Ranking the Contenders: Kaden Cooper
The No. 36 prospect in the 2023 Rivals150, Kaden Cooper recently trimmed his list to include 10 schools. Not every school on the list has a realistic chance to land the Oklahoma-based wing, however, as a hierarchy has definitely started to form.
Below, Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy ranks the realistic contenders to land Cooper when it comes time for him to announce his college choice.
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GONZAGA
Cooper has been noticeably excited about Gonzaga since before the Bulldogs offered him and visited the campus just a couple weeks after the offer arrived in June. Since that time, he’s seemed zeroed in on the Zags. The staff held an in-home visit with Cooper this summer, during which they prepared a video reel showcasing the four-star guard’s fit within the offense and possible NBA comparisons. Gonzaga seems to have a decent hold on the top spot here, but calling Cooper to Spokane a “lock” would be a bit presumptuous before he completes all of his official visits.
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OKLAHOMA
The in-state school shouldn’t be ignored, as the Sooners seem to be the second-most-likely program to land Cooper’s pledge. An Ada, Oklahoma, native, Cooper grew up an Oklahoma fan and thinks he could make an instant impact on the Sooners should he decide to stay home for college. The Sooners hosted Cooper for an official visit in late June, and things seem to have gone as well as could be expected. OU is just one of two programs to receive an official visit this far. Oklahoma already has 6-foot-6 forward Jacolb Cole in the fold for 2023, but attempting to guess how that might affect Cooper’s process is difficult.
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TEXAS
Cooper hasn't taken a visit to Texas yet, but says he will take an official visit this fall. The fact that he’s one of the more high-energy and capable defenders in the country makes him a nice fit for Chris Beard’s system, a fact that’s not lost on Cooper, who has made note of it in several interviews. So much of Cooper’s Texas recruitment will hinge on how a possible future visit shakes out as well as how he fits into the Longhorns’ wing-heavy roster. That said, if UT decides it wants to press it could certainly push its way into the mix down the stretch.
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LSU
Another program that has yet to get Cooper on campus but likely will eventually is LSU, which offered in April and conducted an in-home visit in the time since. Cooper seems to like and understand how he fits the Tigers’ system and has a strong bond with the school’s new coaching staff. LSU fans shouldn’t hold their breath here, but stranger things have happened in recruiting. A future official visit would have to shake things up significantly for the Tigers to make a move.
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KANSAS
The Jayhawks are a bit of a dark horse, but it was difficult to keep the defending champs off the list completely. There’s definitely mutual interest between the two parties, and Cooper has mentioned a desire to eventually visit Lawrence. Beyond that, it’s unclear where things stand. It seems as though KU has higher priorities for the time being. The Jayhawks have a slew of talented young wings on their roster and are the heavy favorites to land 6-foot-6 Chris Johnson when he announces on Aug. 2. That may or may not have an effect on things.