FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University men's basketball head coach Kim English has announced that former Morehead State standout DeVon Cooper will compete for the Patriots beginning in 2021-22.
 
Cooper just completed his redshirt-junior campaign at Morehead State, where he earned All-OVC accolades while leading the Eagles to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
 
"The more our staff watched DeVon Cooper on film, the more we realized we were getting one of the best guards in America," English said. "When we sat down and met face to face via Zoom, our staff was blown away by his maturity and laser focus on playing winning basketball. Character, toughness, competitiveness and work ethic are all traits we lock in on identifying during the recruitment process. DeVon checked every box with every person who we vetted him through."
 
Cooper will provide an immediate boost to the Patriot backcourt with his prowess as a force on both sides of the floor.
 
 En route to All-OVC second team accolades in 2020-21, the Louisville native ranked second on the Eagles in scoring (12.5 ppg) and assists (2.4 apg) while grabbing 4.9 rebounds per contest. He made 52 3-pointers at a solid 36.6 percent clip.
 
Cooper played his best basketball during the most critical part of the season. En route to OVC All-Tournament Team honors, he averaged 17.0 points, 4.7 assists and shot 55.6 percent from 3-point range during the Eagles' run to the OVC title.
 
Then in the NCAA Tournament vs. third-seeded West Virginia, Cooper poured in a team-best 21 points, dished out six assists and made five 3-pointers on eight attempts (.625) during a near upset of the Mountaineers.
 
"DeVon can play any backcourt spot and is extremely motivated as a defender," English added. "I know Mason Nation is going to fall in love with DeVon Cooper and his game."
 
Over his 3+ seasons with the Eagles, Cooper talied 860 points, dished out 171 assists and made 133 3-pointers at a career 35.5 percent clip. He started 75 of 98 games, including all 31 this past season.
 
Cooper averaged 17.2 points as a sophomore and 20.5 points over the final 13 games of his senior campaign at Waggener High School in Louisville. He attended Findlay Prep in Nevada as a junior.
 
Cooper joins Colorado transfer D'Shawn Schwartz as one of the first commits for Coach English.