Cohen dominated with humble nature

Hal Cohen displayed two characteristics that every basketball coach loves. He was a smart player and a hard worker.

Cohen took those two traits and fashioned an NCAA Division I career at Syracuse University. The former Canton high school standout didn't start until his junior season at SU, but enjoyed a four-year career with the Orange and was one of the key components for the team during his senior year in 1980.

Cohen, the son of longtime SUNY Canton head coach and SUNY Potsdam assistant Stan Cohen, starred for the Golden Bears in high school during the mid-1970s. As a 6-foot guard, he averaged more than 30 points per game. He once scored 56 in a game while sitting out the fourth quarter, and he received national attention when he made 598 consecutive free throws during a team practice. Cohen finished with more than 1,900 points for his high school career and won the Joe Jukoski Award in 1976, which is given to the top athletic and academic boys basketball player in Section 10.

"Hal was one of the most humble, coachable players I ever coached," said his high school coach, Jerry Hourihan, "a true team player and gentleman both on and off the court."

Cohen went on to Syracuse and contributed as a bench player his first seasons. As a sophomore, he led SU's guards in scoring with 171 points and was second in assists.

After a strong outing in the NCAA tournament his sophomore year, he became a starter out of the backcourt during the 1978-79 season, playing in 29 of 30 games. He averaged 8.1 points per game, the high for his collegiate career, and distributed 87 assists his junior season.

As a senior, Cohen averaged 4.9 points per game, finished second on the team in assists with 82 and was one of SU's leading free throw shooters, playing in all 30 games for the Orange during its first year in the Big East Conference.

Cohen also participated in the Maccabiah Games in Israel in 1977, helping the United States to the basketball championship with a gold medal-winning performance. He was named the MVP. In 1979, he participated in the Maccabiah Games in Mexico City, and was selected as the flag-bearer for the U.S. athletes. He again won the MVP, registering 110 points and 54 points over five games. Cohen also participated in the Empire State Games, helping his team to a silver medal.

Cohen was a pre-medical major at SU, and he has worked as a radiologist at the SUNY Health and Science Center in Syracuse for the last 20 years.

Cohen and his wife, Barbara, reside in Fayetteville. They have four daughters, including one who is on the tennis team at Le Moyne College. Cohen still plays in a recreational basketball league in the area. Among his teammates are former high school teammates, Bob McKinney, the coach of the Jamesville-DeWitt boys basketball team, and Jim Ferguson.

To read about previous selections to the Times' list of The North Country's Greatest 100 Athletes of All Time, log on to www.watertowndailytimes.com