Omar Cooper gave his players a simple challenge in a rec league championship game back in 2009: climb back after falling behind 18 at halftime, and he’d start an AAU squad for them. The players responded, and A.O.T. was born. Cooper still talks about that origin story; and there aren’t many who aren’t talking about the Running Rebels in 17U ball now.
Receiving national recognition and being highly ranked seems to be a pattern for the A.O.T organization, but receiving attention and high rank was not necessarily a goal of the organization.
“That wasn’t our goal with the boys or the girls but when you put hard work and passion with opportunity,” Cooper says, “the results can be great. We are blessed to see the fruits of our labor give kids an opportunity to further their career and give the players and the program national recognition.”
Former A.O.T. Lady Rebels Diamond DeShields and Lexie Brown are currently playing in the WNBA and Te’a Cooper is currently playing for Dawn Staley at the University of South Carolina. Current A.O.T. players Sharife Cooper, Isaac Okoro, and Brandon Boston are receiving multiple Division 1 offers, and Babatunde Akingbola is committed to Auburn University.
“It feels great to see past and present players get national recognition and live out their dream playing at the highest level because we all know early success don’t mean anything and can be poisonous for your future,” Cooper says. “If you’re not humble and don’t continue to work hard, it only takes one thing to derail you on your destination to success. To play college basketball with a chance to be a pro is a chance of a lifetime and we’re just happy that we can be a branch on the tree that provides that platform.”
Last year, A.O.T made an appearance in the 16U Peach Jam Championship game against Team CP3, and unfortunately came up on the short end of the stick. This year, through four EYBL sessions, A.O.T finished with a 13-3 record and a first-place bid in their respective pool for Peach Jam, and have redemption on their minds.
It’s hard not to see how motivated the squad was after that loss, and they’ll head into this year’s Peach Jam with a little extra drive.
“The loss last year motivated us because we worked so hard and still came up short so we knew we had to work ten times harder to win next year,” says Sharife Cooper.
The big change from last year? Adding Boston.
Boston joined A.O.T. this year and has gained the interest of programs like Kansas, Texas, and more. Boston is a skilled wing that plays with a high motor and his addition to the team is highly received by his teammates.
“Adding Brandon was great,” Okoro says. “He played with us 2 years ago on 15U so we already knew him and was very happy he decided to come back.”
A.O.T’s trio of Cooper, Okoro, and Boston live, breathe, and sleep basketball. The trio just recently participated in the Pangos AA Camp and Nike Elite 100 Camp. Both Okoro and Boston received invites to the U17 USA Trials, with Okoro making the 12-man roster. While basketball obviously takes up a lot of their time, it doesn’t stop them from arguing like any other group of teens.
Okoro prefers Lil Baby over Gunna and NBA Younboy, 2K over Fortnite, and Kobe Bryant as the GOAT over Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Cooper prefers Lil Baby over Gunna and NBA Younboy, Fortnite over 2K and Lebron James as the GOAT over Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
A.O.T has a lot of talent and the term “loaded” is sometimes used by people when referring to the team. But as with any youth squad, balancing personalities and getting that talent to play together is key. That, and Cooper’s insistence on hard work.
“We thrive off of hard work,” Cooper says. “24 hours a day, 7 days a week is our model.”
Working hard 24/7 has definitely paid off for A.O.T., and they’ve got next. If you have not had a chance to watch A.O.T. live, be sure to check out A.O.T in action in North Augusta, SC on July 11-15th for this year’s Peach Jam.
