▁H ales ▁Francis can ▁High ▁School . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁senior , ▁and ▁after ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁Set on ▁Academy , ▁Cooper ▁began ▁to ▁get ▁national ▁recognition . ▁He ▁was ▁named ▁a ▁Mc Donald ' s ▁All - America ▁nom ine e ▁and ▁ranked ▁as ▁the ▁ 3 0 th ▁best ▁player ▁overall ▁by ▁ESP N . com ▁for ▁the ▁class ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁Cooper ▁aver aged ▁approximately ▁ 1 6 ▁points ▁and ▁seven ▁ass ists ▁per ▁game ▁and ▁led ▁Set on ▁Academy ▁to ▁the ▁school ' s ▁first - ever ▁state ▁championship ▁in ▁any ▁sport ▁when ▁they ▁won ▁Illinois ' ▁Class ▁ 2 A ▁state ▁title . ▁ ▁Cooper ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁some ▁high - major ▁Division ▁I ▁colleg es ▁such ▁as ▁Bay lor . ▁He ▁ultimately ▁chose ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁Ohio ▁University , ▁a ▁mid - major ▁Division ▁I ▁school , ▁and ▁head ▁coach ▁John ▁Gro ce ▁because ▁Cooper ▁" w anted ▁to ▁feel ▁like ▁[ he ] ▁was ▁someone ' s ▁main ▁priority ", ▁which ▁Gro ce ▁made ▁him ▁feel . ▁He ▁then ▁signed ▁with ▁Ohio ▁and ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁College ▁career ▁Cooper ▁made ▁an ▁immediate ▁impact ▁as ▁a ▁fresh man ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 – 1 0 . ▁He ▁aver aged ▁ 1 3 . 5 ▁points , ▁ 5 . 4 ▁reb ounds , ▁ 5 . 9 ▁ass ists ▁and ▁ 2 . 5 ▁ste als