08 Jan 2014 Cooper giving Bulldogs 'everything he has' in senior season
by Levi Gilbert
St. Joseph’s Drake Cooper has moved from sixth man to leading man in his senior year. The 6-foot-2 power forward was nominated by his coach, Brent Bruich, and selected to the inaugural 501 Basketball Team.
“Drake was our sixth man last year and averaged six points and three rebounds a game,” Bruich said. “He gave us a spark off the bench every game.”
Cooper is providing much more than just a spark in 2013-14. Last Friday against Greers Ferry West Side, the senior dropped 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds. He is a powerful presence for the Bulldogs in the gym and in the community.
“He cares for his teammates on and off the court,” Bruich said. “He helps his teammates out anytime they need it. He’s involved in Angel Tree Project and does other service projects for the church and school.”
Cooper is also involved in Junior Optimist and is a member of the Faulkner County Youth Leadership Institute. The senior Bulldog has been playing basketball since peewee.
“It was everything my friends were doing, so it interested me,” Cooper said. “Honestly, I still to this day do not watch basketball on TV unless it’s March Madness.”
This season has been a good one for Cooper, and one accomplishment early in the season will stay with him forever.
“This year I got my first dunk in a game,” Cooper said. “It was our third or fourth game, and it was at Abundant Life. We had a fast break, and I jumped from in between the block and the free throw line and jumped over a guy and dunked it, but they called a charge. So then a little later in the game, I caught it again, drove in and two-hand dunked it. It felt pretty good.”
The Bulldogs are primed to return to the state tournament this year after getting bounced in the first round last year to Bearden.
“Hopefully we’ll get a chance to play them again this year and go a little bit further,” Cooper said. “Our team goal is to flow good, to just have good chemistry, which will make us play better and play hard. Good sportsmanship is important.
“I just want to play my hardest and not have an attitude on and off the court. I just want to have good sportsmanship and be a good leader.”
Bruich is looking for the same qualities out of Cooper.
“I expect him to be a great leader, scorer, rebounder and play great defense,” Bruich said in his nomination in the fall. “We need him to give us everything he has every game.”
Cooper and the Bulldogs travel to Quitman on Friday before hosting cross-town rival Conway Christian on Tuesday.
Cooper’s sporting endeavors may not end after basketball this year.
“I haven’t played other sports in the past, but I think I’m going to try out for baseball this year,” Cooper said. “Last year they won the state championship. I want to try out for the team.
“I honestly have no idea what I’m going to do after I graduate. It’s still spinning.”
