David Kool finished his high school career in 2006 as Mr. Basketball of Michigan, then arrived at Western Michigan and became Mr. Everything. In 2007 he finished 5th in the nation with 91.7 FT% and was named MAC ROY, in 2008 he was named to the All-MAC 1st-Team, and in 2010 he graduated as the leading scorer in school history with 2122 PTS. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with David about being a great FT shooter and a great student. Today is David’s 35th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
In addition to basketball you played soccer/track/football in high school: which sport did you like the most, and when did you first realize that your future was in basketball? My favorite sport other than basketball was soccer. I realized that my future was in basketball when I was a sophomore in high school. I got some advice from a person I trusted that if I wanted to play D-1 basketball then I would have to give up my other sports. Basketball at the D-1 level was always my dream so it was an easy decision.
Many big-time colleges passed on you after you tore your ACL prior to your senior year, even though you became your high school’s all-time leading scorer and were named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball in 2006: what school was highest on your wish list, and why did you choose Western Michigan? If I had not torn my ACL then I would have ended up at Michigan State. I was in close contact with them throughout high school and it would have been a dream come true to play for their program. I chose WMU because they always stayed with me even after my ACL tear: that made me feel really good. They said they would take me anyway and did not care about my injury and I really appreciated that. Also, it was close to home so my family could come and watch all my games, which was very important to me.
After sitting out the start of your college career due to a hamstring injury, you ended up scoring 11.4 PPG and being named MAC ROY: how were you able to bounce back from the injury, and how were you able to come in and contribute as a freshman? Hard work and perseverance is how I live my life. I have been blessed with many gifts and I could not succeed without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I always lean on Him when I get into trouble and need help (which is every day), so I just put my faith in Him, as I did with my ACL. I had faith that I would come back strong as long as I worked hard.
You finished your freshman year 5th in the nation with 91.7 FT%, which also set a conference single-season record: what is your secret for making FTs? My secret for FT shooting is being confident and consistent and just practicing. I shot close to 100 FTs everyday and always kept the same motion/rhythm. I always made them so I was confident. When getting into games it is important to rely on muscle memory and know that you will make every shot because you have practiced like that.
You ended your college career with a career-high 39 PTS/12-21 FG in a loss to Akron in the 2010 conference tourney semifinals: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”, and what was it like to play your best game in your last game? The Akron game is unforgettable. I remember hitting my 1st shot from the corner and after that it was like I was out there by myself: I literally could not see anything else on the court besides the bucket. I was in a rhythm that had never happened since high school and I thought that every shot was going in. The basket was enormous and I was “in the zone”. Playing my best game in my last game was great because I went out with no regrets and gave it my all. I could not have done anything different, which makes me feel so good inside!
In 2010 you were named conference POY/All-American: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? It just goes to show that all of my hard work and all of those hours in the gym paid off. It made me feel as though all of my decisions dating back to high school and everything I have done in my life has paid off. It feels great to be rewarded after working so hard.
You remain the all-time leading scorer in school history: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were? I think I will realize more of what it means when I am older. It was kind of surreal back then and remained that way for a long time. After I stopped playing I had time to think about what happened at WMU and realized how special it really was and what it all meant. I know that WMU is such a special place with people who love the basketball program: they will always have a soft spot in my heart. I could not have ever imagined a better career than the one I had.
You were a 3-time Academic All-MAC performer: how did you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? The academic honors are just as important to me (if not more important) because that was my future. I was going to play basketball for a little longer, but after I was done I was going to fall back on my education/degree from WMU. That is my bread maker so academics were always #1 in my life. Basketball was great, but I was at WMU to receive a quality education and set myself up for success in the real world…and that is what happened.
You participated in the 2010 Portsmouth Invitational, where you only had 1 turnover in 3 games: what did you think about your performance, and which player impressed you the most? Portsmouth was really interesting: I did not know what to really expect from it. It was basically an open gym where players were very, very selfish and tried to do things that they simply could not do. I went in with the attitude to just play my game and control what I could control and I did that. My goal was to have 1 NBA team/scout/GM watch me and say that they wanted to give me a shot to make their team in training camp. I continued to work hard and hoped that I impressed at least 1 team. I wish I would have shot the ball better but I did everything else well: I played good defense, talked on the floor, got rebounds, and took care of the ball. I was most impressed with Jerome Randle from California: it was amazing to me how easy it was for him to get into the lane and score over bigger defenders even though he is so small. He is a great competitor who is extremely talented.
How do you want people to remember you the most, and what do you hope to do in the future? I want people to remember that I played the game of basketball the right way and worked as hard as I possibly could to win every single game. I was a fierce competitor on the court and did everything it took to win, but off the court I was a kind/caring person who tried to help everyone that I knew.