Next Generation: Indiana Signee Gabe Cupps a Coach's Son With Unwavering Determination
CENTERVILLE, Ohio – An alarm sounds at 5:15 a.m., too early for some, but not Gabe Cupps.
It’s time for Breakfast Club.
If you tagged along with Cupps, you’d be disappointed to find that the Centerville High School Breakfast Club doesn’t serve syrup-soaked pancakes or crispy bacon with eggs. Instead, the day begins with shooting drills, ball-handling practice and a burning desire to improve.
A routine that started with one player has turned into dozens of hungry high school basketball players taking ownership of their development. It’s a path to playing at the highest level, and it’s become the norm — even the morning after winning a state title — says Brook Cupps, Centerville’s head coach and Gabe’s father.
“I think not only in basketball, but in life, it's all about the extra that you put in,” Gabe said in an exclusive interview with HoosiersNow.com. “It always feels good when you've already got a workout in and other people aren't even up yet. I think the way you steal those reps and those workouts, it just allows you to grow and take the next step up that ladder.”
Breakfast Club workouts are a representation of the “Chop Wood” mantra the Centerville program uses to illustrate the day-by-day grind required to be among the best. Before the season, the team carries a tradition called “The Chop,” where each player, axe in hand, chops down a dead tree. It’ll never fall with one swing, which teaches persistence through adversity and hard work.
This is the framework of the Centerville Elks basketball program, one that’s made back-to-back state championship games — with another in mind. At the forefront stands coach Brook Cupps and his son Gabe, a 6-foot-2 point guard, 2022 Ohio Mr. Basketball and an Indiana signee in the 2023 class.
Watching Cupps, he doesn’t stand out as the tallest, longest or most explosive kid you’ve ever seen. Still, he’s made highlight-reel dunks and challenged LeBron James to garner internet fame as a middle schooler, but he’s also as humble as they come — with a team-first mindset.
His father Brook described Gabe’s game as an “acquired taste,” meaning he might not stand out immediately, but the more you watch, the more you understand how he impacts winning.
“Your job as a point guard is to make your team win,” Brook said. “So I think people look at him like that. He does that. He wins a lot. So looking at all the different things that he does to impact the game like pulling a huddle together, reminding a guy of a play, all those things, celebrating a teammate's shot. Those are really huge things, and some people don't recognize that or don't value that. He needs to be at a place that recognizes that and values that because that's who he is and that's the player he is.”
Make no mistake, the two have won a lot of basketball games together.
Centerville won the 2021 Ohio Division 1 state title when Gabe was a sophomore, but lost in the title game last season. The Elks’ third-straight district championship is on the line on Saturday, and three trips to state appears possible.
Cupps is committed to play at Indiana next season, where Mike Woodson’s experience coaching NBA guards, coupled with the basketball-crazed atmosphere in Bloomington, made becoming a Hoosier the right fit.
“[Indiana] provides Gabe with a lot of opportunity for growth and development,” Brook said. “He's passionate about basketball and he works, so I think that fits Indiana well. I think he can have a chance to have a great career there and be a part of Indiana basketball history.”
Centerville basketball coach Brook Cupps (left) and his son, point guard and Indiana basketball commit, Gabe Cupps (right), together after the Elks' 90-43 win over Springboro on Jan. 3, 2023.
Embracing the bright lights
In Brook Cupps’ office at Centerville, a sign reads: “Humble enough to prepare, confident enough to perform.”
Hard work is a staple of the Centerville program, and it’s been a way of life for Gabe throughout his basketball upbringing. Indiana assistant coach Brian Walsh said Cupps spends more time in the gym than any kid he knows, which leads to natural confidence – the kind few truly have.
Signs of this confidence emerged on a national scale when Cupps was selected to play for the North Coast Blue Chips AAU team, more or less a middle school All-Star team with nationwide talent. He’s played with Bronny James at various times on the AAU circuit, attracting the attention of LeBron James, who recently became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
The 14-year-old Cupps was at an AAU tournament for Blue Chips in 2019 when, during a timeout in Bronny’s game for Strive For Greatness, Cupps began hoisting 3-pointers from the right wing. He pointed to a spot beyond the arc and called LeBron to meet him out on the court.
Cupps, donning a white and black No. 23 jersey like Lebron, swished his first attempt. Lebron, in sweatpants and a hoodie, casually made his first shot. Lebron pointed to Cupps. One dribble, nothing but net. The two traded baskets until Cupps’ shot clanged off the rim and Lebron sunk his next attempt.
Cupps shook his head in defeat, and the King walked off the court with a smile, turning toward Cupps with a look of approval.
“I got called out by my guy and in my opinion the best shooters (he can do more too) for the Class of 2023 [Gabe Cupps] today,” Lebron James wrote in an Instagram post on May 26, 2019. “Told him about a certain switch I can hit when needed and he didn’t believe me. Well he found out the hard way! Still my guy Cupps nevertheless.”
The video of Cupps’ 3-point shooting contest against LeBron James has over 1.5 million views on YouTube, making Cupps a well-known name nationwide before his first college offer. The two have stayed in touch, and LeBron even congratulated Cupps on social media when he committed to Indiana. Last July, they worked out together when LeBron was in Ohio for his son's AAU tournament.
And whether he was creating highlights alongside Bronny James or winning tournaments with the Midwest Basketball Club on the Adidas AAU Circuit, Cupps’ notoriety continued to grow over the years, amassing over 372,000 Instagram followers. For reference, Indiana star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has just over 65,000 followers.
This past summer, Cupps was invited to play in the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 4 at Rucker Park, a famous outdoor basketball court in Harlem, N.Y., where he scrimmaged against some of the nation’s top high school talent. He also participated in the event’s dunk contest, saying it was the “bounciest I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
Cupps embraces the bright lights and high-level competition, another trait that drew the Indiana coaching staff to him.
“He's got stones on him,” Indiana assistant coach Brian Walsh said in an exclusive interview with HoosiersNow.com. “He likes the big moment. He seems to play best when the chips are stacked against him. He's been doubted his whole life like he's too small, he's too slow, he can't do this, can't do that and I think that's just kind of how he is as a person. He's kind of been doubted his whole life, which kind of gives him that edge and that chippy-ness which has motivated him to work as hard as he has. But yeah, he's an elite young man with his confidence.”
Gabe Cupps (left) and Lebron James (right) work out together at The Island Performance Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on July 3, 2022.
photo via @theislandperformancecenter on Instagram
The Decision
Panic set in.
“Oh, God,” Brian Walsh thought to himself. “We might lose this kid to Ohio State.”
Back in November of 2021, Walsh worked as Indiana basketball’s team and recruiting coordinator during the inaugural months of the Mike Woodson era in Bloomington.
Walsh knew Gabe Cupps was in decision mode — he announced a top-three list of Indiana, Ohio State and Stanford on Halloween — so Walsh imagined the worst when he heard the Cupps family planned a late visit to Ohio State. He knew how quickly something could change. Maybe they were visiting to ask one final, important question to validate something. Or, worst of all, maybe they were going to commit to becoming a Buckeye, Walsh thought to himself.
This recruitment was especially important to Walsh, who’d known Gabe and his father Brook for nearly a decade. Their relationship started when Walsh was a graduate assistant from 2014-16 at the University of Dayton under former Indiana coach Archie Miller. Over the summers, Walsh helped run the team camp at Dayton, a roughly 10-mile trip north for Brook and his Centerville squads. Gabe, as an elementary and middle schooler, tagged along.
“[Gabe] kind of already had a winning reputation, as crazy as it sounds, early on,” Walsh said. “I always just remember how savvy and competitive and skilled he was as a little player.”
Walsh continued to foster a relationship with the Cupps family as Gabe entered high school. Miller brought Walsh with him from Dayton to Indiana and promoted him to director of basketball operations, a position he maintained all four seasons.
When Woodson replaced Miller as head coach before the 2021-22 season, Walsh’s new title became team and recruiting coordinator. His responsibilities included recruiting underclass high school players to help establish Indiana’s footing in the midwest under Woodson. Cupps stayed on Walsh’s radar through the coaching change.
Walsh kept a list of players he’d been in contact with, and Cupps jumped off the page when Woodson explained he was looking for players with basketball IQ, skill and those who were all about winning.
“Yeah, hey, we'll see if he's any good,” Walsh recalls Woodson saying.
“Alright,” Walsh said. “You just watch.”
Woodson and Indiana associate head coach Yasir Rosemond went to see Cupps and the Centerville Elks play against Milton (Ga.) High School, led by current Ohio State freshman guard Bruce Thornton. Shortly after tipoff, before Cupps scored 16 points and led Centerville to a victory, Walsh’s phone rang.
“Right from the jump, there was no convincing,” Walsh said. “[Woodson and Rosemond] saw him one time, and they called me about four different times during the game and two thumbs up.
“They fell in love with [Cupps] the first time they saw him play just with his IQ,” Walsh said. “He knows how to play. He's obviously not the most athletic or going to dunk on you, but when it comes down to it, he's going to make every winning play. He's going to run the team, he's going to talk, he's going to lead, he's going to take charges. He has all the intangibles that, as a coach, you're going to want in a player to help you win basketball games, and I think coach and the staff saw that right away and the belief just grew more right after that.”
Walsh said Indiana was all-in on Cupps from that point on, so he was obviously concerned when he heard of another visit to Ohio State so late in the recruiting process. Indiana had just finished practice when Walsh’s day continued to go off the rails.
“'Hey, come with me. We need to go somewhere,'” Walsh recalls Rosemond saying to him.
“Coach Ya was trying to stall me, just being real weird, real funny,” Walsh said. “And I’m like 'Ya, what are you doing?'”
Rosemond and Walsh walked up to Woodson’s office. To Walsh’s surprise, the Cupps family was there. The supposed visit to Ohio State turned out to be a prank on Walsh, and Cupps committed to Indiana that day.
“Everybody was in on it except me,” Walsh said. “So it was a fun moment for the staff. I can't take all the credit. Coach Woodson and the staff believed in Gabe, but it was a pretty special moment. I think for Gabe and for them to do that I think it was very thoughtful to do it in person. it kind of shows you what kind of character Gabe has and his family has. They want to do everything the right way, and that was a pretty special moment."
Gabe Cupps wears the cream and crimson during a visit to Indiana University.
Brook felt Woodson’s experience coaching and developing NBA point guards was another factor, and he knows Gabe has the work ethic Woodson demands. Gabe is all about basketball all the time, which drew him to the basketball-centric environment at Indiana.
“I've always been a basketball person,” Gabe said. “My family has always been a basketball family, so [Indiana] always felt right that it fit with my lifestyle and my family. I think coach Woodson and their whole coaching staff is very loyal. They do things the right way and they did a great job recruiting me and staying in contact with me, and that atmosphere at Indiana is unlike any other in the country.”
Cupps has drawn comparisons to former Indiana point guard Jordan Hulls, now the team and recruiting coordinator on Woodson’s staff, who helped the Hoosiers earn a No. 1 national ranking and win the 2013 Big Ten title. Walsh said Hulls, a career 44.2 percent 3-point shooter, was probably more of a sharpshooter than Cupps, but he sees the comparison in certain ways.
“I think Gabe would be a combination of Jordan [Hulls] and [former Ohio State point guard] Aaron Craft just with the intangibles and leadership style,” Walsh said. “But as far as whatever it takes to win, I think him and Jordan are very, very similar. They don't care if they have 20 points and go 5-for-5 from three and perfect from the line or if they have zero points. They're all about the win, and that's what I'm excited about."
It’s hard for any freshman to step in and be great at the major-college level right away, and Cupps knows there’s areas of his game to improve before arriving in Bloomington and when he’s there. He said he needs to do a better job playing off of two feet in the lane, which allows him to make decisions against bigger, longer defenders who react quicker.
Brook said reading ball-screen defense is much different in high school than college, so understanding the changes in spacing will be developmental focus after Centerville’s season. He also wants Gabe to continue to deepen his 3-point shooting range and work on finishing around the rim over taller defenders.
Walsh said parts of Gabe’s growth can’t be sped up, as many improvements come with time as a freshman. He’s talked to Gabe about continuing to mature physically in the weight room and the importance of equaling out his ability to make plays going to his right and left.
Certain rules restrict being able to teach schemes while a player in high school, but Walsh is excited to have study sessions with Gabe regarding Indiana’s defensive schemes and pick-and-roll offense when the time comes.
“I think what Gabe does is unique,” Brook said. “I know he'll go play as hard as he can, and he'll try to lead and he'll work his ass off. Whatever happens with that, it's cool."
A true point guard
Gabe Cupps didn’t need to don the 3-point goggles or clap in an opponent’s face after a steal to let you know he was taking over the game. But carrying a stone-cold demeanor, that’s exactly what he did.
Brook Cupps, Gabe’s coach and father, wants his son to start every game with a mindset of pressuring the basketball. He started Centerville’s game on Jan. 3 against Springboro with five first-quarter points, but his presence was felt by setting the tone on the defensive end.
Cupps sat in a defensive stance and picked up the Springboro point guard full court on nearly every possession in the first quarter. He never allowed Springboro’s offense to feel comfortable, and it led to a nine-point lead after one quarter of action.
Then, it was time to blow the game open.
Cupps began the second quarter by blowing past his defender with a strong drive to the rim for an and-one. He connected on a 3-pointer while absorbing a foul and sunk the free throw, too. He controlled the game’s pace and kept Centerville’s offense organized while maintaining the defensive intensity he started the game with.
Cupps knocked down two more 3-pointers, one off the dribble and one in a catch-and-shoot. He scored 15 points in the second quarter, bringing his total to 20 at halftime. When asked about his high-scoring second quarter, Cupps was quick to credit his teammates for finding him in the right spots. He pointed out a few questionable shots he wanted to clean up, as well, but recognized there’s not much a defense can do when his shot is on.
“It's really just like nobody can guard me,” Cupps said. “I can kind of get my shot whenever I want to. I think I can shift guys and get to where I want to and get to my spots and just rise up and make it."
Centerville point guard Gabe Cupps walks the ball up the court in a game against Springboro on Jan. 3, 2023. Cupps scored 22 points in a 90-43 win.
Despite a massive second quarter with Cupps’ fingerprints all over a 52-26 halftime lead, you wouldn’t know it by his expression. It wasn’t until late in the third quarter that Cupps showed emotion beyond a clap, a quick nod or a point to a teammate. In fact, the two plays he celebrated most were by his teammates.
With the Elks leading by more than 30 points late in the third quarter, Centerville guard Johnathan Powell, a top-100 recruit in the class of 2024, slid over to take a charge. Cupps sprinted from the 3-point arc to the baseline – fists clenched and yelling with excitement – to hoist Powell up from the hardwood. Brook said seeing Powell take a charge is like seeing a unicorn.
“It may seem just like a charge to everybody else in the gym,” Cupps said. “But I feel like that's big for us and him and our program. I was super excited for him."
With the third quarter clock winding down, Cupps threw an alley-oop to Baboucarr Njie. And again, a big play from his teammates had Cupps more excited than any of his 22 points that night. For Brook, that’s the role of a point guard.
“It's kind of like when you do something well, yeah, you're supposed to,” Brook said. “When you do something wrong, it's your fault. And you need to celebrate the heck out of your teammates because your job is to make their job easier. So by lightening that load for them, I think that's the mark of a good point guard and I think Gabe thinks about the game like that. Trying to make the game easier for the guys he's leading.”
Brook has noticed Gabe’s improved understanding of his teammates as a leader, knowing he can yell at some guys and he’ll put an arm around others and give a positive message. Gabe said his leadership style stems from the idea that he’ll never ask a teammate to do something he’s not willing to do himself.
“I want us to be our best,” Gabe said. “So if I don't think what you're doing right now is making our best, then I'm going to tell you because I want the team to be the best we can be."
One last run
Brook Cupps has built Centerville into a premier program in Ohio, but it hasn’t always been easy.
When his son Gabe was a freshman, Centerville started the season 2-6 with multiple double-digit losses. It was a young squad that needed time to figure out how to play as a team and develop, physically. Brook recently popped in a game film from Gabe’s freshman season and thought, “Oh my God. He’s so small.”
There’s inherent pressure that comes with being a coach’s son, and it took time for that dynamic to smooth out, as well. Both super-competitive by nature, Brook said he and Gabe had a few nose-to-nose situations during that freshman season.
“He told me what he read and why he did what he did, and I took it as him talking back to me, which none of our guys talk back," Brook said. "So I got a little closer to him to explain to him shut up and do what I told you to do."
Looking back, Brook said their disagreements were his fault as a coach, and being able to spend so much time with his son on the basketball court is something he wouldn’t trade for anything. Gabe has attended Brook’s practices and been in huddles with him since he was five years old and said this dynamic has gotten easier as he progressed through high school.
“We've learned to kind of cope with each other and be able to be really productive with each other,” Gabe said. “So it's time with him that I'm super grateful for, and I know a lot of kids don't have the relationship that I have with my dad, so I'm super grateful for it."
A younger Gabe Cupps (left) takes in a game with his father, Centerville head coach Brook Cupps (right).
via gcupps23 on Instagram
Following an up-and-down freshman season, Centerville went on an absolute tear beginning with Cupps’ sophomore campaign. The Elks finished the 2020-21 season on a 16-game win streak en route to a state championship victory over Westerville Central.
After cutting down the nets as a sophomore, Cupps averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 assists on 44.3 percent 3-point shooting during his junior season as the Elks won 45 games in a row. Centerville ultimately came just short of back-to-back state championships, falling 55-48 to Pickerington Central and snapping the multi-year win streak.
“We didn't look at it like they beat us, we looked at it like we didn't play well and we beat ourselves,” Brook said. “I'm sure Gabe has a little something to prove like, ‘That's not happening again,’ but it is so hard to get there. It's even harder to win it.”
And now, Centerville is making one last push for another state title with Cupps running the show.
The Elks won their fifth consecutive Greater Western Ohio Conference title with a perfect 14-0 record and a 22-3 mark overall this season. Cupps was named District I Player of the Year for Ohio’s Southwest District, averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
Centerville has cruised with blowout wins in the early stages of the state playoffs, most recently defeating Sidney 76-25. Cupps racked up 16 quick points in this game, single-handedly outscoring Sidney by halftime. The top-seeded Elks now advance to the District Championship on Saturday at the University of Dayton Arena, where they’ll face No. 7 seed Anderson.
Brook thinks his team is capable of beating everybody in their path, but it starts with cleaning up inconsistencies and guarding to the best of their abilities. Gabe sees the talent with this group, too, saying they can be as good as any team he’s been a part of.
Centerville is four wins away from its third consecutive state title appearance in as many years, and five wins would make Cupps a two-time state champ. Knowing it’s his last year of high school, Cupps is motivated to work as hard as he can before it’s time to join the Hoosiers.
"I've been blessed with a lot of gifts, and I don't ever want to have a day or have a moment where I think I'm taking those for granted,” Cupps said. “So I'm just trying to maximize what I've been given, and I think doing that can inspire other kids and other people to do the same thing. I think just trying to maximize the person and player I can be because you can always do more if you're thinking about it like that."
