{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1978)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Schea Cotton | image = | image_size = | caption = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 6 | weight_lb = 215 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|5|20}} | birth_place = Inglewood, California, U.S. | highschool = *St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) *Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) *St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Connecticut) | college = *Long Beach CC (1998–1999) *Alabama (1999–2000) | draft_year = 2000 | career_start = 2000 | career_end = 2010 | career_number = | career_position = Shooting guard | years1 = 2001 | team1 = Partizan | years2 = 2001 | team2= Shanghai Sharks | years3 = 2002 | team3 = Étendard de Brest | years4 = 2002 | team4 = Évreux | years5 = 2003 | team5= Leneros de Los Mina | years6 = 2003 | team6 = Texas Rim Rockers | years7 = 2003–2004 | team7 = Long Beach Jam | years8 = 2004 | team8 = Cocodrilos de Caracas | years9 = 2004 | team9 = Cedar Rapids River Raiders | years10 = 2004–2005 | team10 = Harlem Globetrotters | years11= 2005 | team11 = Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs | years12 = 2008 | team12 = Deportivo Tachira | years13 = 2008 | team13 = Lobos Grises de la UAD | years14= 2010 | team14 = Guaros de Lara | highlights = * Second-team All-SEC (2000) * Junior college All-American (1999) * First-team ''Parade'' All-American (1996) * Fourth-team ''Parade'' All-American (1995) }} '''Vernon Scheavalie''' "'''Schea'''" '''Cotton''' (born May 20, 1978)<ref name=dl_profile>{{cite web|title=Schea Cotton|work=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/schea_cotton.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224233014/http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/schea_cotton.pdf|archivedate=December 24, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> is an American former professional basketball player. He was highly touted as a high school player, when he seemed destined to play professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 10 years professionally, but never reached the NBA.
Growing up in the Los Angeles area, Cotton was physically mature beyond his years. He gained national exposure before even playing in high school. The interest level in his prep career was arguably as high as any player ever. Due to disputes over his entrance examination scores with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), his college basketball career was delayed for two years. After a lawsuit with the NCAA was settled, Cotton played one season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He decided to forgo his final two years of college eligibility to enter the 2000 NBA draft, but he went undrafted. Cotton played professionally for 10 years, both domestically as well as in numerous foreign countries. After retiring as a player, he became a basketball coach and trainer for young players.
==Early life== Vernon Scheavalie Cotton was born in Los Angeles County at Inglewood, California, to Gaynell and James Cotton.<ref name=dl_profile/><ref name=lawrence/> He was named by his father after singer Maurice Chevalier. As kids could not pronounce his name, Cotton came to be known as Schea.<ref name=hamilton>{{cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Tom|title=Even at 12, He Looks Like a Star|date=January 30, 1991|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-30-sp-366-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164259/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-01-30/sports/sp-366_1_schea-cotton-james-cotton-cotton-s-father|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> After his family moved from San Pedro, California in 1990 due to concerns with gangs, he enrolled at St. Irenaeus Catholic School in Cypress. The school did not have any openings in the seventh grade, so Cotton repeated the sixth grade. His mother denied that he was held back to gain a physical advantage to earn an athletic scholarship.<ref name=murphy>{{cite magazine|last=Murphy|first=Austin|title=Cotton Is High Summertime and the basketball is easy for Schea Cotton, a high school soph who has colleges drooling|date=July 25, 1994|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1994/07/25/131676/cotton-is-high-summertime-and-the-basketball-is-easy-for-schea-cotton-a-high-school-soph-who-has-colleges-drooling|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402220659/http://www.si.com/vault/1994/07/25/131676/cotton-is-high-summertime-and-the-basketball-is-easy-for-schea-cotton-a-high-school-soph-who-has-colleges-drooling|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Foster|first=Chris|title=Cotton Keeps His Cool|date=January 14, 1994|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-01-14-sp-11779-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150309225200/http://articles.latimes.com/print/1994-01-14/sports/sp-11779_1_mater-dei|archive-date=March 9, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> At age 12 and in the sixth grade, he stood {{convert|6|ft|m}} and {{convert|180|lb|kg}} and was captain on a team which included seventh- and eighth-graders. That year, Cotton was featured in the ''Los Angeles Times''.<ref name=hamilton/><ref name=slam>{{cite news|title=Original Old School: Thank Me Later|date=December 31, 2010|work=Slam|url=http://www.slamonline.com/college-hs/high-school/original-old-school-thank-me-later/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402174507/http://www.slamonline.com/college-hs/high-school/original-old-school-thank-me-later/|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He was able to dunk on alley-oops as a seventh-grader, which was uncommon at the time.<ref>{{cite news|last=Prisbell|first=Eric|title=Former basketball phenom Schea Cotton finds peace and wants to tell his story|date=March 23, 2016|newspaper=USA Today|url=http://usatodayhss.com/2016/former-basketball-phenom-schea-cotton-finds-peace-and-wants-to-tell-his-story|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425203859/http://usatodayhss.com/2016/former-basketball-phenom-schea-cotton-finds-peace-and-wants-to-tell-his-story|archivedate=April 25, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Cotton became nationally known before even reaching high school.<ref>{{cite news|last=Flores|first=Ronnie|title=Killum hoop film screening set|date=August 7, 2013|work=Cal-Hi Sports|url=http://www.calhisports.com/2013/08/07/killum-hoop-film-screening-set/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155545/http://www.calhisports.com/2013/08/07/killum-hoop-film-screening-set/|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> According to ESPN in 2010, the expectations for him were "as great as any pre-high school aged player ever, even LeBron James."<ref name=flores/>
By the time he was a high school freshman, Cotton had grown to {{convert|6|ft|4|in|m}} and {{convert|220|lb|kg}}.<ref name=washburn>{{cite news|last=Washburn|first=Gary|title=Ex-prep school basketball phenom finds his place|date=August 31, 2014|newspaper=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/08/31/high-school-basketball-phenom-finds-his-place/oNalL0XtdpWyZoUQO0McmJ/story.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315035826/http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/08/31/high-school-basketball-phenom-finds-his-place/oNalL0XtdpWyZoUQO0McmJ/story.html|archivedate=March 15, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He started the year at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, where he played four games. Citing a desire to play with teammates from his summer team, he transferred mid-season to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, where many of them attended.<ref name=mcleod>{{cite news|last=McLeod|first=Paul|title=100% Cotton : Ex-Mater Dei Standout Finds Comfort Zone at St. John Bosco|date=December 27, 1995|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-27-sp-18338-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132609/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-12-27/sports/sp-18338_1_st-john-bosco|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> That year, Cotton averaged 20 points and seven rebounds per game, and Mater Dei won the 1994 Southern Section Division I-A championship and advanced to the Southern California regional final.<ref name=iagaki>{{cite news|last=Itagaki|first=Michael|title=Highly touted sophomore has begun the application process to attend Bellflower St. John Bosco|date=May 5, 1995|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-05-sp-62763-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402204505/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-05/sports/sp-62763_1_mater-dei|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He was profiled in ''Sports Illustrated'', who billed him as one of the nation's top high school players.<ref name=mcleod/><ref name=snow/> "Don't laugh. This kid could pull it off," wrote the magazine of Cotton's desire to jump directly from high school to the NBA.<ref name=murphy/> His games had developed a following, drawing well above-average crowds. In an era before the Internet, high school games were not televised, and his fame spread through word of mouth.<ref name=slam/> Still, the interest level in Cotton at the time has been compared to the fanfare of LeBron James' prep career, and some have referred to him as "LeBron before LeBron."<ref name=washburn/><ref>{{cite news|last=Shanoff|first=Dan|title=Everybody loves LeBron|date=December 13, 2002|work=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1476277&type=story|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402205853/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1476277&type=story|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bergeron|first=Tom|title=The most hyped basketball recruits of all-time|date=May 31, 2011|work=Rivals.com|url=https://www.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1220869|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402161441/https://www.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1220869|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Youngsters would wait for over a half-hour for his autograph.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brand|first=Steve|title=Star Mater Dei soph lives up to clippings|date=December 28, 1994|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune|page=D-8}}</ref> In 2014, ''Cal-Hi Sports'' hailed him as "arguably the most ballyhooed youth player in [California] history."<ref>{{cite news|last=Flores|first=Ronnie|title=Boys BB: Top 8th Graders Since '82|date=October 21, 2014|work=Cal-Hi Sports|url=http://www.calhisports.com/2014/10/21/boys-bb-top-8th-graders-since-82/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163228/http://www.calhisports.com/2014/10/21/boys-bb-top-8th-graders-since-82/|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
In his sophomore year, Cotton averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds, leading Mater Dei to a 36–1 record and a state championship, their third in 13 seasons.<ref name=lawrence>{{cite magazine|last=Lawrence|first=Andrew|title=Peaking Too Soon|date=January 24, 2005|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2005/01/24/8249670/peaking-too-soon|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172235/http://www.si.com/vault/2005/01/24/8249670/peaking-too-soon|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=iagaki/><ref name=snow>{{cite news|last=Snow|first=Chris|title=Can't-Miss Frustration|date=August 18, 2003|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-18-sp-cotton18-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150307144053/http://articles.latimes.com/print/2003/aug/18/sports/sp-cotton18|archive-date=March 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He was voted All-Southern Section Division I Player of the Year, and was named to the All-Southern Section Division I Team for the second straight year.<ref>{{cite press release|title=All-Southern Section Boys' Basketball Team - 1995|date=April 2, 1995|publisher=Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles|url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/HELMS/Basketball/HelmsBasketballAnnual1995.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153222/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/HELMS/Basketball/HelmsBasketballAnnual1995.pdf|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Cotton also became the first and only sophomore to be named ''Cal-Hi Sports'' Division I State Player of the Year,<ref name=flores>{{cite news|last=Flores|first=Ronnie|title=Schea Cotton: Legend in his time|date=August 10, 2010|work=ESPNHS|url=https://www.espn.com/high-school/boys-basketball/story/_/id/7943184/legend-time|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223144730/http://espn.go.com/high-school/boys-basketball/story/_/id/7943184/legend-time|archive-date=February 23, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and was honored nationally as a fourth-team ''Parade'' All-American.<ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Shea|first1=Michael|last2=Cohen|first2=Haskell|title=Meet Parade's All-America High School Boys' Basketball Team|date=April 2, 1995|work=Parade Magazine|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1958276/|accessdate=March 10, 2015|via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}</ref> He wore 37 pairs of shoes that year, a new pair for each game courtesy of Nike. According to Cotton, "I basically had a shoe contract in high school, to be honest, without the money."<ref name=snow/>
After two years at one of the country's top programs in Mater Dei, Cotton returned to St. John Bosco.<ref name=barnett>{{cite news|last=Barnett|first=Ned|title=LeBron James could be great, good or forgotten|date=January 11, 2003|newspaper=The Raleigh News & Observer|url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20030111/NEWS/301110350?p=all&tc=pgall|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402092438/http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20030111/NEWS/301110350?p=all&tc=pgall|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The school received little press coverage, and he had grown weary of the attention he garnered at Mater Dei.<ref name=mcleod/> In his junior year, Cotton broke a bone in his left hand and missed most of the season.<ref name=reid>{{cite news|last=Reid|first=Jason|title=Cotton Ready to Push Past Aside With Next Step|date=April 25, 1997|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-25-sp-52402-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402191252/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-04-25/sports/sp-52402_1_schea-cotton|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Though he played in only 11 games,<ref>{{cite news|last=Shepard|first=Eric|title=Cotton Goes Quietly|date=January 30, 1997|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-30-sp-23577-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150310085102/http://articles.latimes.com/print/1997-01-30/sports/sp-23577_1_schea-cotton|archive-date=March 10, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> he was named a first-team ''Parade'' All-American.<ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Shea|first1=Michael|last2=Cohen|first2=Haskell|title=Meet Parade's 40th Annual All-America High School Boys' Basketball Team|date=March 31, 1996|work=Parade Magazine|page=18|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=84kiAAAAIBAJ&pg=4635%2C6465571|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> He missed his senior year after undergoing surgery to repair damaged ligaments in his left shoulder. He had suffered the injury over the summer in an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) game against Lamar Odom.<ref name=flores/><ref name=reid/> Despite being sidelined, one recruiting service tabbed him as the No. 2 high school prospect in the nation.<ref name=barnett/>
==College career== A report from a Las Vegas newspaper during Cotton's junior year speculated that he was considering entering the NBA draft after his senior year.<ref name=mcleod/> Still, he committed in 1996 to play for Long Beach State. However, his brother, James, announced in 1997 that he would be leaving the school early and declaring for the NBA draft, prompting Cotton to request and receive a release from his letter of intent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Reid|first=Jason|title=Long Beach Releases Cotton From His Letter of Intent|date=April 2, 1997|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-02-sp-44505-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402221359/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-04-02/sports/sp-44505_1_long-beach|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Afterwards, some college coaches believed Cotton would jump directly to the NBA.<ref name=reid/> Although Kevin Garnett triggered a second generation of NBA high school draftees in 1995, followed by Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal a year later, college remained the predominant choice at the time for top prep players.<ref name=washburn/>
In April 1997, he committed to play at UCLA, where he was expected to team with fellow incoming freshman Baron Davis, another top recruit from Los Angeles, who signed days later. Cotton's admission was contingent on earning a qualifying score on the SAT, which he had not received in two attempts. On his third try, he scored 900, which surpassed the NCAA minimum of 700 for incoming freshman, but the NCAA invalidated his score.<ref name=slam/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Reid|first1=Jason|last2=Kawakami|first2=Tim|title=Cotton Cottons to Idea of Becoming a Bruin|date=April 28, 1997|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-28-sp-53362-story.html}}</ref><ref name=reid_09211997/> Cotton had been diagnosed with a learning disability, auditory learning, in which he comprehended better by listening than by seeing. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which publishes and oversees the SAT, confirmed the diagnosis, and allowed him to take the test with extra time and larger font text. The NCAA, however, had stricter criteria than the ETS, and disagreed that he was entitled to take the non-standard test.<ref name=reid_09211997>{{cite news|last1=Reid|first1=Jason|last2=Kawakami|first2=Tim|title=NCAA Says UCLA Recruit Is Ineligible|date=September 21, 1997|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-21-sp-34834-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402190408/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/sep/21/sports/sp-34834|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Evans|first=Danny|title=The NCAA vs. the SAT|date=November 1998|pages=157–162|journal=Orange Coast Magazine|volume=24|issue=11|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ff4DAAAAMBAJ&q=%22schea%20cotton%22%20grow&pg=PA157|issn=0279-0483|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref> Cotton denied any wrongdoing, and felt he was being targeted by the NCAA.<ref name=slam/> Earlier, the NCAA had investigated a Ford sport-utility vehicle driven by Cotton, which they suspected was provided to him as an incentive to sign with UCLA. However, the NCAA absolved him of violating his amateur status based on documents provided by his parents.<ref>{{cite news|title=Miller Earns Gold Medal Despite Fall|date=August 24, 1997|newspaper=Tulsa World|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/miller-earns-gold-medal-despite-fall/article_592b353b-f249-588a-bba1-ee06bed4cedc.html|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150308222948/http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/miller-earns-gold-medal-despite-fall/article_592b353b-f249-588a-bba1-ee06bed4cedc.html|archivedate=March 8, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
Blocked from attending UCLA, Cotton enrolled at St. Thomas More, a prep school in Connecticut where players had gone to enhance their academic profile and play in a competitive environment.<ref name=slam/> After one year, he signed with North Carolina State, but the NCAA again contested his SATs and prevented his enrollment. Instead, Cotton returned home to attend junior college at Long Beach City College, where his games attracted NBA scouts.<ref name=lawrence/><ref name=slam/> He averaged 25.8 points and 5.8 rebounds and was named a junior college All-American, leading Long Beach to a 33–3 record.<ref>{{cite web|title=NBA Draft 2000 Index: Schea Cotton|work=ESPN.com|url=http://a.espncdn.com/nba/draft00/players/player_bio39.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091015/http://a.espncdn.com/nba/draft00/players/player_bio39.html|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In parallel, his family sued the NCAA in September 1998; the case was settled four months later.<ref name=snow/><ref>{{cite news|last=Norwood|first=Robyn|title=It's Wait and See for UCLA, Davis|date=November 4, 1998|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-04-sp-39152-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150309234339/http://articles.latimes.com/print/1998/nov/04/sports/sp-39152|archive-date=March 9, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The Cottons said they spent $60,000 battling the NCAA.<ref name=snow/> After being declared eligible by the NCAA, Cotton earned a scholarship to play college ball at the University of Alabama.<ref name=lawrence/>
As a sophomore with the Crimson Tide in 1999–2000, the 21-year-old Cotton was the team's most veteran player. With four freshman starters, Alabama was among the youngest teams in Division I.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rivera|first=Steve|title='Bama guard Cotton settling into his role|date=December 28, 1999|newspaper=Tucson Citizen|url=http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1999/12/28/109369-bama-guard-cotton-settling-into-his-role/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010174247/http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1999/12/28/109369-bama-guard-cotton-settling-into-his-role/|archivedate=October 10, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the team struggled, Cotton averaged a team-leading 15.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game,<ref name=lawrence/><ref name=slam/> and he earned second-team all-conference honors in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).<ref>{{cite news|last=Minium|first=Harry|title=Taylor To Make ODU Coaching Debut Tonight|date=November 1, 2001|newspaper=The Virginia Pilot|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-79686056.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111856/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-79686056.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|accessdate=March 8, 2015|via=HighBeam Research }}</ref> Playing out of position as an undersized power forward, he did not help to address critics of his perimeter skills.<ref name=slam/><ref name=washburn/> Forgoing his remaining two years of college eligibility, he hired an agent and declared early for the NBA.<ref name=lawrence/> In 2010, he expressed disappointment in his college experience. "If I had known what I know now, I would probably have skipped college," said Cotton.<ref name=slam/>
==Professional career== Many expected Cotton to be selected in the second round of the 2000 NBA draft, but he went undrafted. He called the experience an "embarrassing moment, and it was devastating."<ref name=davis>{{cite news|last=Davis|first=Ken|title=Not A Soft Landing For Cotton|date=June 24, 2001|newspaper=Hartford Courant|url=https://www.courant.com/2001/06/24/not-a-soft-landing-for-cotton/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402092150/http://articles.courant.com/2001-06-24/sports/0106242352_1_early-entrants-schea-cotton-nba-draft|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The Orlando Magic invited him to play in the Orlando Summer League, but the team's summer season ended after just one day when Magic player Conrad McRae collapsed and died during practice. Later that summer, Cotton was drafted fourth overall by the Anaheim Roadrunners of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but the team was unable to secure the Honda Center (known then as Arrowhead Pond) as its home arena, and he never played for them.<ref name=snow/> He was also drafted by the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), but he was their last cut in training camp after not having shot well.<ref name=snow/>
Cotton remained confident that he could play in the NBA, buoyed by the knowledge that past opponents that he had either outplayed or held his own against had eventually made it in the league.<ref name=davis/><ref name=burlison/> Ultimately, he never played in the NBA.<ref name=burlison>{{cite news|last=Burlison|first=Frank|title=Cotton is back where he belongs|date=November 7, 2009|newspaper=Long Beach Press-Telegram|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_13731836|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402150647/http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_13731836|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2002, the NBA Development League allocated him to the Huntsville Flight.<ref>{{cite web|title=NBDL Allocation Lists Announced on Eve of Draft|date=October 30, 2002|work=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/nbdl/allocations_021030.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012103418/http://www.nba.com/dleague/nbdl/allocations_021030.html|archivedate=October 12, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> On the first day of practice, he pulled his thigh muscle, and was still unable to play the next day. He was eventually cut. Cotton played for the Los Angeles Clippers in the Summer Pro League in 2003.<ref name=snow/> In November 2007, he was selected by the Tulsa 66ers in the ninth round of the 2007 NBA Development League Draft,<ref>{{cite news|title=2007 D-League Draft Board|work=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dleague_draft_07.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030092557/http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dleague_draft_07.html|archivedate=October 30, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> but he was waived a couple of weeks later.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thursday's sports transactions|date=November 16, 2007|agency=Associated Press|url=http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_538313.html#axzz3TpvPQmuf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115900/http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_538313.html#axzz3TpvPQmuf|archivedate=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
Nonetheless, Cotton played professionally for 10 years, and picked up several languages over a career that saw him play in seven countries and numerous U.S. leagues.<ref name=slam/> He landed with KK Partizan in Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia, where he played 20 games for Vlade Divac's former team in 2001.<ref>[http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2001/04/16/srpski/S01041304.shtml Koton kod kuće]</ref><ref name=lawrence/><ref name=davis/> He then joined the Shanghai Sharks, Yao Ming's former team in China.<ref name=lawrence/><ref name=snow/> After playing abroad for two years, Cotton returned to Long Beach in 2003 to play for the ABA's Long Beach Jam—he was the first player signed by the new franchise.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zimmerman|first=Matt|title=Cotton Comes Home for Jam Session |date=July 24, 2003|newspaper=Daily News|location=Los Angeles|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-9029958.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402210257/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-9029958.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 2, 2015|accessdate=March 8, 2015|via=HighBeam Research }}</ref> Domestically, he also played in the United States Basketball League and toured with the Harlem Globetrotters.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gottlieb|first=Doug|title=As preps flood draft, odds of success fall|date=May 19, 2005|work=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/draft2005/columns/story?id=2063740|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402212136/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2005/columns/story?id=2063740|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> His career also took him overseas to France, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Mexico.<ref name=burlison/>
After retiring from playing, Cotton became a basketball trainer with his own academy, as well as a coach in the Los Angeles area for Millikan High School and Belmont Shore in AAU.<ref name=slam/><ref name=washburn/> In 2016, he premiered his documentary, ''Manchild: The Schea Cotton Story'', which covers his rise as a high school sensation and the letdown of not reaching the NBA.<ref>{{cite news|last=Washburn|first=Gary|title=Shabazz Napier trying to jump-start career with Magic|date=January 30, 2016|newspaper=Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2016/01/30/shabazz-napier-trying-jump-start-career-with-orlando-magic/6fJEEXqP8K0vxPZzpKL6xO/story.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209114745/https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2016/01/30/shabazz-napier-trying-jump-start-career-with-orlando-magic/6fJEEXqP8K0vxPZzpKL6xO/story.html|archivedate=February 9, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Barrigon|first=Raul|title=We talked with high school legend Schea Cotton about his movie and glory days|date=January 29, 2016|work=Hoops Hype|url=http://hoopshype.com/2016/01/29/we-talked-with-high-school-legend-schea-cotton-about-his-movie-and-glory-days/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130090348/http://hoopshype.com/2016/01/29/we-talked-with-high-school-legend-schea-cotton-about-his-movie-and-glory-days/|archivedate=January 30, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Schea Cotton 'Manchild' Documentary Sees Success in L.A.|date=February 8, 2016|work=Slam|url=http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/schea-cotton-manchild-documentary-sees-success-l-photos#8DwD22qgWhoflkj2.97|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209181702/http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/schea-cotton-manchild-documentary-sees-success-l-photos/#8DwD22qgWhoflkj2.97|archivedate=February 9, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Player profile== Entering high school, Cotton's physical maturity provided him the size, speed, and power to dominate his opponents.<ref name=slam/><ref name=muldoon>{{cite news|last=Muldoon|first=Michael|title=Under the Lights: More good news for Windham hockey family|date=September 7, 2014|newspaper=Eagles-Tribune|url=http://www.eagletribune.com/sports/local_sports/under-the-lights-more-good-news-for-windham-hockey-family/article_dee7d21f-6f37-54fe-9b7b-610b29a5e91d.html|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150307144209/http://www.eagletribune.com/sports/local_sports/under-the-lights-more-good-news-for-windham-hockey-family/article_dee7d21f-6f37-54fe-9b7b-610b29a5e91d.html|archivedate=March 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> "He is a kid in a man's body," said Toby Bailey, who faced a freshman Cotton in the Southern Section Division I-A semifinals in 1994.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Charles|title=100% Pure Talent|date=July 31, 1994|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-31-ci-22136-story.html}}</ref> As a sophomore, Cotton was described by the ''Chicago Tribune'' as "already a complete player with upper-body strength of a college senior."<ref>{{cite news|last=Sakamoto|first=Bob|title=6-10 Center From S. Carolina Dazzles At Camp-as Expected|date=July 8, 1994|newspaper=The Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/07/08/6-10-center-from-s-carolina-dazzles-at-camp-as-expected/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132936/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-07-08/sports/9407080273_1_kevin-garnett-slam-dunk-camp|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> However, he did not undergo a second growth spurt.<ref name=washburn/> As he grew older, his strength and size were no longer an advantage like they were in high school.<ref name=slam/><ref name=flores/> Cotton became too short to be a forward, but was not quick enough to defend guards.<ref name=slam/> His jump shot and ball-handling ability were suspect by NBA standards.<ref name=burlison/> "I never thought he could play," said NBA scout Marty Blake.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Bomani|title=Cautionary tales for underclassmen|date=May 4, 2007|work=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=joneslist/070504|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123545/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=joneslist/070504|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20150403081423/http://www.trainwithschea.com/ Schea Cotton Basketball Academy]
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