By the way, it's Cooper - Anecdotally for sure, analytically I don't have time to look. I'm not sure it's real close at this point either.
Better shooter, better passer, better vision - elevated his supporting cast, and did it against a better "night in/night out" Mid-American Conference. Plus he did it on a National Stage in 2 separate years. Straight up legit.
Preston might be a better rebounder, but I still think he's very flawed defensively (At 45, I could get him off the ground with a head fake), and his shot is not close to DJ's.
That said, Preston is making bigger incremental leaps from year to year - I think he can make a huge stride next year on his shot and his D - which he has to do if he wants to play at the next level. DJ may have actually regressed from his Junior to Senior year even if the numbers don't reflect it. Preston has a better frame/body than DJ as well.
I don't even know why Simmons is in this conversation.
I can go along with much of this except for the shooting part. DJ was just about the slickest passer that I've ever seen, but when he put the ball up, especially from 3, you never knew what you were going to get. He could certainly get hot and take over a game, but JP has a legit shot night in/night out. They're both creative in different ways in the paint.
Another advantage to JP... I was almost always comfortable if the ball was in DJ's hands, but JP NEVER turns the ball over. It's almost uncanny. How great a stat was that to go along with his 31 points and 8 assists last week?
It's awesome the way he's blown up this week, but if Jason P gets us to the Sweet 16, then we can talk Cooper-esque legacy. Edit-add: I think the NBA talk is way premature, but keep chopping wood.
Last Edited: 12/3/2020 8:46:56 PM by Deciduous Forest Cat