Every pass, shot and steal is now an opportunity for D.J. Cooper to prove himself worthy of a professional paycheck.
Cooper, the 2012-13 Mid-American Conference player of the year, is fresh off of an MVP performance in his first post-collegiate showcase and is headed back to the hardwood for another that begins Wednesday.
His professional hopes don’t wholly hinge on his performances in such events, but showing the ability to command the floor will bolster his prospects, said his agent, Michael Naiditch.
Cooper said his confidence is “at an all-time high” after finishing his final collegiate season and competing in the Reese’s College All-Star Game, where he had 11 points and nine assists.
The all-star game was Cooper’s first on-court appearance since the Bobcats bowed out of the National Invitation Tournament with a first-round loss to Denver three weeks ago.
The game, Cooper said, was a precursor of what’s to come in his search for a professional career.
“It’s a different experience,” Cooper said. “You have to be used to changing it up and being around different people, because you don’t know who you’re going to be around or how long you’re going to be around them.”
Playing with unfamiliar prospects isn’t a bad thing for someone in Cooper’s sneakers. Naiditch said it’s key for Cooper to be able to hold court regardless of whom he’s sharing it with.
“The challenge for the point guard is to show he can adapt to situations he is unfamiliar with and show his adaptability and ability to lead a team,” Naiditch said. “He knew the (all-star game) guys a little bit, but it looked like he had been playing together for a year.”
Cooper’s Wednesday destination is the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Portsmouth, Va., which is a popular hub for NBA hopefuls and scouts.
He will share the backcourt there with fellow 6-foot guard Lamont Jones, who was the nation’s third-best scorer last season for Iona, and Illinois shooting guard D.J. Richardson.
Naiditch said Cooper’s size significantly decreases the player’s pool of potential NBA suitors but said he thinks there will be interest from “every one of them” open to having someone of Cooper’s stature in their backcourt.
“There are bigger guys that will get early consideration, but after the top three point guards, there are 15 to 20 point guards that will emerge over the next few months,” Naiditch said. “Our goal is to keep D.J. as one of those guys.”
Cooper, who said he plans to graduate this summer, views himself as a bona fide NBA prospect.
“I come into this summer very confident (in) being able to play against pretty much everybody in the draft,” he said.
Ohio’s coaching staff has been relatively hands-off in dealing with its senior class’s professional prospects. Coach Jim Christian said he leaves his door open for players looking for advice but otherwise doesn’t interject into their decision-making process.
Cooper’s training has been spread between Athens and his hometown of Chicago. It has been heavy on physical therapy intended to better his strength and quickness — things he and Naiditch labeled as points of emphasis this spring and summer.
Christian said Cooper’s collegiate accomplishments — including becoming the first player in NCAA history to accumulate 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals — are more than enough to warrant scouts’ attention.
“He has earned the right to be in the handful of players that will have his crack at those guys watching him, evaluating him and getting to know him,” Christian said.
After competing in Portsmouth, Cooper will take part in the NBA Draft Chicago Combine June 7-8, leading into the draft three weeks later.
Although one could consider Cooper’s path to the draft daunting, he’s attacking his schedule the same way Ohio fans remember him on the hardwood.
“You just have to keep performing,” Cooper said. “I’m at the point in my career where every time I go out there, I’m getting evaluated. You have to go out there and show you can play at the level (of) the competition and hold your own.”
jr992810@ohiou.edu
