HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Cook puts on a show, scores 41 in showcase
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Daequan Cook admitted he had more on his mind than a win for his team.
"I wanted to play my game," he said, "but I came out and played a little harder today to give people a taste of what it’s going to be like next year at Ohio State."
If this was a taste, look out for the mouthful.
Cook, one of the four highly touted members of the Buckeyes’ 2006 recruiting class, was stellar on his future home court yesterday, scoring a career-high 41 points to lead Dayton Dunbar to a 101-53 rout of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph in the Martin Luther King Day Challenge in Value City Arena.
The game was arranged to showcase the 6-foot-4 Cook against future teammate David Lighty of VA-SJ, another of the 2006 signees. But Lighty, also 6-4, was overshadowed while playing with a heavy brace on his right knee. He had surgery to repair a torn ligament last March.
"The brace slowed him down a little bit," Cook said. "He can play better than that."
Lighty finished with 10 points, but Villa Angela-St. Joseph was overwhelmed quickly by Dunbar’s speed and energy and by Cook.
Cook, with an arsenal of crossover dribbles, slashing layups, tomahawk dunks and three-point rainbows, had 23 points by halftime, when Dunbar led 48-21.
"After that performance, you’ve got to love him and be happy he’s going to be your teammate next year," Lighty said.
The holiday matinee — which also featured 2008 OSU commitment B.J.
Mullens rallying Harvest Prep to a 69-61 victory over Licking Heights — drew a sparse crowd. But among the attendees were OSU coach Thad Matta, his assistant coaches and most of the team’s players.
"It shows you what type of family (mind-set) coach Matta has them in," Lighty said. "We don’t even go to Ohio State yet and still they’re here because they know we’re coming in next year. They were supporting us just like we supported them."
Cook, Lighty and nine other highly ranked prospects in the next three recruiting classes sat behind the Buckeyes’ bench Sunday during their doubleovertime loss to Michigan State. Four of the 11 recruits are signed; three others have committed.
"Nine or 10 recruits were here who probably will be starting in the next two years on any college team in America," Lighty said. "Hopefully, if they all come (to Ohio State), we can do something good with it."
Mullens, a 7-foot-1, 255-pound sophomore, scored 18 of his 21 points in last 11 minutes to rally Harvest Prep from an eight-point deficit.
"I hope all those (other recruits) stick around for my freshman year," he said.
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