25 Years Ago...

[Braveman]

Bradley had the 15th best recruiting class in the country as ranked by The Sporting News..

It was led by the nations prep scoring leader out of Morgan Gage Park...

Voise Winters....

VW had a nice career here as well as overseas after college...

[Da Coach]

Just from memory, beside Voise Winters, I think I recall that recruiting class also included Anthony Webster (who later flunked out of Bradley), Eddie Harris, a very good point guard from New York who left Bradley to transfer closer to home, and Pierre Cooper, who might have been the best of them all, but never played a game at Bradley because of blood clots that required lifelong anticoagulant treatment.
Does anyone know if these were all in the recruiting class of 2001, or were there others?

[Braveman]

The Roadrunner also came to BU in 1981....

Willie Scott

[Dallas Brave]

I was enrolled at BU at the time. I still remember when the local news announced his signing. I was having a frostie while relaxing on the la-zy-boy recliner at my girlfirend's apartment and watching the 6:00 news. The sports segment showed some footage of Voise in some high school games. Ahhh .. sweet memories of youth.

[smitty]

The Roadrunner also came to BU in 1981....

Willie Scott

That's right, and so did Barney Mines. Both were transfers from junior college. Scott came from Hillsdale JuCo in Michigan, Mines was from Saddleback junior college in California.

Voise Winters averaged 40.3 ppg his senior year in high school, which lead the country. His Chicago public league average was an amazing 47.5 ppg.

So Versace's 1981 recruiting class included-
Voise Winters
Anthony Webster
Barney Mines
Willie Scott
Eddie Harris
Pierre Cooper

That's pretty good.

[Braves4Life]

Memories

I remember being a junior in HS and playing pick-up games at Hausler. Harris was quick as lightning, Winters was a stud, but Coper was something else.

I remember watching him fake a guy left and going right for an uncontested power slam. So d@mn quick and powerful for a frosh.....the guy guarding him didn't even move he was so faked out! That guy would have been a sure-fire pro. Maybe one of the best to ever play on the Hilltop. What a cryin' shame

[oilerpimp]

V.W. has always been one of my all-time Bradley favs. I used to have him in my avatar. Still do on V.T.. Mabye it was the name???

[Da Coach]

Re: Memories

I remember being a junior in HS and playing pick-up games at Haussler. Harris was quick as lightning, Winters was a stud, but Cooper was something else.

I remember watching him fake a guy left and going right for an uncontested power slam. So d@mn quick and powerful for a frosh.....the guy guarding him didn't even move he was so faked out! That guy would have been a sure-fire pro. Maybe one of the best to ever play on the Hilltop. What a cryin' shame

Very few people ever had a chance to see Pierre Cooper play at Bradley. Shortly after starting practice in 1981 he developed extensive blood clots in his leg veins. He spent a year as a redshirt on blood thinners and appeared to recover. He and his doctors (one of whom is still a Bradley fan and a regular poster on this board) agreed to stop the blood thinners and try to play in the 1982-83 season. But before practice officially began, the blood clots began to return. Pierre accepted his fate that he would have to go back on blood thinners and could never play competetively again.

Pierre was a great post-type player, but he could handle the ball and pass well. I agree that he would have had a great career at Bradley and would have probably had a successful pro career, also.

Here is a picture of Pierre Cooper with his high school team that won the Class A state championship in 1980. He is #54 in the front row--

http://www.marchmadness.org/records/yearly/1980ba.htm

I notice one of his teammates was Mike Conley , who went on to become a world class long jumper/triple jumper, and is the father of Mike Conley, Jr. one of the top high school basketball recruits on 2007 (and teammate of #1 rated player Greg Oden). Also, the team they beat for the state championship in 1980 was Rudy Keeling's Peoria Bergan high school. The #1 ranked team that year was Marty Simmons' Lawrenceville team.

Pierre Cooper is now a business owner in Chicago--
Coop's Music: South Side Success in Competitive Retail Music Environment

[Braves4Life]

Cooper

Coach, great to hear good news about a good guy! PC definately turned his adversity into success rather than let it ruin his life.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't BU keep PC on scholarship all four years so that he could get his degree?

I know if anyone knows it'll be Da Coach.............a great resource and credit to the board

[OrangeandBlack74]

Re: Cooper

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't BU keep PC on scholarship all four years so that he could get his degree?

Da Coach can confirm if he so chooses.....but, yes, Cooper was on scholarship all four years, despite never playing a single game for BU. Classy move by Versace and the university.

[Da Coach]

Thanks O&B, you beat me to it.

Pierre did graduate from Bradley and is proud of his degree from BU.

[Braveman]

I enetered BU That year, but was an un-recruited walk-on... lol