One of the best measures of a point guard is does he win and does he lead? Sharife Cooper, a top 35 guard in the class of 2020, does all of that and more.
A six-footer from Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern, Cooper spearheads one of the best grassroots teams in the country, Atlanta based A.O.T coached by his father Omar Cooper. His play with A.O.T in Nike's EYBL and his high school team has led to offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida, Florida State, N.C. State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Texas A&M and many others.
"I feel like we have been doing well and that our chemistry is getting better," Cooper told Rivals.com. "We are playing physical basketball and I feel like we are in a good position heading into Peach Jam.
"My leadership comes natural because I've been with these guys so long. It's just second nature and the chemistry is there so it helps me lead. I've got competitive drive and I love to win. I like winning a lot more than I do losing."
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Cooper told Rivals.com that he has been on the campuses of Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech and N.C. State and discussed each program.
Auburn: "It's a great relationship with them. I love the coaches, Bruce Pearl and the rest of his staff. It's a home feeling and I like that."
N.C. State: "I like N.C. State a lot too. It's got that home feeling as well. (Kevin) Keatts and his assistant coaches are cool."
Georgia: "I haven't talked to (coach Tom Crean) yet but the assistant coaches have been calling my dad a lot. It's beautiful up there. I like the campus."
Georgia Tech: "Coach (Josh) Pastner wants me to come bad. He says that when I get there we could do really big things and it's in Atlanta so that's nice."
RIVALS' REACTION, WHAT'S NEXT?
There should be no surprise that Cooper has emerged as one of the Southeast's priority recruits. He's not the biggest kid in terms of stature, but he's super skilled, makes tough shots and has the total confidence and trust of his talented teammates. He's exactly the type of point guard that others enjoy playing with.
As for the recruiting process, Cooper is going to be wide open with things for a while.
"I'm totally open right now and don't have any schools that I'm looking more at than others," said Cooper. "I'm hoping to go on some visits later this summer and start the process. But it will probably be senior year before I do anything."
