With over 64 Division I, II, and III schools recruiting and recognizing the talents of men's basketball freshman center Craig Coupe, it's no wonder why he's already an impact player at Tufts. Averaging 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, Coupe is a dominant figure down low for the Jumbos. And at 6'8", he's nearly unstoppable in the paint.
With the loss of last year's center and co-captain Dan Flaherty to graduation, head coach Bob Sheldon understood the importance of recruiting a center. Coupe played high school ball in Niskayuna, NY where he was the focal point of his squad's offense. But Sheldon didn't discover Coupe through high school basketball.
"We saw Craig at Hoop Mountain (Basketball Camp) and an AAU tournament at Rutgers," Sheldon said. "We knew he was going to be a really good player. Of course being 6'8" didn't hurt."
Sheldon was excited by the prospects of a player with the basketball talent and the classroom ability of Coupe. And from the freshman's end, Coupe said he learned how to be in the right place at the right time when it came to recruiting. "The reason I was playing AAU was to get exposed to colleges and to get better," Coupe said. Though there were eight Division I recruits on his AAU team, Coupe still managed to get noticed.
Although it was a tough college decision, Coupe said he selected Tufts because of its basketball program and academics.
"The more and more I thought about it, D-I is like a job, D-III you can do other things. I like to diversify," he said. "My parents were stressing academics; Tufts fit the bill. They also have a history of a strong (basketball) program."
While at Tufts, a new challenge for Coupe was the more physical dimension of college basketball, as opposed to high school or AAU basketball. With Coupe's positioning on the court, he feels the brunt of the game's physicality. Although more mobile than Flaherty, Sheldon did not feel comfortable starting Coupe right away, and Coupe knew he had to pay his freshman dues.
"I think coach Sheldon didn't want to throw me to the wolves, he wanted to get me adjusted," Coupe said of the possibility of starting right from the start. But with the regularly season slowly coming to a close, he's now started in ten of the team's 18 games.
"He came on so hard and played so well, he earned his starting position," Sheldon said.
Of course, Coupe is only one of the Jumbos' go-to players. He's currently the third highest scorer on the squad, following juniors Mike McGlynn and Brian Shapiro. And though one might think that going from the lead scoring option last year to the fourth or fifth this season would discourage Coupe, he said he recognizes his role on the team.
"It was a little different because last year I was the main option," Coupe stated. "Here guys like Mike McGlynn, Phil Barlow, and Brian Shapiro are the main scorers, whatever they want me to do I will do it."
Sheldon did not envision the center of the offense going through Coupe because he is only a freshman on a team with many shooters, but that is sometimes the case. More often, though, Sheldon makes Coupe earn his points by emphasizing grabbing rebounds and making lay-ups. Coupe's role in the paint opens up the outside for long-range shooters.
Sheldon said the next three weeks will be the toughest for Coupe because his high school season would normally be ending now. Because of this, Sheldon has planned his lineup accordingly.
"It's hard to play 40 minutes, even hard to play 30. We have some good guys to step up behind him," Sheldon said. "It is important to keep his legs fresh."
After nearly a season of Tufts basketball, the freshman is coming into his own. And though he's somewhat of a modest individual, Coupe doesn't mind the attention he's received from his new fans.
"It feels really good when you walk around and stand out," Coupe said. "This year is kind of interesting to have constant followings after every game and reading about what happened in the Daily."
Early in his career, it's seeming that Coupe has a bright future both on and off the court at Tufts. And barring injury, he's got a few years of starting at center ahead of him.
"There are only two people that can stop him from being a good player, that is him and me," Sheldon said. "He has All-American potential, but also room for improvement."
