Regis basketball star Cooper commits to Tennessee-Chattanooga

Two-time all-state point guard EllaMay Cooper first attracted the attention of women's college basketball coaches as a seventh grader. And now two years after receiving her first college offer, the Eau Claire Regis senior standout has made her decision. Cooper has announced her commitment to play collegiately for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at the NCAA Division I level. Cooper shared her significant news on social media late Wednesday afternoon with a post on Instagram. "I would first and always like to thank my Father in Heaven," Cooper wrote in her post. "I have been blessed by my Lord and Savior to carry out so many things on this journey, the rewarding moments and challenging ones, all of which have shaped me into the person and player I am today." Cooper has played at an elite level the past two seasons for Regis High School. She led the Ramblers to a 23-4 record and a No. 1 state ranking this past season. Cooper was one of the state's leaders in scoring and assists the past two seasons. She averaged 24.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game as a junior. Cooper also led Regis to a regular season win over Neillsville, the team that went on to capture a state title. Neillsville bounced back to down the Ramblers in a postseason battle between teams ranked first and second in the state. Cooper said she visited Tennessee-Chattanooga last week, on Monday and Tuesday. The Mocs were 20-11 last season. "They had actually offered me last year," she said. "Once I went there on my visit, I had the feeling that this was the place I wanted to go to. It is a great fit for me. "Tennessee-Chattanooga has a very good program and it's a great school. I love the coaching staff. It is going to be a great opportunity for me." Cooper said she chose UTC over Eastern Illinois, Cleveland State and Charleston Southern. "It's been a long process, but it has definitely been worth it," she said. "I can't really describe it. I am relieved, but I am also very excited. I am so grateful to God and my family. I am really looking forward to my college career." Before she heads to college, Cooper has some unfinished business left at the high school level. "The goal has always been to win a state title and we came up short of that the last couple of years," she said. "I am excited about being able to really focus on my senior season of high school. "I think we are going to put a very good team on the floor. We are really motivated after what happened last year. It definitely fuels the fire." Cooper continued to sharpen her skills by playing basketball during the spring and summer. "I gained some great experience," she said. "I am always, 100 percent, trying to get better and improve. I am still learning the game." Cooper said she plans to study English in college with an emphasis on creative writing. She is an excellent student with a 3.8 grade point average in high school. In her Instagram post Wednesday, Cooper also thanked her family along with her trainers, teammates and coaches. And she thanked the coaches at Tennessee-Chattanooga for "giving me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing college basketball. I can't wait to be a Moc!"