Jose Alvarado

Wheat Hotchkiss

Sharife Cooper's college career was brief, but memorable.

A variety of factors conspired to limit the 6-1 guard to just 12 games during his freshman season at Auburn. Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic shorten the 2020-21 season, but Cooper's Auburn debut was delayed while the NCAA reviewed his eligibility. He was eventually cleared on Jan. 9 after sitting out the first 11 games of the season and joined his teammates that day against rival Alabama, the Tigers' fourth conference game of the year.

The Crimson Tide — the eventual SEC champions — prevailed, 94-90, but Cooper nearly led Auburn to a significant upset. The Powder Springs, Ga. native tallied a team-high 26 points, nine assists, and three steals in his college debut.

Four days later, Cooper recorded a double-double in his second career game, scoring 28 points and dishing out 12 assists (to go along with five rebounds and two steals) in a win over Georgia.

For the next month, he wreaked havoc on the SEC, collecting two more double-doubles and averaging 20.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 12 contests up through Feb. 20. Cooper's performance was all the more impressive given his interminable layoff, during which the combination of COVID-19 restrictions and his eligibility review severely limited his practice time.

"Trying to envision myself there without being there, that was ultimately key," Cooper, who headlined Thursday's pre-draft workout for the Pacers, said of his mindset leading up to being cleared to play. "Just the amount of work, I feel like it showed when I finally got back the amount of work I put in. There were so many restrictions on what I could do, but I tried to make the most out of it."

An ankle injury in practice prevented Cooper from suiting up for the Tigers' final four regular season contests and a self-imposed postseason ban kept Auburn from competing in the SEC or NCAA Tournaments. Just like that, Cooper's college career was over. To no one's surprise, he declared for the NBA Draft on April 2 and is projected to likely go in the first round of the draft on July 29, with the potential to go in the lottery.

While Cooper was the equivalent of a shooting star in college — blink and you might have missed him — he hopes to have a long-term impact in the NBA.

Cooper's most enticing attributes are his abilities as a playmaker. While he can certainly score the basketball — averaging over 20 points as a freshman against SEC competition speaks for itself — Cooper prides himself even more on his passing. During his 12 games at Auburn, he assisted on an absurd 52.1 percent of the Tigers' field goals while on the floor.

"Being the point guard, I have a job of making everybody happy," Cooper said. "With my role as a point guard, I feel like passing ultimately makes me feel best just to see somebody else get it going. I always feel like I can score when need be, but seeing somebody else do their thing is also fun."

While he is smaller in stature at 6-1, 180, Cooper still fits the mold of other undersized playmakers like Trae Young and his idol Chris Paul, who have managed to thrive in the NBA with their offensive feel.

Still, Cooper has some room to grow. He shot just 13-for-57 (22.8 percent) from 3-point range while at Auburn. He could just be the victim of a limited sample size, but teams will want to see him shoot better in pre-draft workouts. His .825 free-throw percentage on over eight attempts per game does suggest that he has the touch to be a much more consistent threat from beyond the arc.

Given his size, there will also be questions about Cooper's defense and his ability to guard bigger ballhandlers. And while he is dynamic as a playmaker, Cooper did also average over four turnovers per game at Auburn. Some of that can be attributed to his high usage rate, but he will need to show more restraint at the next level.

Still, it's easy to see the case for a player with Cooper's talents to go in the lottery. The Pacers have the 13th overall pick and could be in the market for a backup point guard with T.J. McConnell entering free agency.

Cooper has a deep familiarity with the Pacers' roster — when asked about the franchise on Thursday he listed off nearly every player on the team — and thinks he could find a home in Indiana.

"I feel like I could fit right in," he said. "Help those guys as well as they help me, just ultimately build something special here. I feel like that's definitely possible for me to do. I would love to be here."

With draft night two weeks away, Cooper said he is focused on enjoying every part of the pre-draft process. His focus at this point is less on his basketball abilities and more on how he can fit in to an NBA locker room.

"Just a leader, somebody that doesn't expect much, wants to come in and gain everything he gets," Cooper said of what the team that drafts him will get. "A good locker room guy, someone who likes to have fun. Bring a fun style to the team, elevate his teammates and just be a good person. I feel like the on-the-court stuff will come. I feel like I'm a great player and I can figure it out."

Is that pitch enticing enough to persuade the Pacers' front office to take him? We'll find out soon enough.

Texas Tech's Mac McClung (left) and Nebraska's Dalano Banton (right) have intriguing physical tools. (Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

Aside from Cooper, the other five guards who participated in Thursday's pre-draft workout are all generally seen as possible second-round picks. Of that crop, two players stand out for their physical attributes.

Neither Texas Tech's Mac McClung nor Nebraska's Dalano Banton were invited to the NBA Draft Combine, but both did impress during the G League Elite Camp, a secondary combine for prospects.

McClung is another undersized guard at 6-2 and 180 pounds, but he showed off his athleticism during the testing portion of the camp. He demonstrated both his leaping ability and his speed with his 43.5-inch vertical and 2.935 time in the 3/4 court sprint, both of which were the best measurements among all prospects at the G League Elite Camp.

After two seasons as one of the top scorers at Georgetown, McClung transferred to Texas Tech last year for his junior season. He led the Red Raiders in scoring at 15.5 points per game while also averaging 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

While at Texas Tech, McClung — who had previously garnered notoriety when his high school highlights went viral on YouTube — had another moment that captured the internet, when he hit the game-winning shot in the closing seconds of a win at then-fourth-ranked Texas on Jan. 4.

McClung said his biggest growth at Texas Tech, however, came off the court.

"I really sat down and went in the film room and took that to another level," he said. "Studying film, I made that a daily habit for myself. I feel like that helped me out a lot."

As for his potential role at the next level, McClung cited a number of disruptive point guards as potential inspirations, including one Pacers fan favorite.

"I just kind of look at certain players like Fred VanVleet and Lou Williams and T.J. McConnell with the Pacers," McClung said. "I really look up to him and his competitive nature."

Banton is also a point guard by trade, though you wouldn't guess it upon first glance. The lanky, 6-9, 195-pound Toronto native grew over an inch during his three years in college (he sat out the 2019-20 season at Nebraska after transferring from Western Kentucky).

As a sophomore last season for the Cornhuskers, Banton did a little bit of everything, averaging 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He displayed those abilities again at the G League Elite Camp, where he led all prospects in both rebounds and assists during scrimmages.

"I feel like just with the game turning into a positionless sport, everybody's trying to be able to play everywhere on the floor," Banton said. "Being able to do a lot of things on the floor with my vision, my feel for the game, and my size and versatility, I can bring a lot to the table to a team."

While at Nebraska, Banton played for former Pacer Fred Hoiberg. "The Mayor" spent 10 seasons in the NBA as a player, the first four in Indiana, before embarking on a coaching career. He produced several NBA players while he was the head coach at Iowa State and also coached the Chicago Bulls from 2015-18.

Banton said he believed Hoiberg's NBA experience was a huge benefit to his own development and noted that Nebraska ran an offensive system similar to most NBA teams.

"Him being a basketball player first and being able to understand him, we clicked really well," Banton said of his relationship with his coach. "(He was) able to understand me and he knows what we go through as basketball players because he's been through it all. Just that level of respect and being able to connect with him as a coach, as a brother, as a friend, that's where we took our relationship to the next level."

Georgia Tech's Jose Alvarado (left), Michigan's Chaundee Brown (middle), and Dayton's Jalen Crutcher (right) enter the NBA Draft after decorated college careers. (Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)

Four-Year Players Hoping to Carve Out NBA Role

Though all three of Jose Alvarado, Chaundee Brown, and Jalen Crutcher played four college seasons, each was technically eligible for a fifth year in school thanks to NCAA rules regarding the pandemic. But each ultimately elected to turn pro after celebrated college careers.

Alvarado had a double-digit scoring average in each of his four seasons at Georgia Tech and averaged 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists as a senior. The 6-foot guard may be small in stature, but he loomed large on the court with his energetic style of play, particularly on the defensive end.

The ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020-21, Alvarado averaged 2.8 steals per game last season and amassed 226 takeaways over the course of his career. Though he will face a challenge against bigger, stronger guards at the NBA level, Alvarado knows that his defensive tenacity will be his "go-to card" that could earn him playing time.

Alvarado also could be a good fit in a locker room after leading an impressive program turnaround. The Yellow Jackets went just 6-12 in ACC play in his freshman and sophomore seasons, but steadily improved and ultimately captured the ACC Tournament title in March, the program's first since 1993.

"It meant everything," Alvarado said. "That was so big for the whole program, for me and for everyone at Georgia Tech. Because we had a rough four years there. Everyone doubted us. Just for us to be on top and show that we belong, we've been there and we're supposed to be there, it felt really good just to win for the whole program and just for everybody around Atlanta."

Another player driven by winning is Brown, a 6-5 wing who transferred to Michigan for his senior season after three years at Wake Forest in hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament before his college career ended.

Not only did Brown accomplish his goal, he helped the Wolverines reach the Elite 8.

After starting nearly ever contest at Wake Forest, Brown willingly accepted a sixth-man role at Michigan, where he averaged 8 points and 3.1 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per night. Playing that role, Brown's numbers fluctuated, but he was able to contribute significantly in March.

He did not score and took just one shot in Michigan's first-round win over Texas Southern, but dropped a team-high 21 points in the next round against LSU. Brown then tallied 12 more points in the Sweet 16 victory over Florida State and went 7-for-11 from 3-point range over the course of the tournament.

"Before I committed to Michigan, I knew what my role was going to be," Brown said. "Most likely that's going to be my role in the NBA as well. So I said, 'Why not practice it now and show that I can play with a great group of guys, first-rounders, second-rounders'...I wanted to show scouts and a lot of people that I can play with other people."

The best development for Brown's draft stock was his improved 3-point percentage in Ann Arbor. After shooting just 32 percent from beyond the arc in his last two seasons at Wake Forest, Brown posted a .419 3-point percentage with the Wolverines, an improvement he credited to countless hours in the gym.

Brown also had the benefit of learning from Michigan coach Juwan Howard, a 19-year NBA veteran now leading one of the nation's top college programs.

"He's going to get the best out of you," Brown said. "He keeps it real with you and that's what I know the NBA's going to be like. He's coming from the NBA so he's been around those guys. He keeps it real with you. I needed a coach like that. He gets on you if you're not competing or you're being lazy and that's the type of person that I need in my life."

Crutcher, a 6-1 guard, was a four-year starter at Dayton. He was one of the stars on a Flyers team that was one of the favorites to capture the national title in 2020 before the pandemic forced the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.1 points and 4.9 assists.

After teammate Obi Toppin turned pro, Crutcher took on an even larger offensive role as a senior, leading the team in both scoring (17.6 points per game) and assists (4.8).

Crutcher's most enticing attribute is his shooting ability. He attempted at least five 3-pointers per game in each of his four seasons at Dayton and converted at a high clip, shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc over his final two seasons.

As for his NBA role model, the Memphis native singled out former Grizzly and Indianapolis' own Mike Conley.

"Same kind of body frame, same kind of style of play — get in there and shoot floaters, make threes, make big-time plays, just make the right play," Crutcher said.

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Height: 6-0
Weight: 175
Position: PG
College: Georgia Tech
Age: 23

2020-2021 Season Stats
PPG: 15.2
RPG: 3.5
APG: 4.1
BLK: 0.0
STL: 2.8

Player BioCourtesy of Georgia Tech Athletics

ACC Defensive Player of the Year – 2021...All-Atlantic Coast Conference (second-team) – 2021...All-Atlantic Coast Conference (third-team) – 2020...NABC All-District 2 – 2021...Georgia Co-Player of the Year (Atlanta Tipoff Club) – 2021

General
Tough, gritty, high motor point guard who was an ironman and floor general for the Yellow Jackets for four seasons … Undisputed leader and heart and soul of a Tech team that won its first ACC Championship in 28 years and played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years … Named ACC Defensive Player of the year and second-team All-ACC after making third-team All-ACC as a junior … Also named Georgia Co-Player of the Year (with teammate Moses Wright) by the Atlanta Tipoff Club … Started all but one game he was available to play in his career, including all 26 as a senior (missed 15 due to injury during freshman and junior seasons) … Rarely left the floor unless he has foul trouble or is injured, has played the entire 40 minutes (45 in one overtime game) 24 times in his career … Has risen to 10th place on Tech’s career list for steals (226) … Had 71 career double-figure scoring games (16 as a freshman, 20 as a sophomore, 15 as a junior, 20 as a senior) … Topped 20 points 25 times … Finished career No. 19 in career points at Tech (1,429) … No. 3 all-time at Tech in career steals (226) … His 384 career assists are 11th all-time at Tech … No. 11 at Tech in career three-point field goals (172) … Followed a pair of legendary New York point guards into the Tech program — Kenny Anderson (1989-91) and Stephon Marbury (1995-96) … Began playing basketball at age 9 … Graduated May 8, 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in literature, media and communications.

2020-21
Named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, the second Tech player to be so honored (center Ben Lammers in 2017), and made the All-ACC second team by both official ACC voting panel and the Associated Press … Also named first-team All-District 2 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches ,,, Ranked among the top 10 in the ACC in seven (7) statistical categories … No. 8 in scoring (15.19 ppg), No. 5 in FG percentage (.504), No. 2 in FT percentage (.838), No. 6 in assist average (4.08), No. 1 in steals (2.85), No. 7 in assist/turnover ratio (2.00), No. 2 in minutes (37.10) … With enough makes he would also rank in the top 10 in three-point percentage (.390) … Ranked No. 2 nationally in steals per game … Led the ACC in steals for the second year in a row, a first for a Tech player and first ACC player to do so since Chris Paul in 2004 and 2005 … In ACC games, averaged 14.41 points (12th), 4.24 assists (5th) and 3.12 steals (1st), hitting .526 from the floor (6th), .403 from three-point range, .872 from the foul line … Made the ACC All-Tournament second team after scoring 13 points with five assists, three assists and five steals, and no turnovers in the full 40 minutes, in Tech’s championship game win over Florida State … Scored 20 or points eight times in 2020-21, five times in ACC games … In Tech’s ACC wins, he scored 20 vs. North Carolina, 25 vs. Wake Forest, 21 vs. Florida state19 vs. Notre Dame 12 vs. Pitt, 16 at Miami, 13 at Virginia Tech … Fueled second-half comeback against Notre Dame with three assists and all six of his steals along with seven points, and 19 in the second meeting with Virginia … Tallied 12 of his 20 in the second half to lift Tech past North Carolina (8-10 FG, 7 assists, 3 steals) … Scored 15 of his 25 against Wake Forest out of the halftime break to help expand Tech’s lead from 14 to 25 … Led Jackets to win at Nebraska with 19 of his 24 points in second half (7-12 FG, 3-5 3pt FG, 3 assists) … Scored 12 of his 21 after intermission against FSU on Jan. 30 (4-6 FG, 2-4 3pt FG, 3 assists) … Hit at least one three-point field goal in 35 straight games dating back to january of 2020 before missing his only attempt Feb. 14 against Pitt … It is the fifth-longest streak in program history … Had seven complete games 2020-21, five in ACC regular-season play (including one OT game), the ACC championship game and the NCAA Tournament loss to Loyola … Played 58:22 of a possible 60 minutes in Tech’s 4-OT loss to Georgia State … Ranked No. 2 in the ACC in average minutes, 18th nationally

2019-20
Voted to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference third team despite missing seven games due to injury early in the season … Became the 45th Tech player to reach 1,000 career points with his 23-point performance against Pittsburgh on March 4 (has 1,034 points through three seasons at Tech) … Missed seven of eight games after season opener at NC State with right ankle injury, but returned for the Diamond Head Classic and started every game thereafter (34.3 mpg) …  Averaged 15.1 points, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals in that stretch, and hit 35.1 percent of his three-point tries, 45.4 percent from the floor overall … Over Tech’s final 11 ACC games, averaged 18.1 points with four 20-points-plus games, and 3.3 assists, while hitting 46.9 percent from the floor, 36.5 percent from three-point range and 76.9 percent from the foul line … Hit at least one three-point field goal in 18 straight games to end the season, dating back to Jan 4 at North Carolina, the longest streak for a Tech player since Adam Smith connected in 24 straight games during the 2015-16 season … Scored a season-high 26 in the Jackets’ win over NC State on Jan. 25, coming up with a Tech-record nine steals, including thefts on each of the Wolfpack’s final two possessions to preserve the victory … His nine steals broke the Tech record of eight set by Kenny Anderson, another Brooklyn product, against Duke on Jan. 30, 1991 … ACC record is 11, and only three ACC players have ever recorded more than nine steals in a game … Nabbed seven against Miami and led the ACC in that category (2.37 per game) … Hit career high for assists three times in 2020 (8 vs. Duke, 8 vs. BC and 9 vs. Notre Dame) … Seven 20-point efforts over his last 18 games, beginning with a 25-point performance at North Carolina in which he hit 8-of-12 shots from the floor and 4-of-6 from distance … Scored 25 at Notre Dame, 20 vs. Virginia Tech … In ACC games, ranked 8th in scoring (16.05 ppg), No. 6 in field goal percentage (.465), No. 8 in assists (4.32) and No. 1 in steals (2.37) … For the season, averaged 14.4 points and career-high 4.0 assists in 33.5 minutes per game … … Averaged 11.3 points and 4.5 assists in Tech’s August trip to Spain, and hit 8-of-16 from three-point range.

2018-19
Led Tech in scoring (12.5 ppg), assists (3.4 pg) and steals (1.8 pg) … Averaged team-high 12.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.8 steals in ACC games … Last six regular-season games, averaged 18.3 points, leading the Jackets in five of those games – 17 points vs. Florida State, a career-high 29 vs. Pittsburgh, 20 at Miami, 12 at Virginia, 21 vs. Boston College, and 11 at NC State … Converted 37-of-75 field goals (49.3 pct.), 12-of-30 from three-point range (40 pct.), 24-of-32 from the free throw line (75 pct.), adding 29 rebounds, 24 assists and 12 steals … In previous six games: 24 points, 10-of-59 FG, 3-for-26 from 3-point range, attempted just two free throws … Committed just four turnovers in 160 minutes in last four games … Averaged 15.6 points over Tech’s first six ACC games (he missed Louisville game with a groin injury) … Shot 44.7 percent from the floor, 11-of-24 (44 pct.) from three-point range, and 25-of-31 (80.6 pct.) from the foul line … Averaged 36.2 minutes in ACC games (6th in the conference), played full 40 minutes against Notre Dame (2nd meeting), Pitt, Miami and NC State … Had five complete games on the season … Double figures in 20 games, including 24 at Northwestern, 20 at Arkansas. 20 vs. Virginia Tech, 21 vs. Boston College.

2017-18
Started every game as Tech’s primary point guard, ranking fourth in the ACC at 39.2 minutes per game in conference play prior to suffering a dislocated left elbow 12 minutes into Tech’s Feb. 11 game against Duke … Sidelined the remainder of the season and underwent surgery to repair the injury … … Ranked fourth among freshmen nationwide in overall minutes per game (35.9) and percentage of minutes played (89.3) … Logged eight complete games (seven in ACC play), including all 45 minutes in Tech’s OT loss at Boston College … Ranked fourth in the ACC in steals (1.8 per game), No. 1 among freshmen at time of injury … Had team-high 3.1 assists per game … Third on Tech’s scoring chart at 12.1 points per game, 10.2 per game against the ACC … Ranked fifth among ACC freshmen in scoring, fourth in assists … Eleven double-figure games in the last 16, 16 altogether as a freshman … Averaged 13.2 ppg in last six games (27-61 FG, 14-31 on threes) prior to Duke … Topped 20 points four times (22 vs. Grambling State, 23 vs. Wright State, 23 vs. Yale, 23 at Florida State) … Shot the ball well from three-point range (37 pct.), knocking down four threes in a game four times, including at North Carolina and Florida State … Excellent at the foul line (80.2 percent on 81 attempts, third on the team in both) … Snared season high of seven rebounds three times.

High School
Three-star prospect out of high school who was ranked the No. 9 player in the state of New York and No. 33 in the nation at his position by ESPN … Named New York City Catholic League player of the year as a junior in 2015-16, led Christ the King, the No. 19 team in the nation entering the 2016-17 season, to the New York City title twice … Averaged 17 points and 6.5 assists per game as a junior … Posted the first quadruple-double in school history (18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals) … Led his AAU team, the New York Rens, to the Peach Jam quarterfinals in the summer of 2016, averaging 11 points and five assists.

Jose Alvarado

Cooper's Tantalizing Talent Intrigues Indiana

2021 Draft Workouts: Jose Alvarado

Jose Alvarado: 2021 Draft Prospect