Class of 2023 Wing Kaden Cooper Earns UCLA Men's Basketball Offer
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The Bruins have officially jumped in on a fast-rising prospect's recruitment.
The Skill Factory (GA) small forward Kaden Cooper picked up an offer from UCLA men's basketball, the wing announced Tuesday morning on Twitter. Cooper was initially a class of 2022 prospect, but he recently reclassified to 2023 and has seen his recruitment blossom over the past few months.
Cooper had an early run of offers from DePaul, Oral Roberts, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, SMU, Elon and Jacksonville State, then he picked up more from Texas, Omaha, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, Kansas State, Rutgers, St. John's, LSU, Creighton, Texas Tech, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Illinois, UConn, Missouri, Iowa, Alabama just since the evaluation periods began in April.
Cooper is taking a visit to Oklahoma on Tuesday, and he is slated to head up to Gonzaga on Friday.
His most recent showing on a big stage was at the Pangos All-American Camp, where former NBA scout Matt McKay tabbed him as the top athlete in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-6, 180-pound wing has plenty of bounce, and he has been heralded for his athleticism ever since moving from Oklahoma to Georgia.
Cooper emerged on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit for Team Trae Young starting back in April, and he has earned an invite to the upcoming Adidas All American Camp thanks to his high-level performances.
Both 247Sports and Rivals have Cooper rated as a four-star recruit. Both outlets have Cooper pegged as a top-50 prospect in his new class after his move.
UCLA is now pursuing three top recruits from Georgia, with Cooper joining the ranks of five-star point guard Isaiah Collier and three-star center Arrinten Page. Collier and Page are teammates at Wheeler (GA) and on The Skill Factory AAU team on the Nike EYBL Circuit – not the same The Skill Factory Cooper now plays his high school ball for.
Coach Mick Cronin has yet to reel in a 2023 recruit from any state or any position, though. The Bruins could have as many as eight scholarship spots opening up next offseason, so the staff has been on a run of sending offers and making top targets' list of semifinalists as of late.
Cooper's offer is the latest piece of that recent recruiting push by Cronin & co., and the wing now has another big fish pushing for his eventual commitment.
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