Cole Crubel is a 6’2”, fifth-year senior on the Viterbo men’s basketball team. He joined the V-Hawks after attending River Ridge High School, in Bloomington, Wisconsin. Cole is a part of the last group of college athletes who were granted an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many student athletes refer to it as their “COVID year.”
Cole knew he wanted to take advantage of this extra year. When asked why he decided to return, he stated, “I had another year of eligibility due to COVID and decided to play another year. I also am getting my MBA at Viterbo, and since it only takes an extra year, it was a win-win.”
Throughout his time with the V-Hawks, Crubel stacked up quite the impressive résumé, with his best year coming just last year. During the 2023-24 season, Crubel played in all 28 games for the V-Hawks, starting in six. In these 28 games, Crubel averaged 11.4 points in about 20 minutes per game. However, the most impressive aspect of his game is his lights-out shooting ability. Last season, Crubel shot 42 percent from the field, while shooting an impressive 41% from the three-point line. On top of this, he also managed to shoot over 90% from the free throw line.
Cole Crubel looks to continue this performance this year, but when asked about what it truly means to play another year at Viterbo he responded, “It means a lot to play one last year. Viterbo has given a lot to me since I started. It is awesome to wear the Viterbo logo every game one last time.”
Given his previous accolades and unmatched leadership, Crubel is naturally a captain for this team. He is going to look to use this leadership to help the V-Hawks improve from a solid 2023-24 season. With the university being placed in a new conference, it provides new challenges. This does not deter Crubel and the V-Hawks, however. When asked about the goals for the upcoming season, Crubel responded, “The goal every year is to make the national tournament. We also want to make a big impact in the new conference this year. Set the standards right that we are here to stay.”
Cole Crubel and the V-Hawks look to start the season off right. Their first game tips off Nov. 1 against the Clark University Pride at 7:00 p.m. in Dubuque, Iowa.
