The Sharife Cooper hype was wild entering last season.
Before the McEachern High School (Ga.) product even played in a game for Auburn, he already had an absurd following on social media. Ballislife.com anointed him the deadliest point guard in America coming out of high school. And Cooper’s high school mixtapes? They were absolutely ridiculous, with no shortage of crafty finishes, lightning-quick crossovers and flashy passes. He made the game look easy. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound guard was a must-watch talent.
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Cooper averaged 30.6 points, 7.8 assists and 3.6 steals per game as a senior at McEachern. He ended his high school career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with over 2,000 points to his credit and was named a McDonald’s All-American. Ranked as the No. 20 player in the country by ESPN, Cooper was the highest-rated signee in Auburn basketball history. Naturally, Tigers fans eagerly anticipated the arrival of their five-star freshman floor general. However, things didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Although Cooper practiced with the team throughout the summer ahead of his freshman year at Auburn, the Tigers were forced to begin the season without him. The NCAA launched an investigation into his eligibility, and he wasn’t allowed to practice or play in games for 72 days. Cooper ultimately missed the team’s first 11 games. He was cleared to play just in time for the Tigers’ home game on Jan. 9 against SEC rival Alabama. “He kept himself in shape,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “He got a phone call from me Friday night before the Alabama game saying it was possible (for him to play). And I confirmed with him Saturday for a noon tip, and I started him.”
Cooper was worth the wait.
In one of the more impressive freshman debuts in recent memory, he finished with 26 points on 8-of-19 shooting, four rebounds, nine assists and three steals in 32 minutes. He also went 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Cooper’s debut wasn’t perfect. He committed five turnovers, including two costly miscues in the final minutes. He shot just 1-of-7 from deep. Auburn lost to Alabama 94-90.
But for Cooper to take 72 days off and still dominate? It speaks to his impressive talent, work ethic and resiliency. That’s the kind of point guard the Atlanta Hawks are getting with the 48th pick in Thursday’s draft. “Other lesser character guys who miss 72 days would’ve packed their bags and left,” Pearl said. “They wouldn’t have stayed right and ready. Sharife, on his own, stayed in the gym and stayed ready for the call. He studied what we were doing on his own so he knew exactly what he was supposed to do when I put him in there.”
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Cooper is a difficult prospect to evaluate, given he only played in 12 games last year with no postseason. And, of course, there’s questions about how a point guard of his height will translate to the next level. But Cooper’s skill with the ball in his hands is undeniable, despite a small sample size and being a smaller guard. He enters the league ready to contribute immediately.
Cooper averaged 20.2 points per game as a freshman at Auburn while converting on 46.5 of his 2-point attempts. He also dished out 8.1 assists per game to go along with 4.3 rebounds. For a freshman at any level to put up those numbers is pretty remarkable, especially in a high-usage role.
Cooper, who was an SEC All-Freshmen selection, was born to play point guard. He just has a natural feel for the game, and he can do things few guards in this year’s class can do. He can deliver passes with either hand on time and on target, whether stationary or off a live-dribble. Despite his smaller frame, opposing size and physicality doesn’t bother him. He has the ball on a string, which allows him to get to any spot on the court he wants. He’s proven he can finish at the rim in creative ways against SEC competition. And he’s unbelievable in pick-and-roll sets, which should translate well at the next level.
However, for a “little guy” like Cooper to maximize his potential in the NBA, it’ll come down to his long-range shooting. He shot just 22.8 percent from 3 last season on 57 attempts, and his shooting mechanics could use some refining. But the good thing is, this can be fixed with patience and proper coaching. If Cooper can develop into an efficient outside shooter at the next level … watch out. That untapped potential is what makes him such a polarizing prospect.
“He’s a guy that if you pass on, it can come back and bite you in the ass,” Pearl said. “He has a chance to be great. He’s done it at every level. And he’s done it at every level when he wasn’t supposed to. He wasn’t supposed to be the best player on the Nike circuit. He wasn’t supposed to be able to do what he did in high school and in the SEC. He did it. His teammates respect him. He’s the hardest worker on the team. He’s a gym rat. And his opponents fear him.”
(Photo: John Reed / USA Today)