April 9, 2008
Shooting is Hooper’s ticket
We first entered Hooperville, population one, at the Norcal Tip-Off Classic last November. That was when Valley Christian of San Jose sophomore Max Hooper nailed nine three-pointers to lead his Warriors over Clovis East 80-75. So with the prep basketball season now complete, we thought it time to make a return visit.
Max Hooper
The conundrum about displaying a particular talent in any sport is that the aptitude displayed in doing so makes it look particularly easy. So-and-so is a great rebounder, such-and-such an elite ballhandler but little or no viewer thought tends to go into the time and effort invested in honing a particular talent -- just a public stamp of certified proficiency is offered.
As with rebounding and ballhandling, the same goes with shooting, a foremost skill diminishing in prep and even college basketball circles. If you disagree, just note the majority of players on any team who cannot hit 75% of their free throws -- you know the unguarded type of shot that comes with a take-your-time, unhindered free look at the basket from the non-imposing distance of 15 feet.
Despite only halfway through his prep tenure, Hooper is doing his best to simultaneously raise the level of appreciation for sharp-shooting and also reverse the trend of a hardwood overeliance primarily based on physical ability.
But he didn’t start out this way.
"When I was in the third, fourth and fifth grades, I was also a soccer player," Hooper said. "But I didn’t enjoy playing soccer anywhere near the level of basketball."
So soccer’s loss became basketball’s gain.
Hooper shot 46% from long distance and broke the WCAL record for 3-pointers made
Hooper displayed a preternatural ability to shoot the basketball as a youngster, just not as consistent as now. But time spent working with a shooting coach and the effort that followed helped him in developing a uniform motion.
Seeking out challenge is a recurring theme in Hooper’s life to date. In the sixth grade, he was playing against opponents two and three grades above him "and I was holding my own," he said.
Steve Cotton, his coach at Valley Christian High, describes Hooper as "a great shooter, who works very diligently at it and is equally devoted to working on deficiencies, the areas not fully arrived. He possess a commitment like no other and his passion for the game is equated by his investment and work ethic."
In the just concluded season, Hooper averaged in the range of 25-30 minutes a game but it’s what he accomplished in that time that stands out: try 46 three-pointers in West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) play and 109 treys overall. The previous WCAL record for treys was 36.
Overall, he shot 46% from long distance, averaging 15 ppg.
Hooper was accorded Sophomore of the Year honors by the San Jose Mercury News.
This production begs the question why the 6-foot-5, 200 pounder didn’t at least receive WCAL Honorable Mention status?
Hooper was also a CalHi Sports All-Freshman team selection last season -- one of 10 such players -- and served notice of what was to come when he served up 10 three-pointers in a December 2006 game against North Salinas.
Also a member of Darren Matusbara’s Elite Basketball Organization (EBO) club team, Hooper’s squad just returned from playing in the notable 27th Annual Cholet Mondial Tournament in France -- and naturally, Hooper won the three-point shooting contest there.
Incidentally, one of the opposing teams was sponsored by former Golden State Warrior Sarunas Marciulonis while other participating squads in the invitational hailed from France, Serbia, Croatia, Spain, Italy and Germany.
Off the hardwood, Hooper is equally successful. Try a 4.71 grade point average amidst an assortment of advanced placement and honors courses and an academic ranking of first among the 309 member sophomore class at Valley Christian.
As for what’ s coming, "I’ll be focusing on improving my game and also beginning to strengthen my relationships with various college coaches," he said. His to-do list includes "working on improving my ability to rebound and defend, upgrading my strength and speed and also in creating shots off the dribble." Hooper also works with famed trainer Marv Marinovich to cultivate his strength and speed.
What separates Hooper from many others is his dedication. Like many, he is in the gym every day but works on specifics. In fact, he writes out his individual goals prior to the season and then takes stock afterwards. This willingness to see and address specific strengths and weaknesses is unusual for someone so young.
Down the road, Hooper is collegiately looking for a coach "who is someone committed to helping me become a better player, who sees me as I see myself and someone with which I can easily develop a relationship."
Completing the troika, Hooper is seeking a basketball program that "is a winning one, that sports a basketball tradition and has a strong fan base" and a school that "offers great academics." His absolute dream is to play on a college team competing for the national championship.
With a self-assessed current package of "shooting the ball, able to make the right play and being a good teammate" as his arsenal, Hooper will be hard at work this summer in continual improvement mode. That and participation in various workouts, practices, games and tournaments as an EBO member.
Asked to describe himself, Hooper replies "I am a person with a strong work ethic who is disciplined and focused on my goals."
Cotton concurs. "Max Hooper will become all he can be. He has lofty standards and goals, he’s not going to fall short of where he should be. He is going to be a life success."
Both Hooper and Cotton will get no argument here.