Cooper Carlson
Cooper Carlson
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Ryan Schmidt | Prep Hoops Scout
Cooper Carlson
Cooper
Carlson
6'1" | PG
Minneapolis Washburn | 2025
State
MN
– The six-foot-one-inch Carlson is a 2025 guard that can play with or without the ball. Carlson does well use ball screens to dup defenders and manipulate lanes for scoring chances. Smart player off the ball cutting and giving his teammates an easy target for scoring chances going to the rim. Since he drives hard and often that opens up the perimeter for Carlson to get good looks from the perimeter.
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Read EvaluationMax Wagner | Prep Hoops Scout
I couldn’t find any stats from the game, but Cooper put in a huge performance on Tuesday night to lead Washburn past #5 ranked Park Center. He started off the game beating his man with a backdoor cut for an easy lay-up, and from there was finding ways to score out on the perimeter, in transition, or off the drive. Every dribble Cooper takes seems to be with a purpose, and he does a great job of moving without the ball to open up scoring opportunities. Showed good instincts defensively to double in the post and force mistakes out of opposing players.
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Read EvaluationMax Wagner | Prep Hoops Scout
Cooper plays with the type of pace that make things look effortless at times. He’ll just lull a defender to sleep out on the perimeter, and as soon as a gap appears he explodes to the rim and can get there off just one or two dribbles. Good body control to finish in traffic at a high percentage. There aren’t many ways that Cooper doesn’t score the ball, and what’s impressive is the efficiency he does it in. Looks set for a big senior season in the Minneapolis City Conference.
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Read EvaluationJack Pfeiffer | Prep Hoops Scout
Cooper turned in a solid performance in the game I saw, being able to impact the game in many positive ways. He is a knockdown shooter from the perimeter, being able to work without the ball to score, as he also had a couple layups off of backdoor cuts as well. He was effective getting to his mid-range pull-up, connecting on some really tough looks over defenders. Carlson was running in transition, which resulted in a couple scores too.
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Read EvaluationMax Wagner | Prep Hoops Scout
I’ve watched Cooper at three different events this spring, and each time he’s been arguably the most productive player on the floor. He won’t be the biggest or most explosive player on the floor, but he’s almost always one of the smartest. He just knows how to read the defense, and get high percentage shots without having to dribble much. Cooper excels at using shot-fakes and getting to the rim off one or two dribbles, and he’s also really good moving off the ball to get open looks. Despite the tough loss to Northstar Titans , Cooper was once again very productive for Minnesota Heat Academic.
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Read EvaluationMax Wagner | Prep Hoops Scout
Cooper Carlson continues to produce at a high level this spring for Minnesota Heat Academic. He’s not going to immediately stand out with size or explosive athleticism, but just plays with a good feel for the game and knows how to change his speed to get to dangerous spots on the floor. Cooper does a great job of utilizing shot fakes to get defenders in the air, both from three and around the basket, and is a composed finisher in traffic. In the game I watched he showed the ability to get to the rim off the drive or by staying active with some hard cuts off the ball. Overall he does a great job of not overcomplicating things, which allows him to be both productive and efficient.
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Read EvaluationJack Pfeiffer | Prep Hoops Scout
Cooper is a swiss army knife kind of player, being able to impact the game in a variety of ways. He’s a great shooter from the perimeter, being able to move well without the ball to create open looks off the catch. He’s a trustworthy ball handler and can comfortably play either of the guard spots. Carlson has a high motor and is a solid defender as well. Carlson helped lead Minnesota Heat Academic to a 3-1 record on the weekend.
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Read EvaluationMax Wagner | Prep Hoops Scout
Fresh off of a breakout season for Minneapolis Washburn, Cooper showed his versatile game in a win for Minnesota Heat Academic. He really impressed with his rebounding ability as a guard, and was crashing the glass hard offensively to keep possessions alive for his team. Ended up picking up a couple of put-back buckets just with his effort to chase down rebounds alone. On the ball he changes speeds very well, which allows him to come off screens and just weave his way through defenders to get into the lane. Can get all the way to finish on his own, or spot and open shooter with a kick-out pass. Solid defender who’s not going to give up any easy buckets to opposing guards either.
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Read EvaluationLogan Benson | Prep Hoops Scout
Cooper Carlson was frying defenders this weekend. Carlson has a lightning quick first step when attacking the rim, not to mention his fadeaway is remarkably consistent. From all three levels, Carlson can be a nightmare for any defense to keep up with.
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