NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top 10 teams for top-50 wing Kaden Cooper
One of the top athletes and defenders in the 2023 NCAA Basketball class is Kaden Cooper, who hails from Ada, Oklahoma, and has been a riser on the recruiting boards. He’s 6’5 and 185 pounds and while he can play the two-spot, his physicality and defensive capabilities make him an intriguing impact player.
Cooper can guard multiple positions on the court and is a solid scorer. With an improving jump shot, he could be a quality two-way starter on a high-level team. Several high-major programs were in on him early and now, he’s on the national radar for many.
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We’re now down to just 10 teams for Cooper’s services, with a decision potentially coming in the next few months. Which of them has the best chance at landing him? Here’s how I see the fits.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Cooper is a potentially perfect fit for the Tide, as he’s a quality defender and athlete, something head coach Nate Oats love for the roster. The team will start either St. Bonaventure transfer Dominick Welch or five-star incoming freshman Brandon Miller, both of whom will be gone after the season.
There will be some room on the wings for Alabama, with just Nimari Burnett likely still to be on the 2023-24 roster. The question will be who Coach Oats adds to the roster, whether via the transfer portal or another five-star prospect so playing time could possibly be limited as a freshman.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets are fully rebuilding, now that the core of the 2021 NCAA Tournament team is all gone. There are a lot of opportunities for Cooper to come in and be a focal point of the offense early on and could be a star piece for the program. He’d be joining Blue Cain, a four-star shooting guard commit n the 2023 class.
Georgia Tech isn’t projected to be very good next season and that could be an issue for head coach Josh Pastner. If they repeat last year’s record and results, he may not be around for the 2023 class. That would be something that Cooper has to take into account.