How Cory Cole has revitalized Norman's basketball program en route to a 6A regional title

NORMAN — As Norman prepared for a Class 6A postseason run, coach Cory Cole urged his troops to compete with fire in the season's final weeks.

However, the flare that the Tigers possessed became stifled soon after. Former Norman boys basketball coach Wes Clark passed away on Sunday before the start of the regional playoffs.

The loss of Clark was a devastating blow to Norman’s athletics program. He was an assistant on Doug Tolin’s staff during the Tigers’ most recent state title in 1999 before leading the program as head coach from 2005 to 2010.

“We decided to dedicate these regional games to Coach Clark and leave everything we had out there on the floor,” Cole said following Norman’s 57-42 regional win over Westmoore on Friday.

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“The guys just wanted to leave their mark on the game and play some inspiring basketball that would’ve made him proud.”

The Tigers capitalized on its galvanized mission in the utmost fashion.

Norman (20-4, 12-2 District 6A-2) came out of the gate scorching as guard Beau Billingsley erupted for 15 first-half points to put the Tigers up nine at halftime. The sophomore went scorched earth on the Jaguars' defense, slithering across the lane past defenders time and time again for easy finishes at the rim.

Billingsley would end the night with a game-high 20 points while dishing off five assists.

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"(Trashaun) opens up a lot for me and draws a ton of attention, so it came down to our coaching staff believing in me and me just stepping up and making shots," Billingsley said."

While Billingsley exploded for one of his best games of the season, Friday featured business as usual for Tigers forward Trashaun Combs-Pierce.

The 6-foot-8 Independence (Kansas) Community College commit was stellar for Norman in the regional championship, recording 12 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks. He's averaging 17 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 2.6 steals on the season as Norman currently rides a 15-game win streak.

Combs-Pierce has anchored a Tigers defense that has proved to be one of the best teams in the entire state.

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"We've faced (Westmoore) twice already this season, and critics say it's hard to beat a team three times," Combs-Pierce said following the win. "So, we just came out with a winner's mentality to get the W."

"I just focus on guarding and playing defense — that's my main attribute. We consistently harp on being active on defense for the entire night. Now we've finally found the lineup that works for us to start the game, so I guess we just have to keep our horses and keep going."

Cole has wholly revitalized Norman's basketball program in his third season under the helm following its struggles through the 2010s. With Friday's win over Westmoore, the Tigers earned its first 20-win season in over 20 years.

However, the link between Cole and Norman's newfound success doesn't strike as a coincidence.

He was a member of the Tigers' 1990 state title team that finished 28-0 while ranked 22nd nationally by USA Today. Cole was selected to the Class 6A All-State team as a senior and was named Mid-State Conference Player of the Year.

Now, Cole seeks to return the glory he once basked in as part of the Norman basketball program. The Tigers have their eyes on winning the school's first state championship in 25 years.

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"To see what we've been able to do in such a short amount of time just means the world to me," Cole said. "The tradition here is second to none. These guys really don't know the storied history of how dominant Norman was back in the day."

"It's not just about me — I've got the best assistant coaches in the state right here alongside me. This is the best job in the world. I knew it was when I took the gig three years ago. It's just been special to see these kids shine, and there's a lot of good stuff here."

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Norman secures regional title over Westmoore in 15th straight victory