Auburn basketball fans need any distractions from the Justin Powell situation right now. With news of the Kentucky native entering the transfer portal with UK hot on his trail, the thought of the Tigers’ best player pre-Sharife Cooper in 2020-21 donning big blue is not a fun one.
Luckily, the aforementioned Cooper will be in the news plenty due to his possible NBA Draft selection during the association’s 2021 event. Though a specific date, time, and location haven’t been announced, Cooper is one of the expected names when Adam Silver (hopefully) takes the stage (as opposed to getting on a zoom) later on this year.
With March Madness currently underway and Selection Sunday just four days away, Tigers fans are already looking ahead to the 2021-22 seasons in all sports, and Cooper will give Auburn faithful a potential sixth-man extraordinaire in the pros.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, the team enjoying Cooper’s explosive playmaking abilities could be the Denver Nuggets:
"22. Denver Nuggets: Sharife Cooper (Auburn, PG, Freshman)Between Cooper’s 8.1 assists per game, speed with the ball, flashy handles and advanced passing skills, scouts feel confident in his playmaking translating to the NBA. The big questions concern his shooting and limited size/athleticism for finishing and defending."
Of course, draft positions for both teams and players are fluid right now. There will be plenty of risers and fallers as a result of the NCAA tournament, and the second half of the NBA schedule should reshuffle the seeding in both conferences.
That said, Denver could plausibly have a role for Cooper off the bench in 2021-22. His ceiling is arguably higher than both R.J. Hampton’s and Facundo Campazzo’s and barring a free-agent addition or a trade, those are his main competitors to backup minutes at the 1 behind Jamal Murray.
Here’s hoping Cooper lands with a winning situation and can shine in the role that will bring him the most glory to extend the Auburn basketball legacy in basketball’s top league.