Auburn basketball: NBA Players, media, fans react to Sharife’s debut
In the most electrifying game of the Auburn basketball season, Sharife Cooper fell an assist shy of a double-double in his spectacular Tigers debut.
Wow. Auburn basketball fans knew that they were missing the main event attraction this year with Sharife Cooper being ruled ineligible to play for the Tigers until this morning.
I just am not sure anyone could have predicted a debut so spectacularly memorable that all Fly War Eagle can think about is Auburn’s next contest in Athens against the Georgia Bulldogs. Cooper’s stat-line of 26 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals was the exact kind of play most figured would garner NBA interest.
It even had a certain NBA player–that I thought of while watching Cooper play —commenting on it:
@CooperSharife da goods ‼️ he got it fr 🤝
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 9, 2021
OMG rife 😤 @CooperSharife
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 9, 2021
Ja Morant similarly has lightning-quick–yet stunningly smooth–handles and dribble moves, but like Cooper, he is fearless in attacking the basket and either setting up his teammates or finishing with flair.
Of course, game recognizes game, and you aren’t going to hear players say anything negative. The old guard of college hoops heads has no problem doing so:
Sharife Cooper getting a little carried away. ...
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 9, 2021
To be fair to Goodman, that last minute of play for Cooper was rough…but he also did have his first 11 games taken away from him and missed 72 days of practice.
As great as it is to hear Morant comment on a future NBA stud in Cooper, and how less pleasant it is to hear Goodman comment on it, what matters is what Auburn basketball fans think.
And you are as in awe of Cooper as FWE is:
I never thought I’d see the day I enjoyed a loss to Alabama.
— Jay Phillips (@aubawn) January 9, 2021
The loss was tough. It looked like Auburn could run away with it a few times, but Sharife Cooper looked great in his debut and Auburn’s offense was night-and-day with him in the game.
They just ran out of gas.
Sharife Cooper is league bound I can guarantee you that.
— Kazekage 風 (@SuperDuperQ__) January 9, 2021
It's just one game, but Sharife Cooper immediately jumped to the top of my SEC player rankings.
— Jacob Varner 🏀 👨💻 (@jacobvarner) January 9, 2021
Playing one game, compared to a season average for everyone else is a major advantage, but it was obviously a great debute.
The best part about Cooper’s debut to many Tigers fans is that we haven’t even seen him play next to Justin Powell yet:
Let’s get Powell back and do this with a full squad.
— The Juice (@thejuiceisgood) January 9, 2021
Great game today overall. Can’t wait to get Cooper acclimated and Powell in the line up with him too. War Eagle!
— Kurt CoBarner 🦚 (@KurtCobarner) January 9, 2021
Auburn Twitter’s resident Einstein chimed in a tongue-in-cheek manner:
Just excited to get our best player, Justin Powell, back. 😉
— Auburn Einstein 🦃 (@AuburnEinstein) January 9, 2021
When this squad is at full strength, the SEC better prepare itself for a serious spoiler.
And if Cooper stays next season…watch out, NCAA. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Next. What will starting 5 with Sharife look like?. dark