Jarrad Weeks
July 23, 2020
Luke Cooper
- Nationality: AUS/ENG
- Date of Birth: 12/07/84
- Place of Birth: Batley, West Yorkshire (England)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 183
- Weight (KG): 75
- Junior Assoc: VIC - Bulleen
- College: Alaska-Anchorage (2004–2008)
- NBL DEBUT: 15/10/10
- AGE AT DEBUT: 26
- LAST NBL GAME: 24/03/12
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: Sydney 2011-12
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Luke Cooper was born in Batley, West Yorkshire, England.
FAMILY:
Is the son of legendary NBL referee Mal Cooper.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Luke Cooper made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 26 years of age. He scored seven points in his first game.
After the Sydney Kings licence was revoked in 2008 after club sponsor Firepower collapsed and the Kings were unable to pay player salaries, new ownership relaunched the Sydney Kings for the 2010/11 NBL season, returning to the league after a two-year absence.
The ‘Resurrection Squad’, the name given to the Sydney Kings roster which had returned to the league for the first time in two years with the team’s first moves being the hiring former Kings player Ian Robilliard as head coach and convincing a number of European based aussies to return to play for the team’s latest reincarnation.
Julian Khazzouh (Israel), Luke Cooper (Latvia) and Damien Ryan (Italy) all signed deals for the 2010/11 season, as was college graduate Ben Madgen (Augusta State University). The Kings then filled the remaining roster with offcast NBL talent, Graeme Dann (via State League), Luke Martin (via Wollongong) and Ben Knight (via Melbourne), who had played for the previous iteration of the Kings, was added and named co-captain along with Khazzouh. Robilliard added imports Taj McCullough and Rod Grizzard for excitement and scoring punch to the roster and the team was ready to return to the NBL.
Grizzard, who had previously put up 19 points per game with Singapore and 13 points per game with Melbourne struggled to produce as a King. He produced a megre 8 points per game on a 36% field goal percentage, resulting in the import axe swinging quickly, as he was released five games into the season.
The axe then fell for fellow import McCullough who after being told his contract was on the line prior to a game against New Zealand he managed only ten points on a lowly 5 from 17 from the field in a 80-94 home loss. After eight games Taj McCullough (11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game) would become the second import to be released by the Sydney Kings during the 2010/11 season.
Former NBA talent Trey Gilder (13.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 steals) replaced Taj McCullough then Patrick Sanders (13.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) filled the shoes of Rod Grizzard as Robilliard looked to deliver a team capable of entertaining the valuable Sydney market while it was clear they would struggle to compete against other NBL team’s. The Kings limped home to a last place finish and a record of 8–20, the poor season likely costing Julian Khazzouh (17.4 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, 1 steal, and 1.8 blocks per game) a MVP trophy as mid-season he was the hot favourite for the award but ended up finishing second in the voting behind Wollongong’s Gary Ervin.
Cooper (11.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists) would appear in only 4 games during the Kings comeback season where Sydney finished in last place (8–20).
2011/12
The Kings’ retained their core group of Julian Khazzouh (team captain), Ben Madgen, Luke Martin, Luke Cooper and Graeme Dann and looked to build on their disappointing return to the NBL. Head coach Ian Robilliard was able to bolster the roster by signing former Australian Boomers guard Aaron Bruce (via Adelaide), college grad Anatoly Bose (via Nicholls State) and, after a import roller-coaster the previous season, signed Jerai Grant (son and nephew of NBA stars Harvey Grant and Horace Grant respectively) and state league talent, Kevin Ratzsch.
Additionally, due to the 2011 NBA Lockout, Australia’s highest profile basketballer, former Milwaukee Bucks centre Andrew Bogut, was looking to play in the NBL during the 2011/12 season. He was linked with the Adelaide 36ers, the Gold Coast Blaze and the Kings, whom Bogut had supported when growing up in Australia. Sydney was favoured to secure his services, and Bogut ultimately chose to make his NBL debut with the Kings. However, the insurance to cover his remaining US$39 million contract with the Bucks couldn’t be resolved, leaving the Kings and the NBL without the services of Australia’s highest profile player. It was expected that Bogut’s signing would see a increase in Kings membership and league attendances. Despite not being able to play, Bogut later expressed interest in joining the Kings’ coaching staff during the lockout to help the club. This ultimately did not happen either.
Khazzouh was unstoppable during the first two months of the season was clearly the best player in the competition. This was no clearer than in the Kings 23 point win over the Adelaide 36ers in October 2011 when he filled the box score with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 36 minutes, a game which gained the attention of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. In December 2011, halfway through the season, Khazzouh would leave the team to participate in the Warriors pre-season camp. Khazzouh was then waived on 18 December 2011 and returned to Sydney to finish out the season.
The Kings fared better in their second year back in the NBL, beginning the season by winning half their games each month for the first three months. This saw the Kings jostling between fifth and sixth position, vying for a playoff spot, and having equalled their win from last season by round 14.
It was around this time Aaron Bruce (13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists) suffered a vertical fracture to his tibia which ended his season and created a huge void within the team’s backcourt. With Bruce going down, the team managed only three additional wins for the year, resulting in Robilliard being moved into a executive role and replaced by Tim Hudson as interim head coach until the Kings came to term with club legend Shane Heal who agreed to coach the team on a multi-year deal.
Sydney finished in seventh place (11-17).
Julian Khazzouh (16.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.1 blocks) would lead the team in scoring as well as finish the season as the NBL’s leader in rebounds and blocked shots before being named to the All-NBL First team. Jerai Grant (11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks) would have a inconsistent season, winning Player of the Week in some rounds and then disappearing totally in others and Anatoly Bose (15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) was impressive in his debut season, earning the Rookie of the Year award. Cooper would appear in 28 games and averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
Luke Cooper played two seasons the Sydney Kings. He averaged 4.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 32 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 27 | Sydney | 11-17 (7) | 28 | 487.0 | 93 | 36 | 59 | 11 | 25 | 20 | 0 | 39 | 48 | 28 | 88 | 32% | 9 | 43 | 21% | 28 | 45 | 62% | 43% | 37% | 13 |
| 2010-11 | 26 | Sydney | 8-20 (9) | 4 | 136.0 | 46 | 16 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 59% | 6 | 12 | 50% | 8 | 14 | 57% | 68% | 70% | 17 | Totals | 32 | 623 | 139 | 52 | 76 | 14 | 38 | 22 | 0 | 47 | 59 | 44 | 115 | 38.3% | 15 | 55 | 27.3% | 36 | 59 | 61.0% | 49% | 45% | 17 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 27 | Sydney | 11-17 (7) | 28 | 17.4 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 32% | 0.3 | 1.5 | 21% | 1.0 | 1.6 | 62% | 43% | 37% | 13 |
| 2010-11 | 26 | Sydney | 8-20 (9) | 4 | 34.0 | 11.5 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 6.8 | 59% | 1.5 | 3.0 | 50% | 2.0 | 3.5 | 57% | 68% | 70% | 17 | Total | 32 | 19.5 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 3.6 | 38.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 27.3% | 0.5 | 1.7 | 61.0% | 49% | 45% | 17 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 17 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Dandenong 2002 | Manly Warringah 2010, 2015-18
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Latvia - VEF Riga (2009-2010)
Cooper joined VEF Riga for the 2009–10 Latvian Basketball League season, playing his first season in Latvia.
During Cooper’s stint, VEF Riga competed across multiple competitions in 2009–10, including Latvia’s top domestic league and regional tournaments, finishing as Latvian league runner-up while also appearing in the VTB United League, the Baltic Basketball League, and the FIBA EuroChallenge that season.
With VEF Riga, Cooper was listed in the backcourt rotation alongside Latvian guards such as Jānis Gailītis and Edgars Jeromanovs, while the roster also included frontcourt teammates like Māris Gulbis and Rolands Freimanis, and he was noted in Australian reports as sharing the team with import forward Taj McCulloch during that Latvia season.
COLLEGE
Cooper played college basketball at Alaska-Anchorage from the 2004-05 season through 2007-08, finishing his Seawolves career with 121 games played and 97 starts while running the point for head coach Rusty Osborne.
Over four seasons, Cooper totaled 700 points (5.8 per game) on 214-of-438 shooting (48.9%), hit 69 three-pointers on 180 attempts (38.3%), and made 203 free throws on 290 attempts (70.0%), adding 220 rebounds (1.8 per game), 156 steals, and 880 assists.
He finished with 880 assists against 287 turnovers, and his 7.3 assists per game across 2004–08 placed him No. 11 nationally in NCAA Division II career assists per game, while his 880 assists placed him No. 4 all-time on the NCAA Division II assists list.
As a freshman in 2004-05, Cooper appeared in 27 games (18 starts) and logged 696 minutes (25.8 per game), scoring 80 points (3.0 per game) while shooting 27-for-53 (50.9%) and producing 141 assists (5.22 per game) with 38 steals and a 2.82-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio that led the GNAC.
That season included 13 assists in a win at Saint Martin’s (Feb. 10) and 12 assists against Multnomah Bible (Dec. 17), and he set the UAA freshman record with 141 total assists while tying for the fourth-most assists ever in a single game by a Seawolf at the time.
In 2005-06, Cooper played 31 games (16 starts) and again led the GNAC in assists per game at 6.42, finishing with 199 assists (one shy of tying the school’s single-season record at the time) while ranking ninth nationally in NCAA Division II assists per game.
He scored 147 points (4.7 per game) on 42-of-76 shooting (55.3%), improved his three-point shooting to 14-for-30 (46.7%), and posted five double-digit assist games, including a then career-high 14 assists (with 3 turnovers) versus Saint Martin’s (Jan. 7), plus 13-assist outings against Seattle (Jan. 5) and Humboldt State (Jan. 19).
By the end of his second year, he had 334 career assists, and his passing helped UAA rank No. 2 in NCAA Division II in team three-point percentage at .446 that season.
As a junior in 2006-07, Cooper started all 28 games and played 1,004 minutes (35.9 per game), producing 204 points (7.3 per game) while handing out 230 assists (8.21 per game) with 42 steals and 75 turnovers.
He earned team awards including Most Inspirational Player and the Jim Hajdukovich “Iron Man” Award, was nominated for UAA Athlete of the Year, and was selected to play for an Australian squad at the 2007 World University Summer Games in Bangkok in August 2007.
In his senior season (2007-08), Cooper delivered one of the most decorated point-guard seasons in program history, leading NCAA Division II in assists per game at 8.9 and ranking second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.56-to-1.
He played 35 games (35 starts), logged 1,271 minutes (36.3 per game), and produced 269 points (7.7 per game) while adding 310 assists, 87 turnovers, and 40 steals, with 310 assists standing as the No. 4 single-season total in NCAA Division II history.
He recorded double-digit assists 15 times that season and finished his four-year career with 32 double-digit assist games, alongside seven double-doubles during 2007-08.
Cooper’s top single-game assist totals that year included 16 assists in a home win over Alaska Fairbanks (Jan. 12), 17 assists (with 1 turnover) in a home win over MSU Billings (Feb. 21), and a school-record 18 assists (with 1 turnover) in a home overtime win over Saint Martin’s (Mar. 6).
His headline scoring-and-playmaking performance came in a win at Northwest Nazarene (Feb. 28), when he scored 31 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 7-of-9 from three while adding 10 assists, making him only the second Seawolf to post a 30-point, 10-assist game (joining Rick Stafford).
Other documented impact games from the season included 20 points, 12 assists, and 0 turnovers in 45 minutes at Central Washington (Feb. 16), 12 points and 11 assists versus Seattle Pacific (Jan. 31), and a stretch where he posted 13 assists in a Great Alaska Shootout loss to Eastern Washington without a turnover, which was noted as the most assists ever by a Seawolf in a game with zero turnovers.
Reached the NCAA Division II Final Four appearance in 2007-08.
That tournament run saw nationally No. 4 UAA finish 29-6 with the best record in program history, win its first-ever GNAC championship, earn a No. 1 seed, and end the year ranked No. 4 nationally, with Cooper playing essentially the entire NCAA Tournament run and logging 40 minutes in Elite Eight games.
In the national semifinal loss to Augusta State (56-50) on March 27, 2008, Cooper finished with seven assists, which pushed his season total to 310 and was explicitly noted in the game recap as the fourth-highest single-season assist total in Division II history at that time, while teammates Carl Arts (19 points) and McCade Olsen (14 points) led the scoring for UAA.
The same season he was nominated as a finalist for the prestigious Bob Cousy Award whilst at Alaska-Anchorage.
Cooper was named one of 16 finalists for the 2008 Bob Cousy Award, and at the time of that announcement he was averaging an NCAA Division II-best 8.5 assists per game, ranking among the Division II leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio, while UAA was 17-3 and riding a school-record 15-game winning streak.
He also became the first Seawolf men’s player to win GNAC Player of the Year, was a First Team All-American selection by Division II Bulletin, a Second Team All-American by Basketball Times, and a First Team All-West Region pick in both NABC (coaches) and Daktronics (sports information directors) voting.
Across his UAA career, Cooper set or tied 13 school records, including program career marks for assists (880), assists per game (7.3), and double-digit assist performances (32), and he finished third in school history for steals with 156 while ranking highly in multiple other categories including games played (t-2nd, 121) and games started (3rd, 97).
Ranks number four all-time on the NCAA Division II assists list with 880.
Related
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