The University of Toledo lists RayJ Dennis as a guard.
It might want to consider adding the title director of recruiting.
For the second time this month, Dennis played a role in UT securing a commitment from a Chicagoland transfer. This time it was someone Toledo fans are familiar with: former Northern Illinois and Ball State guard Tyler Cochran.
“Really, if it wasn’t for RayJ,” Cochran said, “honestly, there wouldn’t be a Toledo.”
The journey to this moment is some 15 years in the making, back when Dennis and Cochran first met at their church in the Chicago suburbs as Nintendo DS-playing first graders.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Cochran said.
A bond forged through video games was strengthened through basketball. The best friends faced off in the Illinois high school sectional final their senior seasons, with Cochran (15 points) and Bolingbrook defeating Dennis (18 points, five steals) and Oswego East 66-64 in a high-level back-and-forth thriller.
Both playmakers had Toledo in their final two but chose to attend different colleges — Dennis committed to Boise State, Cochran to Northern Illinois. And each found success, as Dennis averaged 8.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and a team-high 2.9 assists as a sophomore, and Cochran led Northern Illinois with 15.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 2020-21, one of only four Mid-American Conference players to average 15 points and seven rebounds.
Cochran nearly followed Dennis to Toledo last season, but there wasn’t room. They only had to wait one more year.
“We’re going into our junior and senior years, and we both want to win,” Dennis said. “When we’ve played together, good things come from it. He’ll be a great piece for us. He has the same common goal that we all have here. He’ll be good for the culture.”
First, Cochran will need a waiver to ensure he’s eligible for the 2022-23 season. The NCAA allows a one-time transfer that grants immediate eligibility. Cochran has transferred twice, although both times have come after the head coach was fired.
“Tyler is a proven player in the MAC,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “He’s been one of the better wings in the conference, and he’s strong, tough, and extremely versatile. He brings an element of toughness we love. We already have some tough guys on our roster, and he adds to that mix.”
In 2021-22, Cochran had 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and a MAC-best 2.0 steals for Ball State. He shot 45.0 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound guard is expected to play the 3 and 4 at Toledo.
“I think he brings a physicality that we maybe lacked last year,” Dennis said. “He’s a Swiss army knife. He can do everything. He can guard 1 through 4 and play in transition. He fits us.”
A visit to Toledo cemented Cochran’s feelings. There was a sense of camaraderie, as players instantly joked around with Cochran and welcomed him into the fold as if he had been their teammate for multiple seasons.
Teams often speak of a brotherhood, but the togetherness isn’t just for show amongst the Rockets. The starting five is particularly close, while Cochran and fellow transfer Dante Maddox, Jr., have shown gratitude for a warm welcome.
“Normally, you can tell fake energy,” Cochran said. “It was the complete opposite. It was a good time. It was all good vibes.”
Cochran has six 20-point games in his career, highlighted by a career-high 28 points against Buffalo last season. He has reached double figures in 36 of 74 games.
In five career games against Toledo, Cochran had 52 points, 30 rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
“I felt like I could really thrive here,” he said. “It never seems like anyone is like, ‘Man, when is it going to be my turn to score or my time to shine?’ Everybody plays for each other. That’s one of the things I love. Everyone knows their role. They buy-in for the team. That makes it easier to play basketball.”
Toledo’s 2022-23 roster will feature four players that the Rockets wanted out of high school, only to evaluate their decisions in college and transfer to UT. (Dennis, Cochran, Maddox, and Setric Millner, Jr.)
“I developed a relationship with Coach K and his staff. They were in my final two with Northern [Illinois],” Cochran said. “Their team was nice. They were loaded. Coach K let me know no hard feelings.”
First Published April 14, 2022, 1:44 p.m.
