Ohio's Cooper Has Seen the Dark Side - NYTimes.com
Both Cooper and his high school coach, Brandon Thomas, declined to name the programs trying to poach him. Recruiting a player before he is released from his current program is against N.C.A.A. rules. Cooper’s mother, Dionne, identified Baylor Coach Scott Drew as someone who attempted to lure her son from Ohio.
“He wasn’t necessarily calling and saying, ‘Come on over,’ †she said. “He would say: ‘Oh, this is great. I knew you could do it. The exposure you’re getting now, you’re not getting it in the MAC because you’re not on TV.’ He was really trying to sell to me. ‘We know you can do these things, but because of where you are, you’re not getting the attention you deserve.’ †(Drew did not return a text message seeking comment.)
Both Cooper and his high school coach, Brandon Thomas, declined to name the programs trying to poach him. Recruiting a player before he is released from his current program is against N.C.A.A. rules. Cooper’s mother, Dionne, identified Baylor Coach Scott Drew as someone who attempted to lure her son from Ohio.
“He wasn’t necessarily calling and saying, ‘Come on over,’ †she said. “He would say: ‘Oh, this is great. I knew you could do it. The exposure you’re getting now, you’re not getting it in the MAC because you’re not on TV.’ He was really trying to sell to me. ‘We know you can do these things, but because of where you are, you’re not getting the attention you deserve.’ †(Drew did not return a text message seeking comment.)