News Photo by Jonny Zawacki Alpena High senior Cooper Bright recently signed his letter of intent to play basketball at Albion College. Bright is averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists this season with the Wildcats.

ALPENA — Cooper Bright dreamed about playing basketball at the collegiate level.

After all of the hard work and time spent perfecting his game, Bright made his dream become a reality by committing to continue his academic and athletic career, signing with Albion College to play basketball for the Britons.

“The Albion coaches reached out to me in the summer and I took a few visits, watched some games, really liked the college, the community, assortment of majors, and the overall vibe,” Bright said.

Bright had shown flashes of his potential the past few years during his time as a member of the Wildcats’ varsity basketball team.

This year, Bright has taken his game to another level and is one of the top scorers in the area, averaging 24 points per game, 11 rebounds, and eight assists per contest.

Bright has the ability to score inside and out. The 6-foot-4 senior can drive and finish at the basket, shoot efficiently from three, but what might be the most impressive part of his offensive game is his turnaround midrange jump shot, which has become a lost art now in basketball.

Bright is able to score often and he is efficient doing so along with displaying the willingness to pass which is an underrated part of his game.

This season, he set the program’s all-time assist record, breaking the previous mark of 136.

The work he has put in has clearly paid off as Bright is enjoying a stellar season which is sure to be full of end-of-the-year accolades as the Wildcats’ leading scorer has been consistent night in and night out.

“Cooper, from the earliest of ages, I (saw) him in the gym dribbling a basketball, shooting a basketball, putting in the time and effort and that’s part of his reward, all the hard work and time he’s put in,” Alpena coach John Pintar said. “He’s a great student and great character kid. Cooper is more than deserving of this opportunity he’s earned to play at the college level. I’m very proud of him and I think he’ll go on do great things both academically and athletically at the next level.”

After receiving interest from other Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) schools, it was Albion that made the most sense to Bright and was the place he wanted to continue his education and play sports.

Along with committing to play basketball for the Britons, Bright, who is a track and field standout, may also have the option to run track for Albion if he chooses to do so.

“I’ve been working my whole high school career. I was raw as a sophomore when I got up to varsity and have just been putting in the work to get better,” Bright said. “My teammates and coaches have pushed me to be the best I can be. I’m leaning toward a secondary education major and graduating from a four-year university, while becoming the best basketball player I can be. I want to thank my coaches, coach Pintar, my dad especially, my teammates and my family for all the support.”

Bright will join an Albion team that finished the 2021-2022 season with a 14-13 overall record and finished 9-5 in MIAA conference play.

The Britons will graduate its top two scorers so they will be looking for players to contribute, allowing Bright the opportunity to earn significant playing time and a chance to put together a special career at Albion.