Sharife Cooper

Sharife Omar Cooper (born June 11, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Auburn Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best point guards in the 2020 class. At the high school level, Cooper competed for McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Sharife Cooper
No. 2 – Auburn Tigers
PositionPoint guard
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-06-11) June 11, 2001
Newark, New Jersey
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolMcEachern
(Powder Springs, Georgia)
CollegeAuburn (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards

High school career

In his freshman season in 2016–17, Cooper averaged 16 points and 4.4 assists per game, leading McEachern to a 29–1 record and an appearance in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class 7A state semifinals. The following year, he led the Indians to a state quarterfinals appearance while posting a 26–3 record.[1] He received considerable media attention in December 2017 for his 42-point performance against Jahvon Quinerly and nationally ranked Hudson Catholic Regional High School in the quarterfinals of the City of Palms Classic. He scored the game-winning buzzer-beater in an 83–81 overtime victory.[1][2][3]

As a junior in 2018–19, Cooper led McEachern to a perfect 32–0 record and the first state title in school history while averaging 27.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game. In the title-game win over Meadowcreek, he scored 20 points and dished four assists as McEachern finished ranked No. 1 in three national polls.[4] He picked up most valuable player (MVP) honors at several tournaments, including the City of Palms Classic and Tournament of Champions.[5] After the season, he was named USA Today All-USA Player of the Year, MaxPreps National Player of the Year, Mr. Georgia Basketball, and Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year.[6][7][8][9] He also earned USA Today All-USA first team and Naismith All-American second team honors.[10]

Cooper was selected to play in the 2020 McDonald's All-American Boys Game on January 23, 2020.[11]

Recruiting

On September 27, 2019, Cooper committed to play college basketball for Auburn. He became the most highly rated recruit in the school's history, and its second five-star recruit.[12]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Sharife Cooper
PG		 Powder Springs, GA McEachern (GA) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Sep 27, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 94
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 22  247Sports: 27  ESPN: 20
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Auburn 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  • "2020 Auburn Tigers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 14, 2020.

    College career

    Cooper made his Auburn debut on January 9, 2021, against Alabama. He scored 26 points and had nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals. On January 11, 2021, Cooper was selected as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week.

    Personal life

    Cooper was born in Newark, New Jersey to Omar and Kindall Cooper, although the family moved to the Atlanta area around the age of six.[13] He has two sisters, Te'a and Mia, who both won state titles at McEachern, while Te'a continued on to play at Tennessee, South Carolina and Baylor before being drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2020 WNBA draft.[14] He also has a twin brother, Omar, who is a standout player at The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia.[15]

    References
    1. Cordova, David (June 6, 2018). "Hoop With Coop: A Point Guard from Georgia Gives The World An Introduction". Dave's Joint. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
    2. Ostrander, Lynden (December 21, 2017). "Sharife Cooper's 42-point performance highlights early going at City of Palms Classic". MaxPreps. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
    3. Young, Justin (December 20, 2017). "Cooper Has Epic Outing in OT McEachern Win". HoopSeen. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
    4. Holcomb, Todd (March 12, 2019). "AAAAAAA basketball blog: McEachern, Westlake finish unbeaten, nationally ranked". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
    5. Divens, Jordan (January 31, 2019). "Sharife Cooper leads race for high school basketball player of the year honors". MaxPreps. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
    6. Jordan, Jason (April 2, 2019). "2018-19 ALL-USA Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Sharife Cooper, McEachern". USA Today. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
    7. Divens, Jordan (April 11, 2019). "MaxPreps 2018-19 Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Sharife Cooper". MaxPreps. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
    8. Bednarowski, John (March 28, 2019). "Sharife Cooper named Mr. Georgia Basketball by Atlanta Tipoff Club". Marietta Daily Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
    9. Holcomb, Todd (March 15, 2019). "McEachern's Cooper wins Gatorade boys player of year award". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
    10. Carrington, Adam (March 8, 2019). "McEachern's Sharife Cooper named second-team All-American". Marietta Daily Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
    11. "Four UNC signees dot All-American Game rosters". ESPN.com. January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
    12. Green, Tom (September 27, 2019). "5-star point guard Sharife Cooper commits to Auburn". AL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
    13. Zagoria, Adam (January 21, 2019). "Sharife Cooper Helps Keep McEachern Undefeated, To Visit Duke & Kentucky". FloHoops. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
    14. Te'a Cooper WNBA profile
    15. Conley, Tyhi (April 27, 2019). "Boys Basketball Player of the Year: McEachern's Sharife Cooper shines the brightest". Marietta Daily Journal. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
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