Cooper Land
{{Short description|American basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Cooper Land
| image = Cooper Land 2013.jpg
| caption = Land with the Rockingham Flames in 2013
| height_cm = 205
| weight_kg = 104
| position = Head coach
| league = TAPPS
| team = St. Michael's Catholic Academy
| nationality = American
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1988|11|10}}
| birth_place = Highland Village, Texas
| high_school = Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
| college = Wright State (2007–2011)
| draft_year = 2011
| career_start = 2011
| career_end = 2016
| career_position = Power forward / center
| years1 = 2011–2012
| team1 = Asker Aliens
| years2 = 2012
| team2 = VfL Kirchheim Knights
| years3 = 2013–2016
| team3 = Rockingham Flames
| years4 = 2014
| team4 = Rizing Fukuoka
| coach_start = 2013
| cyears1 = 2013–2014
| cteam1 = St. Francis (assistant)
| cyears2 = 2015–2016
| cteam2 = St. Francis (associate head coach)
| cyears3 = 2016–2017
| cteam3 = St. Edward's (volunteer assistant)
| cyears4 = 2017–2018
| cteam4 = Rogers State (assistant)
| cyears5 = 2018–present
| cteam5 = St. Michael's Catholic Academy
| highlights =
}}
Cooper Land (born November 10, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player who is most known for his time spent in the State Basketball League (SBL) with the Rockingham Flames. He played college basketball for Wright State University before playing professionally in Norway, Germany, Australia and Japan.
High school career
Land attended Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. As a junior in 2005–06, he averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game in helping his team finish with a 20–10 record. As a senior in 2006–07, he averaged 16 points and seven rebounds per game, as his team finished with a 29–7 record and made it to the state's Sweet 16.{{cite web | url=http://www.wsuraiders.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27000&ATCLID=205237513 | title=#14 Cooper Land | work=wsuraiders.com | accessdate=May 22, 2014}}
College career
Land played four years of college basketball for Wright State between 2007 and 2011. In 33 games as a freshman in 2007–08, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/cooper-land-1.html | title=Cooper Land Stats | work=Sports-Reference.com | accessdate=May 22, 2014}} In 33 games as a sophomore in 2008–09, he averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. His junior and senior seasons were both interrupted by injury: on February 8, 2010, he tore his ACL in practice and subsequently missed the rest of the 2009–10 season; and in February 2011, he missed time due to another knee injury.{{cite web|url=http://www.wrightstatealumni.com/component/content/article/87.html |title=Sports Wrap – February 2011 |work=WrightStateAlumni.com |accessdate=May 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522085843/http://www.wrightstatealumni.com/component/content/article/87.html |archivedate=May 22, 2014}} In 24 games as a junior, he averaged 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 16.6 minutes, and in 26 games as a senior, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 25.7 minutes. On December 30, 2010, he scored a career-high 21 points against Milwaukee.{{cite web | url=http://www.espn.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303642750 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002194220/http://www.espn.com/ncb/recap?gameId=303642750 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 2, 2016 | title=Wright St. 68, Wis.-Milwaukee 44 | work=ESPN.com | date=December 30, 2010 | accessdate=October 2, 2016}}
Professional career
= Norway and Germany (2011–2012) =
In August 2011, Land signed his first professional contract, moving to Norway to play for Asker Aliens.{{cite web | last=Potter | first=Bill | url=http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/wsus-land-headed-to-norway-to-begin-professional-career.html | title=WSU's Land Headed to Norway to Begin Professional Career | work=HorizonLeague.org | date=August 11, 2011 | accessdate=May 22, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522091153/http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/wsus-land-headed-to-norway-to-begin-professional-career.html | archive-date=May 22, 2014 | url-status=dead }}{{cite web | last=Nagel | first=Kyle | url=http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/sports/college/ex-wsu-player-now-an-alien-1/nMtM8/ | title=Ex-WSU player now an Alien | work=SpringfieldNews-Sun.com | date=August 12, 2011 | accessdate=May 22, 2014 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522105234/http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/sports/college/ex-wsu-player-now-an-alien-1/nMtM8/ | archivedate=May 22, 2014}} He helped Asker reach the BLNO final, where they lost 80–78 to Frøya Basket despite a 15-point effort from Land.{{cite web | url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Norway/basketball-League-BLNO_2011-2012.aspx | title=BLNO Season 2011–2012 | work=Eurobasket.com | accessdate=October 2, 2016}} He subsequently earned All-BLNO First Team honors.{{cite web | url=https://basketball.realgm.com/international/league/68/Norwegian-BLNO/awards/by-type/Norwegian-BLNO-First-Team/679 | title=Norwegian BLNO Awards | work=RealGM.com | accessdate=April 30, 2020}} In 23 games for Asker during the 2011–12 season, he averaged 21.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
In July 2012, Land signed with the German team VfL Kirchheim Knights for the 2012–13 season.{{cite web | last=Korff | first=Moritz | url=http://www.eurobasket.com/Germany/basketball.asp?NewsID=280536 | title=Kirchheim Knights bag Cooper Land | work=Eurobasket.com | date=July 25, 2012 | accessdate=February 5, 2015}} On December 27, 2012, he parted ways with Kirchheim after he had a number of poor performances that were linked to a recurring knee injury.{{cite web | url=http://www.kirchheim-knights.de/nachricht705_5_5.htm | title=Ohne Vier ins nächste Jahr | work=Kirchheim-Knights.de | date=December 27, 2012 | accessdate=May 22, 2014 | language=German}} In 15 games, he averaged 10.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
= Australia and Japan (2013–2016) =
After his stint in Germany, Land moved to Australia to play for the Rockingham Flames in the State Basketball League.{{cite web | last=Boyle | first=Niall | url=https://thewest.com.au/news/peel-rockingham/brothers-to-battle-it-out-ng-ya-280202 | title=Brothers to battle it out | work=TheWest.com.au | date=March 14, 2013 | accessdate=March 22, 2017}} He scored 30 points or more in nine games, including a season-high 42 points.{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=196111729&client=1-5011-83377-402991-23096601&ocompID=255297 | title=Player statistics for Cooper Land – 2013 | work=SportsTG.com | accessdate=October 2, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106033938/http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=196111729&client=1-5011-83377-402991-23096601&ocompID=255297 |archivedate=January 6, 2017}} In 24 games in 2013, he averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Land returned to the Flames for the 2014 season and scored 40 points or more in five games, including a career-high 46 points.{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=196111729&client=1-5011-83377-402991-23096601&ocompID=299006 | title=Player statistics for Cooper Land – 2014 | work=SportsTG.com | accessdate=October 2, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106033929/http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=196111729&client=1-5011-83377-402991-23096601&ocompID=299006 |archivedate=January 6, 2017}} He subsequently earned SBL MVP honors.{{cite web|url=http://basketballwa.asn.au/blog/2014/09/09/2014-basketball-wa-award-winners/|title=2014 BASKETBALL WA AWARD WINNERS|work=BasketballWA.asn.au|date=September 9, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011135517/https://basketballwa.asn.au/blog/2014/09/09/2014-basketball-wa-award-winners/|archivedate=October 11, 2019}} In 27 games, he averaged 29.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
In August 2014, Land signed with Rizing Fukuoka of the Japanese bj league.{{cite web | last=Odevan | first=Ed | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/08/14/basketball/bj-league/shiga-brings-veteran-parmer-boost-bid-title/#.VnPizmTRKko | title=Shiga brings in veteran Parmer to boost bid for title | work=JapanTimes.co.jp | date=August 14, 2014 | accessdate=November 17, 2014}} He left the team in December 2014. In 18 games, he averaged 8.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.{{cite web|url=http://www.australiabasket.com/Australia/basketball.asp?NewsID=393849|title=Land comes back to Flames, ex Fukuoka Rizing|work=Australiabasket.com|date=February 8, 2015|accessdate=February 9, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150210041058/http://www.australiabasket.com/Australia/basketball.asp?NewsID=393849|archivedate=February 10, 2015}}
After leaving Japan, Land returned to Rockingham for the 2015 season.{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-3186-0-0-0&sID=31687&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=33338724 | title=Flames Announce 2015 SBL Coaching Staff & Restricted Players | work=SportsTG.com | date=February 6, 2015 | accessdate=February 9, 2015}} He scored 30 points or more seven times, including a season-high 45 points.{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=196111729&client=1-5011-83377-402991-23096601&ocompID=357507 | title=Player statistics for Cooper Land – 2015 | work=SportsTG.com | accessdate=October 2, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106032710/http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=196111729&client=1-5011-83377-402991-23096601&ocompID=357507 |archivedate=January 6, 2017}} In 27 games, he averaged 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Land returned to the Flames in 2016 for a fourth season.{{cite web | last=Pike | first=Chris | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-5011-0-0-0&sID=78732&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=41878882 | title=Men's SBL Season Preview – Rockingham Flames | work=SportsTG.com | date=March 18, 2016 | accessdate=March 18, 2016}} He scored 30 points or more 12 times, including a season-high 45 points.{{cite web | url=https://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=207449799&client=1-5011-83377-444186-23096601 | title=Player statistics for Cooper Land – 2016 | work=SportsTG.com |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430095855/https://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=207449799&client=1-5011-83377-444186-23096601 |archivedate=April 30, 2020}} He subsequently earned SBL MVP honors for the second time in three years.{{cite web | url=https://twitter.com/WA_SBL/status/777174400231616512 | title=2016 @WA_SBL Men's MVP: Cooper Land... | work=Twitter | date=September 17, 2016 | accessdate=October 2, 2016}} In 27 games, he averaged 28.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
Coaching career
Land served as Assistant Coach at NAIA Division II's University of St. Francis in 2013–14 and Associate head coach in 2015–16 between playing overseas. In his final season at St. Francis, the Fighting Saints recorded a 28–4 record and No. 1 ranking in NAIA Division II final regular season poll while winning the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season title.{{cite web | url=http://rsuhillcats.com/staff.aspx?staff=135 | title=Staff Directory: Cooper Land | work=rsuhillcats.com | accessdate=June 12, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612162118/http://rsuhillcats.com/staff.aspx?staff=135 | archive-date=June 12, 2017 | url-status=dead }}
Land spent 2016–17 as a volunteer assistant at St. Edward's University as the Hilltoppers tallied a 17–15 record while finishing sixth in the conference with a 9–9 league record. At SEU, Land led the development of post players while assisting with film breakdown and game preparation along with scouting and recruiting.
In June 2017, Rogers State men's basketball head coach Justin Barkley announced the hiring of Land as assistant coach.
In 2018, Land became the St. Michael's Catholic Academy basketball coach.{{cite web | last=Holtgrieve | first=Sally Grace | url=https://communityimpact.com/austin/lake-travis-westlake/education/2018/09/10/__trashed-22/ | title=Local basketball coach serves youth in Philippines | work=CommunityImpact.com | date=September 10, 2018 | accessdate=November 2, 2018}} He was still in the role as of January 2023.{{cite web | last=Gordon | first=Colby | url=https://www.statesman.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2023/01/02/tapps-local-state-power-st-michaels-fueled-by-stars-program-drive/69769000007/ | title=St. Michael's talent, schedule put Crusaders a class above the rest | work=statesman.com | date=January 2, 2023 | accessdate=March 2, 2023}}
Personal
Land is the son of Bill and Gayle Land. His father is the play-by-play voice for the San Antonio Spurs.{{cite web | url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/gamenight/bio_bill_land.html | title=Bill Land – Spurs TV Play-By-Play | work=NBA.com | accessdate=May 22, 2014}} His brother, Taylor, is also a basketball player. In 2012 and 2013, Taylor played for the Mandurah Magic, the Rockingham Flames' number one rival.{{cite web | last=Russell | first=Darrell | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=0-5011-0-0-0&sID=78732&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=24478314 | title=A Tale of Two Lands – Sibling Rivalry at its Best! | work=SportsTG.com | date=July 10, 2013 | accessdate=May 22, 2014}} In 2014, Taylor joined Cooper at the Rockingham Flames and the pair played alongside each other for three straight seasons.
Land is a Christian. In the summer of 2012, he traveled to Israel with Athletes in Action, a Christian organization with the goal to build spiritual movements through sport. He visited over 40 biblical sights and participated in a tournament in Palestine.{{cite web | last=Grove | first=Charles | url=http://www.theguardianonline.com/sports/2012/11/15/former-wsu-hoops-player-cooper-land-continues-career-in-europe/ | title=Former WSU hoops player Cooper Land continues career in Europe | work=TheGuardianOnline.com | date=November 15, 2012 | accessdate=May 22, 2014 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140522064912/http://www.theguardianonline.com/sports/2012/11/15/former-wsu-hoops-player-cooper-land-continues-career-in-europe/ | archive-date=May 22, 2014 | url-status=dead }}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.wsuraiders.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27000&ATCLID=205237513 WSU Raiders profile]
- [https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/37141/cooper-land ESPN profile]
- [http://www.nba.com/spurs/lands-down-under/ "Lands Down Under"] at nba.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Land, Cooper}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Australia
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Germany
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Japan
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Norway
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Texas
Category:Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka players
Category:VfL Kirchheim Knights players