I'd love having Cook on next year's roster. We need some depth.
You add a 6'7" future lottery pick to what we already have and that's a top 3 team in actuality, and not just on paper.
Mookie Cook Decommits
- Thread starter FitchandMurray29
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You add a 6'7" future lottery pick to what we already have and that's a top 3 team in actuality, and not just on paper.
LETS FREAKING GO.
Now we’re crossing into The Return of Jedi territory. Is this Big Blue Renaissance?
When I’ve seen him I’ve thought he has a nice shot but not someone I’d label a good shooter. Much more of a versatile, athletic, slashing 4 man than he is a perimeter player. If looking at our current roster he would be much more in the Livingston/Toppin style than say a Reeves even though these sites list Cook as a SF consistently.
Very capable. Not the best part of his game, but certainly a very capable shooter.
Think DeAndre Liggins his final year here (2011) from a shooting standpoint. Can and will knock it down, but not the first shot he'll hunt.
We have three scholarships left. Just add Cook, Kingsley, and Dillingham and be full up. Let them sort out the minutes on the court in practice every day.
Can you imagine that roster:
G Wheeler/Dillingham/Thiero
G Wallace/Fredrick/Reeves
F Livingston/Cook
F Toppin/Collins
F Tshiebwe/Kingsley/Ware
Now before I hear, “no way Reeves is third string” or “Cook starts over Livingston” remember, I said they will sort all that stuff out in practice, this is just my guess on the roster lay out.
Now that’s the depth we have been waiting for.
Can you imagine that roster:
G Wheeler/Dillingham/Thiero
G Wallace/Fredrick/Reeves
F Livingston/Cook
F Toppin/Collins
F Tshiebwe/Kingsley/Ware
Now before I hear, “no way Reeves is third string” or “Cook starts over Livingston” remember, I said they will sort all that stuff out in practice, this is just my guess on the roster lay out.
Now that’s the depth we have been waiting for.
I mean, just by reading the tea leaves, you have to think it's almost a certainty that we get at least one out of Mookie, Kingsley, and Dillingham to reclass and be on the roster this season, right?
@ralphdaltonfan
@ralphdaltonfan
Been saying we need at least one more. Let’s get two and be happy.
Dillingham has been saying for some time that he was not reclass. I don't think he will. Guess we will just have to wait and see.
You add Cook and suddenly you have two guys in that 6'6"(ish) to 6'7" range who can both score from the wing. It's a nice weapon to be able to pull out of your arsenal and many of UK's best teams historically had multiple high-level wings who could play the 2/3.
1993: Mashburn, Rhodes
1996: Mercer, Anderson
1997: Anderson, Mercer
1998: Edwards, Evans
2011: Liggins, Miller,
2012: Miller, MKG
2014: Harrison, Young
There's a reason Coach K tries to stockpile these types of players.
Get Cook and suddenly we have the depth we've needed. He plays the 2-4 spots, so he gives you depth all across the roster. He allows Wallace to play more point guard if needed, and doesn't make Reeves a necessity as a scorer, which would be huge.
1993: Mashburn, Rhodes
1996: Mercer, Anderson
1997: Anderson, Mercer
1998: Edwards, Evans
2011: Liggins, Miller,
2012: Miller, MKG
2014: Harrison, Young
There's a reason Coach K tries to stockpile these types of players.
Get Cook and suddenly we have the depth we've needed. He plays the 2-4 spots, so he gives you depth all across the roster. He allows Wallace to play more point guard if needed, and doesn't make Reeves a necessity as a scorer, which would be huge.
Not to disagree with you because I do agree, but Reeves is 6'6 and fits that mold as a "wing scorer", though he clearly cannot play 2-4, only the 2 or 3 spots.
And I'm good with Reeves being a scorer, I like a guy off the bench who's wired to do one thing...score. But I agree with your sentiment, Mookie would be massive for this team's depth and versatility.
Again, I think we're a title contender without him (top 10 contender IMO), but Mookie would make us the prohibitive favorite.
People on Twitter are saying that might be the reason he de-commited from Oregon in the first place, he didn’t want to reclassify
Just these articles.
Oregon lands 5-star forward Mookie Cook
Cook joins a 2022 Ducks class that is ranked No. 14 nationally, per 247Sports, with signed letters of intent from five-star center Kel'el Ware, five-star point guard Dior Johnson and three-star shooting guard Tyrone Williams.
theathletic.com
Report: 5-star SF Mookie Cook to reclassify to 2022 class, join Ducks this season
A new report from The Athletic says that 5-star Mookie Cook will reclassify and join the Ducks in 2022. That report has been refuted.
duckswire.usatoday.com
It was pretty well-known and announced that he was joining Oregon in 2022.
He can always change course and choose to NOT enroll somewhere this fall, but then it just delays his NBA dream by an extra year.
He either found a better option where he is going to be the guy or he ain’t ready to reclass just yetJust these articles.
Oregon lands 5-star forward Mookie Cook
Cook joins a 2022 Ducks class that is ranked No. 14 nationally, per 247Sports, with signed letters of intent from five-star center Kel'el Ware, five-star point guard Dior Johnson and three-star shooting guard Tyrone Williams.
Report: 5-star SF Mookie Cook to reclassify to 2022 class, join Ducks this season
A new report from The Athletic says that 5-star Mookie Cook will reclassify and join the Ducks in 2022. That report has been refuted.
It was pretty well-known and announced that he was joining Oregon in 2022.
He can always change course and choose to NOT enroll somewhere this fall, but then it just delays his NBA dream by an extra year.
I have wondered why folks still have him as a reclass when he said that was one of the reasons he decommitted from NC State . Could be all talk though who knows but I only have been counting him for the 2023 class .
I don't know or hadn't heard anything about this from friend, so doubt he knew it was coming. Doesn't mean Kentucky didn't or they won't be involved. Never hurts when a top prospect is back on market and you have a lot of scholarships you are going to give out and have a great class building.
More options the better off you are, specifically as the shifts often change once evaluation period is over. Staffs meet up, some guys move up/down boards, etc.....but Cook is a top talent so I'd be stunned if Kentucky didn't reach out.
Sure recipe for chemistry problems. There is such a thing as giving people room to grow. I’m excited to see Toppin, among others, with that room. Cook and Dillingham aren’t going to be happy with lesser roles.
Awesome keep us updated if your friend hears anything.
That's old school, Cal. We haven't seen him in a while. I don't know if the old man still has it in him to get 4 top 15 players in a class. He hasn't done that since 2017.
So, is there any legit buzz for this guy and UK or is this just a "ooo look, some good player decommitted...let's dream about him coming to UK and adding him to this year's squad!!!" type thread? lol
Per a report Lucas recruited him while at UK and Dook has now reached out to him.
Don’t know the eventual fit there. Mitchell probably there multiple years as a 5 star and next year they already have Mack and Stewart.
Also we got his first official visit by a long time before he visited Zags and Oregon.
I guess I'm one of the few who really wouldn't get too excited about Cook reclassifying and playing for UK this season. First, I don't think he's close to making any college team a prohibitive favorite. Second, I think he's a third-string SF at UK next season, behind both Reeves and Livingston in making a positive impact from the SF spot. I don't mean to be a Debbie-downer, and I'm all for adding depth; but I don't see Cook playing for UK next season being in any way transformative. Just my opinion.
I'd love to see Cook, Reeves, Livingston, and Toppin out there as our forwards. We've never had a forwards corps like that in the Calipari era.
Let's get this kid and end a pretty bleak spring/summer on an optimistic note. The program needs to go into the season loaded for bear. Right now, we're not there yet. Adding Cook puts us in the driver's seat as he would give us the pivotal third NBA-level player that most college teams seem to need to cut the nets down.
Let's get this kid and end a pretty bleak spring/summer on an optimistic note. The program needs to go into the season loaded for bear. Right now, we're not there yet. Adding Cook puts us in the driver's seat as he would give us the pivotal third NBA-level player that most college teams seem to need to cut the nets down.
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And that’s fine. If he wants to come, let him come and battle with Livingston and Reeves and let the better player or players get the minutes. It’s that simple for me.
Chemistry issues can happen on a team with just 9 scholarship guys on the roster. See the 2020 team. 9 guys and Whitney still leaves over minutes. At least with 13 scholarship guys, if one or even two leave midseason, you still have enough for 5 on 5 work. Let them come and compete and quit worrying about “taking someone’s heart.”
I agree. Add Cook and you don't have to worry about whether Thiero will be ready as the third guard, or even worry about whether Fredrick can last a full season. You also get a kid who's close to 6'8" and long. Suddenly, you go from a team that couldn't defend the perimeter to save it's life the last two seasons, to having some guys like Cook, Wallace, and Livingston who could make opposing perimeter schemes obsolete for certain stretches of close games.
All that said, I don't think we'll land Cook. One thing I've learned about Calipari over the last few years, if it sounds too good to be true when it comes to possible recruiting coups, it probably is.
Chin has taken over the recruitment, considering Jai couldn’t close the deal the first time around I like the idea of Chin stepping in.
Meh, Mookie is a baseball name........
Only kidding. Sign him up, Cal!
Only kidding. Sign him up, Cal!
Duke is going to reach out to people. Good for them. Jai Lucas has little to do with '23 recruiting right now which is why he was over talking with Bruiser Flint while everyone else was working at NBA Top 100 Camp.
KSR just said that the G league and Arizona are the leaders right now.
Pilgrim also said Edwards is the priority and we don’t lose the ground we’ve gained in the his recruitment with Cook
