PROFILE: BASKETBALLGM | NCAA
NEW ORLEANS – Marquez Cooper will make the step up from Div. II to Div. I and Southland competition next season as the former Bluefield State guard becomes the latest addition to Privateers Men's Basketball ahead of next season.
The St. Petersburg, Florida native comes to the Privateers with one season of eligibility left after spending the last three seasons and earning his undergraduate degree at Bluefield State.
Last season "Coop" led the Big Blue in scoring at 21.4 points per game, knocking down 48.9% of his shots from the floor, and almost 75% of his free throw attempts. The six-foot-five guard pulled down 5.7 rebounds per contest, with 2.2 assists per game, and 2.7 steals per game.
Cooper scored 20+ points 12 different times last season, and more than 30 points three times. His career-high came last January after a 35-point outburst against Livingstone, where he made 14-of-21 shots from the floor.
As a senior he started 23 of Bluefield's 24 contests last season and was part of a squad that went 1-1 in the USCAA National Tournament. An active defender, his total of 2.57 steals per game in NCAA contests ranked ninth in Div. II last season.
From 2019-2022 Marquez started all 55 games he played in for the Big Blue, and averaged 17.5 points per game. Over three seasons in West Virginia he made 46.8% of his shots from the floor, and 74.1% of his free throws with an average of 5.3 rebounds per game. Cooper had eight career double-doubles as a member of the Big Blue.
Prior to his stint at Bluefield State, Cooper spent a year at McLennan Junior College where he played in 32 games with five starts as a true freshman and averaged 6.1 points per game in limited action. Cooper is a graduate of Anclote High School in Holiday, Fla.
Cooper joins
Jordan Johnson (Denver),
Omarion Henry (Link Year Prep),
Preston Murphy Jr. (St. Andrews), and
Khaleb Wilson-Rouse (Pacific) as new Privateers ahead of the 2022-2023 season.
More information on the 2022-2023 schedule, and ticket information will be available later this summer.
HEAD COACH MARK SLESSINGER
"Getting a veteran, proven scorer like Marquez is going to give our team a big boost on the offensive end. He is a coach's son and has a basketball IQ that has been instilled in him from a young age."
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