NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Kenny Cooper and Michael Buckland share the backcourt, and often the point guard position for the Lipscomb Bisons. They also are roommates on campus.
Basketball talk is unavoidable between the roomies. But the video game Fortnite, where players construct fortifications to protect the living while fighting monsters set on annihilation, is a popular form of relaxation.
“We play Fortnite a lot,” Cooper said. “It is a huge megatrend in the game world. You land with a bunch of people on an island and you have to be the last man standing.
“You have 100 people with you in the game. Sometimes you play in four groups with 25 people in each one. That is a lot of fun to do off of the court.”
Friday afternoon Cooper and Buckland won’t be fighting cartoon video monsters. Along with their Lipscomb teammates they will be attempting to beat No. 2-seeded North Carolina at Charlotte in the NCAA West Regional at 1:45. The goal is basically the same as the video game – be the last “team” standing.
COOPER WAS FIRST
Cooper was the first player Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander and his staff targeted for their first recruiting class. He played at Franklin Road Academy for former Lipscomb basketball star John Pierce, the leading scorer in collegiate basketball history.
“He is a local guy and a good player,” Alexander said. “It feels like he has been around forever, but he is only a sophomore.
“Kenny came from a great program. We liked the kind of kid that he was. We knew he could give us some athleticism at the guard spot.”
Cooper has been the primary point guard with Buckland filling in when needed from his position as a shooting guard. Cooper is ranked seventh overall in the ASUN with four assists per game and seventh for the season with 119.
“Michael is a great leader,” Cooper said. “One of the things about the point guard position is the leadership role. “We both really bring the competitive spirit in practice.
“It is nothing personal. You are just trying to make the guy on the opposite side of you better. In game situations you won’t be shocked by anything. You will be ready to perform.”
FINER POINTS OF THE POINT
Cooper, a point guard for most of his basketball life, has been willing to instruct Buckland on the finer points of the position.
“On the court we have to remain calm, run the team and get everybody where they are supposed to go,” Cooper said. “It is like being a quarterback in football. That is the hardest part.
“You have four different guys out there with you. You have to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to. You have to be a step ahead knowing what they are going to do and you have to make sure you know what to do.”
TAKES A THEIF
Cooper is not only adept at leading the team. Defensively, he is known for his ability to steal the ball, going into the gaps to take the ball away from players he isn’t primarily guarding.
“I think of defense as a mentality thing,” Cooper said. “You have to be determined to help and be in the gaps.
“It is selfless defending. One man is hard to stop by yourself. When you have five guys out there collectively guarding the ball that makes it easier on the guy who is guarding the guy with the ball.”
Cooper leads the ASUN overall with 2.1 steals per game. He is second overall with 63 for the season and second in conference play with 26.
“He definitely gets a lot of steals off of the ball,” Alexander said. “He is disruptive on the ball, but his greatest value as a defender is off the ball with his anticipation and touch.”
Players practice passing, ball handling, shooting, rebounding and defense. But being an effective thief on the court goes beyond just practicing the moves.
“Some guys may have quicker hands or move better laterally,” Cooper said. “But, at the end of the day, it is an effort thing. You have to want to defend and help out.
“You have to know what is about to happen before it happens. You have to make sure your guys are prepared for that situation. We have been selfless as a team all season on offense and defense. We have to continue to play that way.”
