| Intro | American basketball player |
| Is |
Athlete Basketball player |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 11 June 2001, Newark, USA |
| Age: | 19 years |
| Star sign | Gemini |
Sharife Cooper (born June 11, 2001) is an American basketball player who attends McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. He is a five-star recruit and has committed to play college basketball for Auburn.
High school career
In his freshman season in 2016–17, Cooper averaged 16 points and 4.4 assists per game, leading McEachern to a 29–1 record and an appearance in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class 7A state semifinals. The following year, he led the Indians to a state quarterfinals appearance while posting a 26–3 record. He received considerable media attention in December 2017 for his 42-point performance against Jahvon Quinerly and nationally ranked Hudson Catholic Regional High School in the quarterfinals of the City of Palms Classic. He scored the game-winning buzzer-beater in an 83–81 overtime victory.
As a junior in 2018–19, Cooper led McEachern to a perfect 32–0 record and the first state title in school history while averaging 27.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game. In the title-game win over Meadowcreek, he scored 20 points and dished four assists as McEachern finished ranked No. 1 in three national polls. He picked up most valuable player (MVP) honors at several tournaments, including the City of Palms Classic and Tournament of Champions. After the season, he was named USA Today All-USA Player of the Year, Mr. Georgia Basketball and Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year. He also earned USA Today All-USA first team and Naismith All-American second team honors.
Cooper was selected to play in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game on January 23, 2020.
Recruiting
On September 27, 2019, Cooper committed to play college basketball for Auburn. He became the most highly rated recruit, and the second five-star recruit, to ever commit to Auburn.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sharife Cooper PG |
Marietta, GA | McEachern (GA) | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | Sep 27, 2019 | |
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 20 247Sports: 20 ESPN: 19 | ||||||
Sources:
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Personal life
Cooper was born in Newark, New Jersey to Omar and Kindall Cooper, although the family moved to the Atlanta area around the age of six. He has two sisters, Te’a and Mia, who both won state titles at McEachern, while Te’a continued on to play at Tennessee and South Carolina after being named a McDonald’s All-American in 2015. He also has a twin brother, Omar, who is a standout player at The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia.