BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Cole Certa watched Big Ten basketball growing up. Now in a couple of years, he’ll get the opportunity to play in those games if he chooses.

The junior sharpshooter at Bloomington Central Catholic has gone over 1,000 career points and gotten a wave of collegiate interest over the past few months, including an offer from Illinois on Jan. 19. Penn State and Northwestern have also offered.

“It’s been really cool,” Certa said, “I’ve kind of just felt like, take it all in and not take all of this for granted. It’s been really fun. It’s been pretty exciting.”

Certa, rated a three-star guard by 247Sports, has watched plenty of Big Ten hoops growing up, and attended Illinois’ game against Indiana this season. He’s also heard from Iowa and Wisconsin in addition to Virginia Tech and Butler.

“I really like that style,” Certa said. “I feel like the Big Ten is a place where I can really thrive with my ability to play as a guard. I watch a lot of Big Ten.”

Another school that has been in the mix is Illinois State with new coach Ryan Pedon. The school just down the road from where Certa has grown up.

“It was really cool,” Certa said of the ISU offer. “Because obviously being offered by your hometown is super cool, and me and Coach Pedon get along great.”

The improvement that led to the interest in Certa came from a good portion of hard work. Morning or night, Certa has been in the gym nearly every day putting up shots and working in the weight room.

He started his high school career as a slender freshman playing spot minutes on a veteran team before he took off, growing his skill set as he also grew to 6-foot-5. 247Sports rates him the No. 7 player in Illinois for the Class of 2024.

“It amazes me, he’s in the gym I would say almost every day,” Central Catholic coach Jason Welch said. “Somewhere in this town, he’s in the gym working at it. And you know that doesn’t happen. What you see out there is a byproduct of all the hard work he’s putting in behind the scenes.

“Kids talk about that, but the reality is he’s doing it. He’s putting in a lot of time in the weight room, trying to get stronger. And then he’s doing all the extras that a lot of kids just don’t do and it’s paying off.”

That offseason work, in addition to playing AAU basketball with the Illinois Wolves, made him more complete as a driver and slasher to go along with his outside shot.

“I would not call him just a shooter, I would call him a scorer because he can hit you outside, but he can take you to the rim, too,” Welch said.

The combination of skill and length is part of the appeal to college coaches, with Welch saying he wouldn’t be surprised if Certa continues to grow over the next couple of years.

“We’ve had some kids in the past that can shoot it, and I mean shoot it at a high level,” Welch said. “However, he’s so much bigger. That’s what makes a difference. And if he grows anymore, I mean, right now the sky’s the limit, but then it really gets crazy.”

Certa’s parents — Tony Certa and Kim Newman-Certa — both played at Quincy University, and they got him started with the game around age four. He started to focus on the sport more around fifth grade, working out with Tony.

“He’s always been my teacher, and he’s helped me a lot,” Cole Certa said.

That work has given Central Catholic a major piece as it looks toward the postseason. It also has helped mold a Power Five prospect.

“I think we hit the jackpot with him,” Welch said. “I’m proud of him.”