As Nate Lanik made his way through the concourse at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, trying to get back to his seat, the Alliance coach was stopped continually by Husker fans and state basketball tournament volunteers wanting to chat.
Jordan Hooper scored 47 in her prep finale.
Photo by Dean Backes
The topic of conversation always came back to Lanik’s All-State senior Jordan Hooper and her playing time with University of Nebraska coach Connie Yori next season.
Lanik gladly obliged.
“She is a once in a lifetime kid to coach,” Lanik said of Hooper during a break in the action at the Nebraska girls state basketball tournament Saturday. “You always hope another one comes along, but there are no guarantees. I just had to sit and watch. What she has done has been remarkable.”
Hooper triggered much of that conversation Saturday by breaking several Nebraska state tournament records during her final basketball game with Alliance, a 70-59 win over
Skutt Catholic (Omaha) in the Class B girls consolation game.
Against the Skyhawks Saturday, Hooper tossed in a Class B single-game state tournament record 47 points. In that same contest, she set a single-game record with 16 field goals, including four 3-pointers, as she finished her prep career on a winning note.
“Last night I was angry,” Hooper said in reference to Friday evening’s 58-39 semifinal loss to
Gretna in which she scored 24 points. “I wasn’t shooting the ball well. I came out ready to play today. If I get mad – watch out.
“That (playing in consolation game) was important. It really wasn’t important if we won or lost, I just wanted to play again. I wanted to play with my team one more time.”
When you add her finale output to the 53 points she had scored collectively in a 55-43 quarterfinal win over rival
Sidney and the loss to Gretna, Hooper finished the 2010 girls state tournament with a Class B tournament record 100 points scored in three games.
Exclusive company
Hooper’s 271 career state tournament points, in 12 games, vaulted her to second behind Chambers standout Darcy Stracke, who finished her prep career in 1996 with 366 state tournament points.
Hooper’s name surpassed the likes of Trudi Veerhusen (Adams), Megan Neuvirth (West Point Central Catholic), Sara Wilson (Perkins County), Taryn Ninemire (Sandy Creek), Monica Osborn (Axtell), Nicole and Jami Kubik (Cambridge) and Katie Robinette (South Sioux City).
Jordan Hooper goes baseline.
Photo by Dean Backes
All of the above belong to the state tournament 200-point club.
“I’ve been looking at that list for four years,” Hooper said. “I wanted my name on there for something. It’s an honor to be mentioned with that group of athletes.”
Although she didn’t attend a high school basketball game until she stepped foot into middle school, Hooper soon fell in love with the game of basketball. While she has performed well at other sports, she is quick to point out that basketball is her No. 1.
The three time All-State performer, whose post-season honors list is a mile long, earned first-team All-State honors in volleyball as a junior and finished second in the long jump at the Class B state track and field meet her freshman and sophomore seasons.
In 2008 Hooper set the school’s long jump record with a leap of 18 feet, 2 inches at the state track meet.
“This has been a lot of fun,” she said of her high school sports career. “It’s been the best years of my life. Those other sports are fun, but basketball…”
Hooper and her Bulldog teammates qualified for the state tournament in each of her four varsity seasons, finishing no worse than third each time. As a freshman, she led the Bulldogs to a 55-40 win over Crete in the Class B title game.
During Hooper’s sophomore campaign, Alliance lost to South Sioux City 53-48 in the finals. In each of the past two seasons, the Bulldogs finished with wins in the consolation contest.
In order to stretch the Bulldog season and snatch the records she did, Hooper and friends had to get by one big obstacle on the way. Four times during the regular season and in district play Alliance banged the glass with Sidney. Twice the Bulldogs came away with wins.
Sidney, however, earned the automatic bid to the state tournament by upending Alliance 51-38 in the District B-6 final. So for Hooper that opening round win over the Red Raiders, which secured a second and third contest, was awfully gratifying.
Hoop Group unites
Since she first stepped on a basketball court in middle school, Hooper has drawn a lot of attention. Over time her own entourage, consisting mostly of family and friends, began forming and followed her every basketball move.
Even her aunt Peggy Keeley, who resides in Germany, ventured to a nearby gym to see Hooper play this season.
Earlier this year one member of the ‘Hoop Group’ suggested that one of her goals may be a little out of reach. Hooper stepped up and reached the 2,000-point milestone anyway, placing her fifth all-time in the state of Nebraska with 2,078 career points.
Hooper finished off illustrious career in style.
Photo by Dean Backes
Hooper also sits third all-time in points scored in a game (54) and second in career rebounds (1,337) behind Exeter’s Shuree Oldehoeft, who has 1,342 caroms to her name. She broke her own state record for rebounds in a season (342) by pulling down 380 caroms this season.
“That was it,” she said when her mother doubted she could reach 2,000 points. “My mom didn’t believe it, so I had to prove her wrong.”
Hooper has been compared to Nebraska’s 6-foot-2 senior forward Kelsey Griffin, and said she thinks that’s why Yori has pushed so hard to get her services. The two-time Super Stater only hopes that she can live up to that billing.
Coaching Hooper has landed Lanik plenty of perks, including the opportunity to meet Nebraska athletic director, and football coaching legend Tom Osborne, as well as present head football coach Bo Pelini.
Lanik likens the Husker athletic program to one big family, one reason he thinks Hooper has chosen to take to the court under the guidance of Yori next season.
“I learned so much from her,” Lanik said of Hooper. “I think she has definitely rubbed off on me. I’ve probably worked harder at my job because of her. Her work ethic is unbelievable. She does not like to lose. Yet, she is so humble and she appreciates everybody around her.”
