RICHMOND, Ky. – Collin Cooper, a 6-foot-2 guard, will join the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team for the 2023-24 season after playing four years at Central Arkansas.
 
Cooper scored more than 700 points during his UCA career and led the team in 3-pointers each of the last two seasons.  The Fayetteville, Arkansas native made 119 three's combined the last two years.  He will have one year of eligibility remaining.
 
"I'm excited to welcome Collin into our basketball family," head coach A.W. Hamilton said.  "He brings a lot of experience and is a fearless shot maker.  Collin is a high character young man who fits perfectly into our locker room." 
 
In 2022-23, Cooper averaged 10.2 points, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game while sinking 52 three-pointers.  In 2021-22, he averaged 9.9 points, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals per contest.  He ranked 11th that season in the ASUN Conference with 67 three-pointers.  In 91 career games for the Bears, Cooper shot 79 percent from the free throw line.
 
In a game against Little Rock on Nov. 14, 2022, Cooper hit a career-best six 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 22 points.  He had a career-high five steals against North Florida on Jan. 26, 2023.
 
Cooper scored in double figures 16 times in 24 games during the 2022-23 season.  He handed out at least one assist in 19 games.
 
On Jan. 4, 2022, Cooper hit four 3-pointers, scored 18 points, had five assists and three rebounds in a game against EKU in Richmond.  This past season, he finished with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists against the Colonels in Baptist Health Arena.
 
Cooper was an all-state selection at Fayetteville High School, and earned back-to-back conference player of the year awards.  He averaged 19 points and four assists per game his senior season.
 
The 2022-23 EKU team finished the season with a 23-14 record and advanced to the championship of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).  The 23 wins were the third-most in program history.  EKU has received two national postseason tournament invitations in the last four years.  The Colonels placed third in the ASUN Conference with a 12-6 mark and advanced to the final four of the conference tournament. 
 
The Colonels will look to turn their CBI experience into an NCAA Tournament run in 2023-24.  The core of the team will return next season – including Michael Moreno, Devontae Blanton, Isaiah Cozart, Tayshawn Comer and Leland Walker.  That group accounted for 77 percent of the team's assists, 70 percent of its points, 66 percent of its blocks, 62 percent of its rebounds and 55 percent of its steals in 2022-23.