7 News Belize

Coope's Big Break
posted (August 22, 2019)

One of Belize's most beloved national basketball team players Clency "Coope" Lopez has gotten a full basketball scholarship from Midland College located in Midland, Texas, USA.

It's a huge break and the man who set it up for him is Milton Palacio - who also went to Midland Junior College before his career in the NBA.  

Palacio told us that his former coach was looking for tough players, and Coope fit the bill:

Milton Palacio - National Team Coach
"You know all year long he's telling me that he needed some players, he needed some guys that could play or had some heart and that could kind of send the school in a good direction, the program in a good direction, you know being tough and the way he coaches, I know he's a touch coach, so Coope came to mind. To be honest with you if I said that Coope came in mind the first year that I coached him, no - but after this tournament against the Bahamas and Cuba and Antigua, I felt Coope was ready."

Jules Vasquez
"But what sort of opportunities might open up for him through attending this university?"

Milton Palacio
"First things first man, he's going to be seen by pretty much every college in the nation, he's going to be seen by a lot of schools, so for me, I just try to give him the opportunity to get in front of some coaches and whether it's division I or division II - I think the biggest thing, he'll get his education paid for the next 2 years and then if he's fortunate enough to play at division I or play in division II, he still gets his education payed for and pave the way for himself."

Jules Vasquez
"Explain to me what sort of skill set he will need to focus on to enhance so that he can work in that system?"

Milton Palacio
"I think the biggest thing he has to get down is going both ways, everybody knows Coope is heavy right hand oriented, so we talked about that. I told him it’s one thing you should have the ball in your left hand all the time, one game going left every single play. The biggest thing that is going to challenge him to be good, to be great and he’s going to put a lot of responsibility on him and I told Coope, that's one thing he's a quite kid but he's going to have to get out of that, he's going to have to be the leader and he's going to have to go lead that team and trying to lead that team to win. I mean he has so many rooms to improve in, it's crazy but the biggest thing you can't teach is heart and that's one thing he's going to have over a lot of players. For me, I'm excited for him, I feel like a proud dad just glad that he made his. Just trying to get more kids out there to see that, if Coope can make it, anybody can make it, especially it's how it is, you got to think big."

Coope was born and raised in southside Belize City, and has been a part of the Belize Basketball Federation's programmes since he was 12 when, he was left off the U12 National Team.  Then, a few years later, he was again left off the U16 National Team. And, then, finally, in 2017, at the age of 19, Coope made his first National Team as the starting point guard. 




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