D.J. Cooper, an American pro basketball player who has been playing in Europe, has been suspended by the Intentional Basketball Federation after a drug test revealed that he was pregnant according to Eurohoops. At first, Cooper passed the drug test which he had to take because he was looking to join the Bosnia national team as a naturalized player. However, Cooper’s urine sample was off as there was human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine.
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone made the placenta during pregnancy and it was then determined that Cooper used his girlfriend’s urine to pass the test and they found out she was pregnant. It’s unclear why Cooper tried to cheat the drug test, but the move backfired on him as he’s now suspended for two years. He will be eligible to return to action after Jun. 24, 2020.
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Cooper played college basketball at Ohio from 2009-2013. He made an impact during his freshman year, averaging 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Due to his play in 2009-2010, Cooper was named MAC Freshman of the Year and he helped the Bobcats upset Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament.
In his sophomore season, Cooper was named to the All-MAC team after recording 15.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.3 steals per contest. In his junior season, Cooper made national headlines, helping Ohio reach the “Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.” He was named to the All-MAC team once again for averaging 14.7 points 3.7 rebounds 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
In his senior season, Cooper was named MAC Player of the Year after posting 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. Jay Bilas of ESPN named Cooper as one of the best mid-major players in the country back in 2013.
“Cooper is the best passer in the country,” Bilas said. “He uses his terrific vision and courage to thread needles and get the ball to the right spot at the right time, averaging 7.9 assists per game and leading the nation in assists per 40 minutes. He plays angles really well and plays both ends of the floor. Cooper has been a winner since his first day at Ohio, and he has a well-rounded game that has touched every area of the box score and record book.”
Cooper went undrafted in the NBA which led to him going overseas. He has spent time in France, Greece and he was named MVP of the French Pro League A in 2017.
