The 2016-17 Cooper Jaguars boys basketball team went 31-5, reached the KHSAA state championship game at Rupp Arena and launched multiple Division I college careers. Now the squad has earned a spot in LINK nky's "50 Greatest NKY Prep Sports Teams" series, published Aug. 4.

The feature, assembled by sports editor Evan Dennison and a panel of longtime Northern Kentucky sports fans, highlighted what defined that Cooper team: suffocating defense under head coach Tim Sullivan.

Opponents averaged just 49.0 points per game against the Jaguars that season. Cooper allowed more than 60 points only six times all year and just twice in its final 27 games. In nine postseason contests, that number dropped to 40.2 points allowed per game, with only four opponents cracking 40.

The defensive stranglehold was on full display at the Sweet 16 in Lexington. Cooper held Meade County to 39 points and forced 19 turnovers, limited Collins to 33 points on 22% shooting and gave up just 44 to Fern Creek. Bowling Green, led by future NBA player Terry Taylor, was the only postseason opponent to score more than 44 against the Jaguars, winning the championship game 67-56, according to KHSAA records.

Taylor averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds in the Sweet 16 and was named tournament MVP. He went on to play for the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings.

The Jaguars' roster produced its own next-level talent. Sean McNeil played at West Virginia University and Ohio State University and, according to LINK nky, is still playing professionally. Adam Kunkel suited up at Belmont University and Xavier University and is also still playing pro ball, according to the feature. Kunkel scored 22 points against Hilliard Bradley in the 2017 Ohio Valley Hoops Classic, one of the top individual performances in that event's history. Dante Hendrix, a two-sport standout, played football at Indiana State. Braydon Runion went the junior college route in baseball before finishing at Texas Tech.

Chris McNeil, Sean's brother, ran the point. Other key contributors included Blaine Walters, Tyler Ollier, Daniel Wasser and Noah Shidler.

Sullivan, the only head coach in Cooper boys basketball history, was hired in 2008 when the Union school opened. He compiled a 305-211 record over 18 varsity seasons, won nine 33rd District championships and captured 9th Region titles in 2017 and 2025, according to WCPO. He was named 9th Region Coach of the Year three times. Sullivan's contract was not renewed after the 2024-25 season, and he was hired as head coach at St. Henry District High School in May 2025.

"It is pretty special to see not only our guys come together but our school and our community," Sullivan told WCPO in March 2025, during his final season at Cooper. "You just want to go out and represent your school and represent your family."

The 2016-17 team also helped interrupt Covington Catholic's grip on the 9th Region, where the Colonels won five region titles between 2014 and 2020. According to LINK nky, Cooper's breakthrough proved the Jaguars belonged among Northern Kentucky's elite programs.