Pec6 Program Profile: Cooper International Academy
The Pec6 League was established in 2013 by coaches Les Bean and William Middlebrooks. The goal of the league is to provide an opportunity for Post Grad players, by providing a credible, compliant governing body on the West Coast. This…
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Continue ReadingThe Pec6 League was established in 2013 by coaches Les Bean and William Middlebrooks. The goal of the league is to provide an opportunity for Post Grad players, by providing a credible, compliant governing body on the West Coast. This year the League featured 3 session stops, in three different cities. Phoenix, (AZ) January 15th – 17th, Chino (CA) February 4-6, and San Diego March 11th-13th. The league features 5 post-grad programs.
Cooper International Academy is a college preparatory program that bridges the transitional gap between secondary and higher education for student-athletes. The program located in Pomona, California. is situated in the inland Empire region east of Los Angeles, the “IE” is home to numerous universities and colleges including the University of California at Riverside, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal StateSan Bernardino, Mount San Antonio Junior College to name just a few. Head Coach and Academy Founder Eric Cooper is a long-time resident of the Inland Empire and has deep ties throughout the region. During his tenor, the program has produced several players that have gone on to play at the next level including, Roman Silva Jr, and current Webber St Standout Alex Tews. In this article, we profile Cooper International Academy.
Jaylen Carter 6’5 SG 2022 (featured image) – Carter is a really good scorer who has the ability to get buckets in 1 v 1 situations. When he’s at his best, look for him to be active in transition, and attacking in half-court opportunities. The wing has microwave-like scoring ability, a scorer who can shoot, Carter has the ability to knock down threes in catch and shoot situations. With his size and scoring ability, he has a chance to be a productive guy for you at a good D2 school.
Alonzo Quiroz 6’8 PF 2022 – My man Lonzo grew on me. He went from a guy who struggled around the rim to a productive low post player. He rebounded the ball at a high clip, averaging nearly 7 per game. His finishing ability also got better as the season progressed. Quiroz developed into a serviceable low post scorer, who was able to turn over his left shoulder and finish or get fouled. He showed a nice touch as well, knocking down 80% of his FTs on the season.
Ezekiel Stallworth 6’5 SG 2022 – Stallworth has a good frame, and showed that he can be called upon to get a bucket. He mixes a low post game to go along with, athleticism, and some outside shooting. I felt like I never really got to see him fully healthy because he would have spurts of explosiveness followed by periods of inactivity. Even with limited action, he proved he’s a prospect, if simply because of his offensive versatility alone. Stallworth also showed he can impact games without scoring, leading the squad in blocks and 2.5 per game.
Asaad Muhammad 6’3 SG 2022 – Muhamamad makes my eval just for his toughness. He’s a good example for kids of why you never know who’s watching. After a tough shooting game in Chino, I caught the wing guard hours later in the gym by himself just getting up real live game shots. The guard was moving and cutting without the ball and was in a full sweat at the conclusion of the workout. His hard work paid off as the next day he came back and knocked down 4 triples in the game finishing with 15 points.
Sleeper:
Luka Popovic 6’1 PG 2022 – Popovic had an intersting season. He had a few minor setbacks, missing some games throughout the season. When he did see the court, he showed that he can be a very productive player. Popovic finished with 23 in his first game, despite missing much of the game with a stomach bug.
Top Prospect:
Uriyah Rojas 6’3 CG 2022 – You could probably list Rojas in the sleeper category as well. The guard was the most dominant player, and the easy top Prospect choice, not only for the club but perhaps the league. I was most impressed with how much he had improved his game within one year. Already a deadly shooter, the 6’3 combo showed a little wiggle, a flashy handle, and certifiable tough shot-making ability. Time after time, Rojas, knocked down contested shots for his squad as the shot clock wound down. He led the league in scoring putting up over 31ppg. Because of his size and shooting ability, Rojas is most likely a Low Major D1 prospect, if not he has the ability to be an All-Conference type player at the D2 level.