Sharife Cooper Scouting Report for the NBA Draft

Sharife Cooper has put the College Basketball World on notice since debuting in the past week. It is no wonder he has drawn comparisons to Chris Paul, Ja Morant and Tyler Ulis (gulp) since showcasing his stuff for Auburn. Ja Morant is also taking notice:

@CooperSharife da goods ‼️ he got it fr ?

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 9, 2021

Crazy athleticism is clearly something that runs in the Cooper family as well because his sister Te’a currently plays in the WNBA for the Los Angeles Sparks. Let us now take a look at Sharife Cooper’s scouting report based on his play for Auburn and at McEachern (his high school in Powder Springs, Georgia).

Pros:

Incredible passer – Can find the open anywhere, but works especially well with teammates that like to play above the rim. Also a good full court passer.

Handles – Great dribbler with both hands

Court Awareness

Basketball IQ

Finishing at the rim / Embracing contact – Despite being undersized, he does not shy away from contact at the rim

Team Chemistry

Leadership

Solid Free Throw Shooter

Cons:

Streaky Shooter – A streaky shooter especially from the outside. Right now after two games at Auburn is shooting 9.1% from the 3pt line.

Turnovers – Despite averaging an incredibly high amount of assists, he is known to also turn the ball over at alarming rates.

Undersized – At 6ft & 170lbs, he is undersized at the guard position which will justifiably make scouts question whether or not he can defend at the next level.

Conclusion:

Sharife Cooper is a real treat to watch and knows his game as well as the game of his teammates like the back of his hands. His court vision and his passing ability is right up there with anyone in the country currently. Will need to work on cutting down turnovers and improving his outside shot if he wants to keep growing at the next level. Right now, if he decides to declare, I think he would be drafted somewhere in the first round!

If you would like to learn more about Sharife Cooper and his journey, feel free to check out my video below: