Robbinsdale Cooper High School boys' basketball coach Steve Burton is convinced Cooper is still the best place for Rashad Vaughn.
Burton had heard rumblings of the possibility of losing his star shooting guard to an out-of-state prep school. Those rumors went public Monday morning when it popped up all over Twitter that Vaughn would not return to Cooper for his senior season.
The coach assumed it was probably true, but wouldn't confirm it to others until he spoke with the Vaughn family.
Burton said Tuesday that he is understanding of the family's decision and will support it. He would still like an opportunity to speak with Vaughn about the move and wish him well.
"I still think Cooper would be the best place for him and I'm not going to waver from that," Burton said. "It's bigger than just basketball. It's about relationships and the students, and that's going to be a loss."
Vaughn, who is the No. 11-rated player in the country by ESPN, is considering Huntington Prep (W.Va.), Findlay Prep (Las Vegas), La Lumiere (Indiana) and Prime Prep (Texas), according to his mentor, Pete Kaffey.
Burton had begun protecting Vaughn since the rising star began attracting attention from outsiders interested in his talent. He limited the contact others had with Vaughn throughout the high school season.
During the offseason, though, Vaughn was more accessible to other basketball influences and a year ago the idea of transferring to prep school was brought up. Burton was able to keep Vaughn around for his junior season. But the lure of improving against better competition and a national-high school schedule eventually pulled him away.
