Bruce Pearl provides update on the status of Auburn 5-star PG Sharife Cooper
By Keith Farner
Published:
Auburn has been in a waiting period regarding the eligibility status of 5-star PG Sharife Cooper.
Coach Bruce Pearl told reporters this week that there is “no change” in Cooper’s status with the NCAA regarding his initial eligibility. Cooper has not played in any of Auburn’s first 3 games of the season against Saint Joseph’s, No. 1 Gonzaga and UCF and did not travel with the team to Florida last week, according to a report from Tom Green of AL.com.
Cooper was expected to start immediately and be key player. Instead, Pearl has been forced to shuffle other players into the guard position. Cooper was rated the nation’s No. 19 overall recruit by 247Sports. Cooper was the key figure in a top-10 recruiting class for the Tigers.
Cooper has watched each of the Tigers’ first 3 games and tweeted support after the team’s road loss to UCF on Monday night, when the offense struggled.
“Sharife’s attitude has been incredible,” Pearl said. “He’s staying right and he’s staying ready. I think a person and player of lesser character, or maturity, or toughness, wouldn’t be able to handle what he’s going through right now.”
Cooper has not practiced with the team recently, and point guard duties have instead fallen to two natural off-guards, sophomore Tyrell Jones and true freshman Justin Powell.
we are fine !
— Sharife Cooper (@CooperSharife) December 1, 2020
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
