Former Dorman High School guard Ta’Lon Cooper (6’4″) has committed to South Carolina following his exit from Minnesota. Cooper announced his pledge on Twitter Wednesday morning.
Cooper won two state championships under Thomas Ryan at Dorman before committing to Morehead State out of high school. Cooper played at Morehead State for three seasons before transferring to Minnesota.
Cooper took an official visit to USC last weekend and that gave him a chance to meet up with Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris for the first time.
“He told me he wanted to bring me in as a leader and be the facilitator and getting players involved and scoring at will when I need to,” Cooper said. “I think it’s a blessing. It kind of reminds me of high school. I went to North Carolina for my eleventh-grade year and then came back to Dorman and went back home. It’s special to be able to play in front of my parents and family and friends my last year of college.”
Cooper played his final high school game in the Colonial Life Arena when the Cavaliers won the state championship. Now, he’ll have the chance to play his final home college game in the same building.
“It’s definitely icing on the cake,” Cooper said. “To think I won a championship at Dorman at the University of South Carolina, in that gym. It’s going to make playing there bringing back a lot of memories, and I’ll cherish that forever.”
Last season at Minnesota Cooper averaged 9.8 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting nearly 38% from the 3-point line. Cooper’s assists per game placed him seventh in the country last season.
