NFL Draft prospect Cooper DeJean is speaking out this week to say that he believes he can beat Caitlin Clark in one-on-one hoops despite the fact that she is the greatest scorer in wonen’s NCAA history.
DeJean Sounds Off On Clark
DeJean, a former Iowa defensive back, confidently said that he could defeat his fellow Hawkeye Clark, who was just the No.1 pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
“I wouldn’t say it’s really weird but a lot of teams have asked me if I could beat Caitlin Clark one-on-one, just being from Iowa. I said I think I can,” said DeJean, 21, according to The New York Post.
“She’d probably score a few buckets on me but I think I could pull it off,” he added.
Related: Caitlin Clark Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With Connor McCaffery In Absolute Sweetest Way
DeJean’s Basketball History
Though he now plays football, DeJean has some previous experience in basketball, as he lettered three years in basketball while attending OABCIG High School in Ida Grove, Iowa, according to his Iowa profile. During that time, he scored 1,832 career points, putting him 45 points ahead of Warriors forward and former North Carolina first-round pick Harrison Barnes.
DeJean’s 2021 athletic profile stated that basketball was his favorite sport, and he scored the third-most points in Iowa in his senior year.
“We always thought he would play college basketball,” said DeJean’s mother Katie. “I mean, he loves all the sports, but that just kind of took to him.”
DeJean was known for being able to dunk despite being just 6-foot-1.
“Good size, rocked-up guy,” said the Iowa recruiting director Tyler Barnes. “I think he had four or five dunks in that game, one of which he dunked over two guys. One was about 6-5. To see a quiet kid like that, once he jumped on the basketball court, his switch flipped. To see him operate the way he did, I was texting everybody on staff, ‘This kid is an absolute no-brainer.’”
In fact, it was partly DeJean’s basketball prowess that led to him being recruited by Iowa.
“We’re looking for guys that are leaders, good football players, but leaders,” said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. “Think about Cooper DeJean. He probably sparked our interest through basketball prowess. The football part took care of itself.
Related: Minnesota Secures Narrow Win Over Iowa Following Controversial Call
Clark’s Basketball Skills
All of that being said, Clark’s talent in basketball simply can’t be denied, as she is arguably the greatest women’s college basketball player of all time. Fox News reported that Clark became the all-time leading NCAA scorer earlier this year, scoring 3,951 points during her college career. Clark played in back-to-back national championships with Iowa, though she unfortunately came up short in both.
Earlier this month, Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever, and her jersey sold out less than an hour later.
“I’m excited,” Clark said afterwards, according to The BBC. “This is the most competitive league in the entire world, less than 144 spots. So you better bring it every single night.”
“I dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade, and it’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs,” she later added.
Only time will tell if Clark ever takes up DeJean on his one-on-one challenge, but it would certainly be interesting to see who would win!