#1 – Hometown Hero
“I’ve been a Timberwolves fan my whole life.”
That’s what Aldrich said after signing a contract to return home and play professional basketball in the same city where he grew up.
Although this fact may be widely known among die-hard Timberwolves fans, it may be new information to others: Cole Aldrich was born and raised in Minnesota, just outside of the Twin Cities.
Aldrich was born in Burnsville, MN, which is about 15 miles outside of Minneapolis. He attended high school at Bloomington Jefferson, where he graduated in 2007. Aldrich enjoyed a successful high school basketball career, being named the state’s player of the year after his senior season by both major Twin Cities news publications.
Although Aldrich won his share of individual awards, he was unable to lead his team to a state title. The Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars were handed an early exit in the 2007 state tournament, losing to Apple Valley High School in the quarterfinals. Despite Aldrich’s 32-point, 21-rebound effort, Apple Valley ousted the Jaguars by a score of 68-66.
Cole Aldrich was a big-time recruit coming out of high school. Ranked as the #30 recruit in the class of 2007, Aldrich received a lot of Division I interest, but ultimately decided to take his talents to the University of Kansas and become a Jayhawk.