Cooper’s ODU squad among those playing at Verizon this week
You know those scrappy, frenetic contests between teams of 8-year-olds that are shoehorned into halftime of Wizards games? The last time Chris Cooper played at Verizon Center, it was in a game like that.
Thursday will be a slightly bigger stage for Old Dominion’s athletic junior forward from Dumfries. He’s the only native suburban Washingtonian starter among the eight teams sent to the District for the second round of the 2011 NCAA tournament.
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It makes his last three years of relative obscurity well worth it.
“Cooper would probably get most of our players’ votes for most improved player,” Monarchs coach Blaine Taylor said earlier this season. “He’s really come of age. I think Chris has looked at it that way, that it was time to come of age.”
| UP NEXT |
| No. 9 Old Dominion vs. No. 8 Butler |
| When » Thursday, 12:40 p.m. |
| Where » Verizon Center |
| TV » truTV |
Despite the potential of his now 6-foot-9, 230-pound frame, Cooper had to start from scratch in Norfolk after losing his senior year at Forest Park High to knee surgery. Making an anticipated shift from wiry, do-everything player to working mostly in the paint in college, Cooper also could’ve used a year to redshirt, bulk up and refine his game.
“In high school I could just do whatever I wanted,” Cooper said. “I was playing point guard, shooting guard, whatever I wanted, really. When I got here, I had to learn how to play the post, and my body type, when I left high school, wasn’t ready for the post position.”
The weight room and post repetitions would have to wait. Taylor needed his fearlessness right away.
“I don’t feel like I was rushed,” Cooper said. “I just felt like both of those two years were more of a learning experience for me.”
“Coop,” as he is called, bodied his way into the starting lineup eight games into the year. His game may still be described best as having loads of potential, and he doesn’t overwhelm the stat sheet (5.1 points, 5.7 rebounds a game), but his presence alone is a big reason why Old Dominion’s frontcourt can match up with that of any major conference foe — or a previous year NCAA finalist. ODU will play Butler on Thursday.)
“He bangs with the big men and he blocks shots,” said guard Marquel De Lancey, Cooper’s teammate and the team’s other area native (Mount Vernon). “He rebounds everything so it’s important for us.”
The Monarchs (27-6) know Cooper’s homecoming — and a nearby contest for them — might prove more valuable than a beneficial seeding.
“We were expecting a higher seed, but I’m happy where we’re at,” De Lancey said. “I like where we’re at. We can’t ask for too much.”
