University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball Lands Illinois Product
4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Women's Basketball Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis announced the signing of Jesheon Cooper of Belleville, Ill., to a national letter of intent and grant-in-aid scholarship for the 2016-17 academic year during the spring signing period.
"We are excited to have Coop to choose to be a Lady Eagle," McNelis said. "Coop is a fun loving young lady who possess a drive to be successful. We expect Coop to give us an added dimension to our program with her 6'7" wing span, her ability to block shots and rebound."
Cooper, a 6-5 post player, played one season at Shawnee Community College where she averaged 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting 64 percent from the field. She helped her team finish with a 30-3 record.
Coach Luke Scheidecker of Shawnee College said, "Jesheon played a huge part in our success this year. She was a difference on both ends as she presented huge match-up problems. Jesheon really altered the game on the defensive end as she blocked or altered a ton of shots. It was excited to watch Jesheon get better and develop into one of the best centers in Junior College. Jesheon's best basketball is still ahead of her and we are excited to watch her develop at Southern Miss. On top of that she is a great young woman and the type of person you want in your program."
Cooper, who led the nation and her conference in blocked shots, averaged 4.9 per game and was second in the conference in field goal percentage. She recorded at least five blocks in 12 games, including a season-high 15 against Southeastern Illinois College.
Cooper said, "I chose Southern Miss because I feel that I will be pushed to my full potential, academically and athletically. On my visit, after being with the team for just a couple of hours I already felt like a part of the team. Everyone had open arms, it's a family oriented type of program. I am super pumped to be a lady eagle, and I can't wait to see what is in store for my next two years at Southern Miss!"
