Coop More Than a Statistical Success Story

James Cooper's statistics on the basketball court for The College of Wooster are impressive, the most noteworthy being his 2,037 points – just the second Fighting Scot to reach the 2,000 milestone – but he's more proud of not becoming a statistic.

You see, Coop, as he's affectionately known, is not your typical Wooster student.

He grew up in a rugged neighborhood, has only seen his biological father a few times, and witnessed things that most undergraduates at this nationally-recognized independent liberal arts school only see in the movies.

"There was a lot of fighting and stuff going on every day, even in school," Cooper once told The Daily Record. "I probably shouldn't say all the things I've seen – drugs, guns, everything. It made me want to get out, get away from it, do something better with my life."

With the help of his mother, Kelly Walker, and positive male role models, primarily his high school basketball coaches, Cooper made the right choices and stayed focused while growing up in the inner city of Springfield, Ohio. A talent on the court, he received honorable mention on the all-state team as a junior in high school and appeared headed toward an NCAA Div. I scholarship, but that did not deter Scot head coach Steve Moore from recruiting him.

When Cooper's playing time at summer tournaments between his junior and senior seasons was inexplicably reduced, the Div. I schools stopped calling. That didn't bother Cooper too much because he had begun developing a rapport with Moore and thought the up-tempo style the Scots play would be a good fit, even though his hometown school and Wooster's big rival, Wittenberg University, showed interest as well.

"I was leaning toward Wooster from the start," explained Cooper. "My visit here went better. I felt more important to Wooster. I liked Coach Moore. He seemed laid back and down to earth, and he builds the system around whatever's best for the team."

So, he chose to join the Fighting Scots, but how would Cooper make the transition academically and socially after being raised in a much different environment than most of his peers? No problem at all, as it turned out, other than adjusting to the same things every freshman has to.

"Being on your own, (not) relying on your parents … and the papers were longer … I had to figure out some things on my own, but it was fine," Cooper responded. "I started playing basketball with the seven or eight other freshmen who came in, including Devin (Fulk) whose room was right next to mine, so that made it pretty easy."

"It really wasn't a concern," added Moore. "When he got here, it was certainly a big change, but it's a tribute to James that he adjusted and became comfortable … it wasn't surprising once we found out the kind of person he was."

Cooper did have to make minor adjustments on the court, as he was no longer the lead scorer like in high school, instead one of a talented group of players, including several who were on Wooster's 2003 Div. III "Final Four" squad.

"I wasn't expecting to do too much freshman year because we had such a good team," he said. "I was just hoping to improve every season."

Cooper, as his confidence increased, made dramatic strides as a freshman, peaking with back-to-back season-highs of 19 points against Wittenberg during the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament finals and 27 against Baldwin-Wallace College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

That momentum, combined with some off-season work in the weight room, carried over to his sophomore year and really the rest of his career. He became the Scots' go-to scorer, using an array of offensive moves and tremendous shooting range to average 19.2 points in 2005-06, but it was a single shot that season, which will go down forever in the minds of many Wooster fans. That, of course, being the long-distance 3-pointer he made with almost no time remaining to beat Wittenberg 86-83, adding another great chapter to one of the best small-college basketball rivalries in the nation.

Cooper's scoring average dipped slightly to 18.0 points per game as a junior, but he gladly sacrificed that for the team's success. In what he described as "easily the happiest moment of my career," Cooper helped lead the Scots to the 2007 "Final Four." During the defining moments of that run to the national semifinals, it was Cooper who took over, accounting for nine of the team's 13 points in overtime of a 94-87 win versus SUNY Brockport during the teams' quarterfinal match-up.

"When I came here freshman year, all we heard about was the Final Four and how great it was down there in Salem, (Va.)," Cooper recalled. "So, it was great to get there."

As a senior, Cooper went out with his best individual year yet, averaging career highs in scoring (19.5 ppg) and rebounding (2.4 rpg) while passing out 2.0-plus assists (2.0 apg) for the third season in a row.

Cooper accumulated more awards than any other player in school history. The school's first three-time All-American in basketball and only two-time NCAC Player of the Year did so with a unique scoring ability. Yes, he put up a lot of points, averaging 16.7 over his career, but it never seemed like he was doing it in a selfish manner. Cooper's shooting percentages indicate that, as he finished making 53.0 percent from the field, including 46.1 percent from 3-point territory, and 80.8 percent at the free throw line. Each of the last three seasons, Cooper finished among the top-10 in the NCAC in all three shooting categories, but he was not interested in talking about honors and numbers, other than the team's four-straight NCAC championships and trip to the "Final Four."

"My main goal coming here was to win a national championship. I thought we were going to do that last year. I had no ideas of becoming an All-American or any of those statistics."

"Obviously, James is one of the most prolific scorers in Wooster basketball," commented Moore. "He had a tremendous ability to shoot the basketball. His shooting percentage was remarkable because he took so many outside shots. His skill at shooting off the dribble and accuracy on 15-foot, mid-range jumpers set him apart from most any basketball player at any level."

Cooper's decision to take a risk and go to college – he was the first in his entire family to do so – has now opened up a number of opportunities for him. One that he's focusing in on now is taking his set of basketball skills to the professional level in Europe.

"Right now, I've just been extremely busy. I've been talking to five or six agents, trying to find the right one. I've been sending out tapes to teams and scouts, and it's going pretty good right now. I'm trying to find the league that pays the best and has the best competition."

Cooper will soon gain some additional exposure, as he was one of eight Div. III seniors nationwide to be selected for the Collegiate Basketball Invitational, a tournament featuring the top NCAA Div. II and III and NAIA players. It's capped by an all-star game, which will be televised live by ESPNU on Saturday, April 26, at 8 p.m.

While Cooper was providing thrills for the Black and Old Gold fans the last four seasons on the court and may be doing the same thing overseas soon, his best work was serving as an inspiration to others in similar challenging situations.

Back in Springfield, his impact can be seen within his own family. The oldest of seven siblings, Cooper has set the example and is now offering advice and boosting the confidence of his five sisters and one brother. That encouragement has led to one of his sisters currently applying for colleges and another considering it.

"I've just been trying to be a positive role model (for them)," Cooper said."If I can do (it), then they can."