Sharife Cooper weighs in on his Auburn debut, draws shoutout from NBA star Ja Morant
The Auburn Tigers got a huge boost on Saturday for a game against rival Alabama, as 5-star freshman PG Sharife Cooper was able to make his debut after an eligibility issue with the NCAA.
He did not disappoint, leading the Tigers with 26 points and 9 assists, to go with 4 rebounds and 3 steals. He did have 5 turnovers and only shot 1-for-7 from 3-point range, but overall, it was a promising showing.
After the game, Cooper shared his thoughts with media members. Here’s some of what he said:
On how tough it has been mentally to not play:
Auburn point guard Sharife Cooper on his long wait to finally play: "It was definitely hard, mentally, physically, emotionally. … But I told myself that I wouldn't let anything break me."
— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) January 9, 2021
On learning the Auburn playbook:
Auburn guard Sharife Cooper: "I was deep into the playbook … I did the best I could trying to watch film and try to understand the plays without being there."
Cooper said he had about two weeks to "get back into the feel of things"
— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) January 9, 2021
On chemistry with his teammates and getting to start:
Auburn guard Sharife Cooper on his teammates' confidence and being willing to switch out for him to start: "I'm big on chemistry and just being there for each other … I'd do anything for those guys on the court, off the court. It's good to know those guys have your back"
— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) January 9, 2021
On settling into a rhythm:
Auburn guard Sharife Cooper: "The first couple of minutes, I knew it was going to be a little rusty … I knew once I kind of settled down that things would get to flowing"
— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) January 9, 2021
On struggles in the closing minutes of the game:
Sharife Cooper: "I really put this game on me because there's a lot of things I did wrong in the closing seconds."
— Christian Clemente (@CClemente__) January 9, 2021
Auburn's Sharife Cooper: "The last two minutes, I take that on my hat. Just being a point guard and having the coach be able to trust you to make the right plays, that's on me … I want to get back and watch it on ASAP. That's one of the main things I like to do: close the game"
— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) January 9, 2021
Cooper’s big-time debut drew the attention of some in the NBA, too. Here’s what Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant had to say:
https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1347969819921022978
How big of a factor will Cooper be moving forward? Auburn is now 0-4 in SEC play, so the Tigers need him to quickly become a star.
