Posted on 21 May, 2008
The Cobras were in a race against time to find a replacement with players needing to play 11 games to qualify for finals.
Cooper arrives at Kilsyth after a successful 4 year career at Alaska-Anchorage. Cooper finished his career with a Final Four appearance and No.4 all-time NCAA Division II assists list with a total of 880. A two time All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference First Team selection, Cooper set or tied 13 school records including most assists (880), assists per game (7.3) and double-digit scoring performances (32).
Cooper was named to various NCAA Division II first and second teams for his 2007-08 season, averaging 7.7ppg and dishing out 8.8 assists. He was one of 16 Finalist including just two from the NCAA Division II for the prestigious Bob Cousy Award as the top point guard in American College Basketball.
Kilsyth have been lucky to find such a high quality replacement for their injured point guard at this stage of the season and hope Cooper can be a major asset in turning around the fortunes of the team as they embark on a mission to return to the finals.
Cobras Head Coach Grant Wallace was disappointed losing Malvik but is looking forward to getting Cooper on the floor, “Whilst Zach’s departure will be impossible to replace, his scoring and leadership was outstanding, we have been fortunate to secure the services of Luke Cooper, who together with the energy and experience of Jon Lee will add another dimension to our squad.”
“Luke has just returned from concluding his College commitments and comes highly recommended. Many have compared him to a Mick Wheeler type, which should excite most here at Kilsyth, and with Jon Lee playing his best basketball at present, our backcourt should pose some dilemmas for all oppositions.”
Injured Kilsyth Import Zach Malvik and Cooper share an interesting connection with Malvik’s former school Winona State winning this year’s NCAA Division II Final. It is hoped Cooper will provide a similar impact as Malvik has made to the team.
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