Hamilton, Cole was a renowned multi-sport athlete. “I was Hamilton Spectator Athlete of the Year for two years in a row [2005 and 2006]. I ran track, played football, basketball and volleyball. I was MVP of basketball and volleyball.”
“Before high school I just ran track since Grade 6. My sister [Patricia, 18] plays basketball and was also the Hamilton Spectator Athlete of the Year [2008] and now plays at Humber College in Toronto.” Cole added, with a smile, “My dad played soccer but he is pretty old now.”
Having had a “pretty normal upbringing,” he says the reason for his ultimate choice of sports to focus on was simple. “I just had a love for the game. Most of my friends I grew up with played basketball so I just mostly played picked pick-up ball with them and then after that played in Grade 9 in high school.”
“I have been on the Toronto Raptor court when I did fundraising for Boys To Men [an organization run by Steve Williams, the brother of former Raptor Jerome Williams]. We did fundraising for little kids and got to go the Air Canada Centre on the practice court.”
 Cole didn’t just pick Niagara College out of a hat when he was choosing where to go after high school. “I was recruited to play at Niagara College by my old high school coach.”
Ray Sarkis, Niagara College athletic director, added, “We encourage the coaches to go after the best athletes in the province. Recruiting for college is probably the toughest thing you can do because of the competition for these players.”
What about his present coach?
“I think this team’s Coach [Mike] Beccaria is a great coach. If we are doing something wrong, he will tell us. The first year with him was great, and this year I know it will be even better.”