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SG Daequan Cook (Ironi Hai Motors Nes-Ziona - Israel)

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11/11/05

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'Unprecedented' agreement

Ohio State's offer of a potential release to recruits surprises some officials, worries others

The college basketball world was buzzing Thursday about the agreement Ohio State has with its new recruits.

Buckeyes coach Thad Matta sent a letter to the recruits, including Lawrence North seniors Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr., stating the Buckeyes would release each player from his letter of intent in the unlikely event upcoming sanctions keep the school out of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

The sanctions would stem from recruiting violations that occurred before Matta got to the school, and for which Ohio State already served a self-imposed ban for the 2005 NCAA Tournament. An NCAA infractions committee will meet Dec. 9-10 to determine if there should be more penalties.

"In the 30-odd years I've been doing this, that is totally unprecedented," Bob Gibbons, one of the nation's most respected recruiting analysts, said of the agreement. "It's certainly a move of integrity on (Ohio State's) part and should be reassuring to Mike Conley and Greg Oden and the other kids. But I've never heard of it."

Said Dave Telep of national scouting service scout.com: "That's not standard policy, but in a case like this, it's a heck of a thing for (Matta) to do. That tells you what a stand-up guy he is."

The normal routine before signing day is for colleges to send a blank letter of intent form to recruits. Along with that, Matta sent the letter offering the possible release, Ohio State spokesman Dan Wallenberg said.

Wallenberg said the letter was signed by Matta, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith and school president Karen Holbrook.

"We made a letter and sent it to all four guys," Wallenberg said. "It said if there is any postseason ban for '06-07, we would let them out of their commitment."

Oden, Conley, Daequan Cook of Dayton (Ohio) Dunbar and David Lighty of Cleveland were the four high school players who signed with Ohio State on Wednesday, giving the Buckeyes one of the highest-profile recruiting classes in the nation.

The national letter of intent (NLI) program is run by the Collegiate Commissioners Association, separate from the NCAA.

For a player to be released from a letter of intent, a standard release form must be signed by the recruit and the school. That policy began in October 2004. Before that, a player had to appeal directly to the NLI program for a release.

With a release, a player can sign with another school and wouldn't have to sit out a year and lose a year of eligibility.

However, one of the stipulations in the letter of intent, provision 18, says, "My signature on this NLI nullifies any agreements, oral or otherwise, which would release me from the conditions stated within this NLI."

So, according to the NLI program, Ohio State could back out of its side agreement with the recruits on the basis of provision 18. But given that the agreement was signed by the coach, athletic director and school president, that could lead to a legal battle, and certainly would be a public relations nightmare and have catastrophic consequences on Matta's future recruiting.

Torie Johnson, director of the national letter of intent program, said the agreement is not against NLI rules. But in general she was wary of coaches using such tactics.

"Is the program OK with this? I would say probably not," Johnson said. "We understand and think it's necessary that schools need to be straightforward with prospects if there is a question of potential NCAA probation. . . . By putting something in writing, the institution could be obliging the families of those students, but at the same time, prospects need to be wary of provision 18."

The NCAA is not involved in letter-of-intent issues prior to a player enrolling in college. Bob Williams, NCAA managing director of public and media affairs, said Ohio State broke no NCAA rules "as far as I can tell."

"If a school is in a position in which it is awaiting word on any potential sanctions, that's a unique situation," Williams said. "We would handle that on a case-by-case basis."

Mike Conley Sr., who has coached his son and Oden in summer basketball since the two were in junior high, said Matta sent the letter without prompting.

"It's not about the letter," Conley Sr. said. "The letter is fine because it gives you a sense of comfort, but the reason the boys are going there is because of Matta and the administration that's there now. If I need a letter to assure me a person is going to keep their word, the boys wouldn't be going to school there.

"In the end, it's about Matta as a person and what he's started there. The boys are not going to Ohio State because they're lifelong Buckeye fans. They're going to Ohio State because they like what he has to offer and they believe and trust in him."


Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.
 
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12/2/05

5 PLAYERS TO WATCH

Who: Daequan Cook, Dunbar

Personal: 6-5 sr., G/F

Stats: 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds

Scouting line: Led Dunbar to the D-II state semifinals. When healthy, his range extends beyond the arc. The OSU recruit can elevate, shoot and run the floor with anyone.
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We had a great season last year but people expect a superb season this year, which is a state title."
— Senior guard/forward Daequan Cook
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Cook had 18 points in an opening season win last night...

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Cook letting go of a jumper last night...Cook going up for a dunk.....

check out the high school forum for more...
 
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indystar

12/7/05

Dayton Dunbar guard brings national reputation
Many say Cook, a teammate of Oden's on AAU team, could have gone to NBA

By Jeff Rabjohns
[email protected]

Basketball fans have been hearing about him for years. He was ranked as the best in the nation at his position as a sophomore. Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer thinks he could have gone pro right out of high school.

Greg Oden?

No, Daequan Cook.

The prolific shooting guard leads Dayton (Ohio) Dunbar into Thursday night's nationally televised showdown against Lawrence North at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

"He's a man among boys," Keefer said. "He was getting enough looks before the NBA decided high school kids couldn't go pro, it was in his thoughts that he might. He has that kind of body."

At 6-5 and 200 pounds, Cook is a load as a shooting guard. He averaged 22.6 points and 11 rebounds last season as Dunbar reached the state semifinals in Division II, the second largest of Ohio's four classes.

"He's so versatile," Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said. "He can hurt you inside. He can hurt you outside. The games where he's not shooting it well, it may take a couple trips down the floor, but we'll get him inside.

"He's so aggressive and so quick and has such good body control that he draws a lot of fouls. When his jump shot is on and he's feeling it, if he hits a couple, you might as well forget it. He'll take over."

Cook is no stranger to Lawrence North's stars. He has played on the same summer team with the 7-foot Oden and point guard Mike Conley for years.

Early in his high school career, Cook was ranked as the No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2006. He's still among the top three, although his stock dipped slightly, in part because he didn't have to do as much on a summer team that included Oden, Conley, North Central shooting guard Eric Gordon and other stars.

"That was more relaxed," Cook said. "I didn't have to work as hard in AAU as in high school. In high school ball, I'm not saying my teammates aren't good, but I have to work a little harder, do a little more scoring and more rebounding."

In addition to being teammates in the past, Oden, Conley and Cook will be teammates in the future. All three have signed with Ohio State.

Most of Cook's reputation is as a dead-eye shooter, but he said his game is more diverse.

"If they put a smaller guy on me, I'm going inside," Cook said. "If they put a bigger guy on me, I'm going outside."

Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.

Copyright 2005 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved
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12/10/05

Cook OK after Oden elbow

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News
So maybe it wasn't like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed chatting at the start of Rocky II. But Daequan Cook and Greg Oden saw each other in an Indianapolis hospital after their televised battle Thursday night.

Oden's Lawrence North basketball team defeated Cook's Dunbar team 69-54 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. But the fans at Hinkle and those watching on ESPN2 saw more of the game than Cook.

Dunbar's 6-foot-5 swingman was hospitalized after an inadvertent elbow from Oden with 2:32 left before halftime.

Cook said Friday afternoon that X-rays were negative for any crack near his orbital bone. He said the medical staff said he may have had a mild concussion.

Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said Cook might play tonight at Cincinnati Aiken — if that game is not postponed due to weather.

"They didn't say anything that we should hold him out," said Pullen, adding that Cook returned to the team hotel between 1 and 2 a.m. Friday. "We'll play it by ear and see how it goes."

Cook was woozy while leaving the court, later icing the area under his right eye while on the bench. At halftime, Cook left for St. Vincent Hospital so he didn't see most of Oden's amazing 23-point, 17-rebound, 9-block performance.

But he did see his 7-foot future Ohio State teammate later. "Greg was at the hospital getting stitches (on his cheek)," Cook said. "We talked. We're still friends.

"I heard (Dunbar) had a chance of coming back and winning. If they would have had me, we would have had a better chance."

Contact Mark Gokavi at (937) 225-6951.
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12/27/05

Dunbar standout Cook tries to step out of shadow

By Travis Sawchik

The Sun News

There are times when Dayton Dunbar (Ohio) shooting guard Daequan Cook is not the king of the court.

That may surprise some since the 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior nearly beat Ridgeway (Tenn.) single-handedly Monday in the first round of the 25th Beach Ball Classic.

In a 51-46 loss to Ridgeway at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Cook showcased his deluxe offensive game, scoring a game-high 27 points on 12-of-22 shooting. Cook fluidly stroked three three-pointers, displayed an impressive mid-range game and soared to the basket to finish an alley-oop dunk in the second half to punctuate his offensive diversity.

But every summer since seventh grade, Cook's skills have been overshadowed by mammoth AAU teammate and undisputed No. 1 senior prospect Greg Oden, who many said would have been the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft before the league instituted its minimum age rule this summer.

"He made my game better just by playing with him," Cook said. "[Around Oden], it is not all about Daequan."

Cook and Oden, along with fellow long-time AAU teammate Mike Conley, will continue to play together next season at Ohio State where all three have signed to attend college.

"If we all have the chance to go to the same college, why not continue to play together?" said Cook, who talked his two close friends into coming from Indianapolis to his home state.

Rivals.com ranks Oden (first), Cook (20th), David Lighty (21st) and Conley (26th) all among its top 30 prospects, giving Ohio State the highest regarded 2006 recruiting class in the country.

But of the group, it is the 7-foot-1 Oden, who can force modesty in even potential basketball-made millionaires like Cook, who had toyed with the idea of entering the NBA draft.

"He doesn't really have an ego," Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said of Cook. "He'll tease [his Dunbar teammates] when they are shooting around because they can't match him.

"What [playing with Oden] did was he learned he doesn't like to do it all by himself ... like tonight he basically tried to do everything and he didn't get much help."

Maybe Cook's mild manners shouldn't be surprising as his favorite pro is the talented, but flashless Tim Duncan.

Cook showed Duncan-like selflessness as he attempted to get his teammates involved with multiple no-look passes Monday, two of which were converted for assists.

Other passes were simply not converted as the rest of the team shot just 7-of-23 (30.4 percent) from the field.

Said Ridgeway coach Wesley Henning: "We were just trying to make [Cook] get rid of the ball and make some other kids beat us."

Cook may be overlooked during summer play, but he is still king on Dayton Dunbar's team and the player opponents game-plan around.

Cook consistently takes between 20 and 25 shots per game and he carried Dayton to the Ohio Division II state semifinals last season, averaging 22.6 points and 11 rebounds per game.

"He's pretty unselfish," Dayton Dunbar's Aaron Pogue said. "Sometimes he takes tough shots, but that is his job. He's the main guy."

While he is likely his college team's No. 2 option next season, he is still Dayton's main man, and may very well be an NBA team's in the 2007 draft.
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12/29/05

TRAVIS SAWCHIK ON HIGH SCHOOLS

Superb performances showcased at Beach Ball Classic

In case you're just getting back from a holiday trip, some of the top boys high school basketball players have been in town this week playing in the 25th Beach Ball Classic at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Some individual highlights so far:

On Tuesday night, Mater Dei's Taylor King scored a game-high 35 points in front of high-profile college coaches like Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams. His 35-point performance was just short of making the top-10 list for the tournament's all-time individual game scorers.

King, a junior, is a 6-foot-7 sharpshooter who doubles as an excellent rebounder. He definitely opened some eyes this week at the tournament as he led his squad to Wednesday's quarterfinals.

On Monday, Dayton Dunbar's Daequan Cook displayed an awesome skill set, swishing deep three-pointers, banking in shots off glass and finishing alley-oop dunks en route to a game-high 27 points on 12-of-22 shooting.

Although Dayton lost in its first round game, Cook clearly is one of the top five players in the tournament. He will pair with Rivals.com's No. 1 prospect Greg Oden next season at Ohio State.

Mitchell (Tenn.) forward Thaddeus Young showed why he is Rivals' No. 3 prospect in Tuesday's win against Myrtle Beach. Playing just 19 minutes, Young scored 26 points in the flow of the offense taking just 13 shots. Young will head to Georgia Tech next season to play for the Yellow Jackets.
In the same game, Young's teammate Brandon Powell took 20 three-point shots and hit on eight of them for all 24 of his points.

Beach Ball action continues with today's semifinals and will conclude with the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center
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