Katy Cooper, one of the best basketball and volleyball players in the Big 8 Conference, made a decision on a school and a sport.
The East Newton senior signed a national letter of intent to play with Pittsburg State’s basketball team Monday.
“They have a good program and the coach, I like Coach (Lane) Lord a lot,” Cooper said of her decision. “I like how Pitt plays, they do everything fast and they play with a lot of heart.”
Lord, in his third year at PSU, guided the Gorillas to a 20-9 record last year. The team opened up this year with an upset over No. 12-ranked Central Oklahoma Sunday, a game that Cooper attended.
“It was really good game and the girls played hard,” Cooper said of her future teammates.
Cooper, an all-conference pick in basketball and volleyball, stated she prefer to play basketball more at this point of her career. The 6-foot-2 center had a big year last year for the Lady Patriots, scoring 13.9 points per game and averaging 11.7 rebounds per game.
“She is very athletic for a 6-1, 6-2 player,” former East Newton coach Jamey Gilion said, who coached Cooper as a freshman and sophomore. “She runs the floor well and her defense, she can alter a lot of shots. She jumps well, has long arms. I think her biggest development has been her patience in the post. I think at the next level, if she can handle the physicality, she will be very successful with her athleticism.”
Her coach for last year and this upcoming year, Rusty McDermott, echoed those sentiments.
“She is very athletic,” McDermott said. “She has the potential to be a very dominant player on both ends of the floor. She has a good mind set to do it.”
Cooper is the daughter of Sara and Pat Camerer of Stella and Steve and Vonda Cooper of Anderson. Cooper’s mother Sara played basketball at Crowder College, while her father, Steve, was a Missouri Southern football player.
|
|
|
Katy Cooper, one of the best basketball and volleyball players in the Big 8 Conference, made a decision on a school and a sport.
The East Newton senior signed a national letter of intent to play with Pittsburg State’s basketball team Monday.
“They have a good program and the coach, I like Coach (Lane) Lord a lot,” Cooper said of her decision. “I like how Pitt plays, they do everything fast and they play with a lot of heart.”
Lord, in his third year at PSU, guided the Gorillas to a 20-9 record last year. The team opened up this year with an upset over No. 12-ranked Central Oklahoma Sunday, a game that Cooper attended.
“It was really good game and the girls played hard,” Cooper said of her future teammates.
Cooper, an all-conference pick in basketball and volleyball, stated she prefer to play basketball more at this point of her career. The 6-foot-2 center had a big year last year for the Lady Patriots, scoring 13.9 points per game and averaging 11.7 rebounds per game.
“She is very athletic for a 6-1, 6-2 player,” former East Newton coach Jamey Gilion said, who coached Cooper as a freshman and sophomore. “She runs the floor well and her defense, she can alter a lot of shots. She jumps well, has long arms. I think her biggest development has been her patience in the post. I think at the next level, if she can handle the physicality, she will be very successful with her athleticism.”
Her coach for last year and this upcoming year, Rusty McDermott, echoed those sentiments.
“She is very athletic,” McDermott said. “She has the potential to be a very dominant player on both ends of the floor. She has a good mind set to do it.”
Cooper is the daughter of Sara and Pat Camerer of Stella and Steve and Vonda Cooper of Anderson. Cooper’s mother Sara played basketball at Crowder College, while her father, Steve, was a Missouri Southern football player.
