Two days ago, Max Hooper chose where he will play next year. Hooper announced that he would move to Detroit - far from his home state of California - and will play at Oakland University for his two years of remaining eligibility. Hooper will graduate this spring - in three years - and will take graduate school classes at Oakland, likely in psychology.
Hooper on his Twitter page:
Thankful for my experience at St. John's. I am extremely excited to announce I'll be continuing my basketball career at Oakland University
— Max Hooper (@maxthehooper) April 14, 2014
The 6’6" sharpshooter will be attending his third school in his collegiate career. He started at Harvard, and after only playing two games, he decided to come down the east coast and play for Steve Lavin and St. John’s - and with his friend and former roommate, JaKarr Sampson. At St. John’s Hooper showed signs of flashes and had a few games that truly showed his deadly three point stroke.
In the NIT game against Robert Morris, the shooting of him and senior Marc-Antoine Bourgault brought St. John’s back into a game where they were down big early in the game. The comeback ended up falling short despite his career-high 18 points. His St. John’s career ended with 25 appearances and shooting 40% from deep, good for 6th in the Big East for 2013-2014.
Hooper will fill a hole left in Oakland’s rotation because of Travis Bader’s graduation.
Excited to get that "NEXT" shooter. D-1 years Buddenborg/Rozycki to Kangas to Reggie to Bader and now Max Hooper has his chance.Welcome Max.
— Greg Kampe (@KampeOU) April 14, 2014
Bader shot 40% from deep like Hooper, but averaged over 20 points a game, taking 28% of the team's shots when on the floor - and always playing. Hooper took 20% of St. John's shots while on the floor and played ten or more minutes nine times.
Oakland head coach Greg Kampe said, "The great thing about Max is that he is a 4.0 student and earned his degree in three years so he has two years of eligibility remaining."
Kampe has a pretty big role set up for Hooper. "We have a hole in our offense [losing Bader]," Kampe said, "and Max is the guy who can step in and make those 140 threes. He was in a situation where, when he played, he made shots."