When Kenny Cooper transferred from Lipscomb to Western Kentucky and submitted a waiver to the NCAA asking for immediate eligibility to play last season, most everyone anticipated having him on the court for the Hilltoppers.

The outcome of Cooper’s waiver — which took quite the time to be returned to WKU — didn’t go in their favor, though. Instead, the veteran point guard was denied the opportunity to suit up last year and was forced to cheer on the team from the bench.

Although Cooper was disappointed by the outcome, he continued to hold his head high and spent last season working on his game — and he is beyond ready to showcase it while on the court for Coach Rick Stansbury and the Toppers for the upcoming 2020-21 campaign.

“Last year was great for me,” Cooper said Tuesday during the Hilltoppers’ media day on Zoom. “Just learning, getting better in areas I needed to. It’s been a growing process. Coach Stansbury’s an awesome coach, and he’s taught me a lot about rethinking the point guard position and really being stepped-in to that leadership role that I really didn’t have to step into at Lipscomb.

“I’m really excited to showcase what I can do this year.”

Cooper transferred to WKU in summer 2019 after appearing in 100 games and making 67 starts in three seasons at Lipscomb. Averaging 9.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19, Cooper helped lead the Bison to the 2019 Atlantic Sun regular-season championship and the 2019 NIT championship game at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A Nashville, Tenn. native, Cooper — who averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists as a senior at Franklin Road Academy — scored 8.9 points per game over his three years at Lipscomb with 381 career assists compared to just 238 turnovers.

When asked what could be expected of him this season, Cooper pretty much said he’d carry over the same traits he presented while at Lipscomb.

“Just being a leader, passing and being a good on-ball defender,” Cooper said. “Being the head of the snake — applying the pressure every night, bringing it every night, being vocal. Just being the top dog out there, the quarterback, and having everyone in a position to be successful.”

With Cooper now in the mix, Stansbury’s roster includes a handful of talented guards — led by the redshirt senior Cooper, senior Taveion Hollingsworth (16.6 points per game in 2019-20), senior Josh Anderson (10.1), sophomore Jordan Rawls (7.9) and newcomers Luke Frampton, Dayvion McKnight and Kylen Milton.