Published: 8/17/2013
Author: Bob_Richards
© Old Gold Free Press Columnists
With the 2015 recruiting board filling up with potential guard candidates, it just took a second visit to campus for Lamina Cooper to fill one of those 2015 spots.Cooper, a 5'8 guard from Indianapolis Lawrence North high school, became the second scholarship player for the class, and the third player overall for 2015. Cooper joins 6'1 forward Dominique McBryde on scholarship, as well as 5'5 Carmel (IN) point guard Abby Abel who was offered a preferred walk-on position in June at Purdue's Elite Camp.
Cooper's athleticism has her playing mostly positions one through four in high school, but she will spend most of her time at guard in college. She averaged 15 points, 9.5 rebounds and four assists as a sophomore.
Cooper is the daughter of former Michigan State point guard Vnemina Reese, who started all but three of her 96 games with Michigan State from 1998-2002.
If basketball positions were labeled more like volleyball, she might be more appropriately called a DS, or defensive specialist. Viewing comments from a few girls who have played against her, she comes in with impressive defensive capabilities. Every team needs a good chaser guard who can shut down an opposing scoring guard. Indiana and Michigan State has two high-scoring guard commitments coming in that like to come off screens, so a player like Cooper is a must piece of the puzzle.
Although she shoots 46-percent from the field, the segment of her game that needs to improve the most is her outside shooting. Her mother was Michigan State's best perimeter threat during her junior year with the Spartans following the graduation of Kristen Rassmussen in 2000, after going 0-1 from the perimeter in 36 games as a freshman and sophomore.
Lawrence North opens their 2013-14 season on the road at Anderson on November 20th. A date for Purdue fans to circle on the calendar is January 10, 2014, when Lawrence North hosts fellow 2015 Purdue recruit Dominique McBryde and Bedford North Lawrence.
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