For Norm Cook, success was fleeting
Lawrence Journal-World, 03/21/01
by: Chuck Woodling
Even the most fervent Kansas University men's basketball fan might have trouble answering this question:
Who are the three former Jayhawks who have been selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics?
Paul Pierce is easy. The former KU All-American was the Celtics' first-rounder two years ago. Jo Jo White isn't difficult, either. Also an All-American, White was Boston's first pick in 1969.
The third former Jayhawk taken by the Celtics was not an All-American although, like Pierce, he made himself available for the NBA draft following his junior year and, like St. Louis native White, he grew up in the Mississippi River Valley area.
Unfortunately, Boston's decision to select Norm Cook with its first pick in the 1976 NBA draft was probably the zenith of Cook's career.
Perhaps you've heard Cook's story. In a nutshell, he lasted one year with the Celtics, played minor league basketball, then returned to his hometown of Lincoln, Ill., where he fathered two girls and a boy (Brian, now a 6-foot-10 sophomore standout for Illinois University).
After several run-ins with the law, Norm Cook was diagnosed as paranoid and schizoid in 1996. He has been incarcerated ever since. Joyce Cook divorced him in 1986.
Back in the late '60s and during most of the '70s, KU head coach Ted Owens and top aide Sam Miranda spent more time recruiting Illinois than any other state. In those days, they successfully landed such standouts as Dave Robisch, Tom Kivisto, Rodger Bohnenstiehl, Rick Suttle, Roger Brown, Dale Greenlee and Roger Morningstar, among others.
And, of course, Norm Cook.
A high school All-American, Cook had averaged 23.8 points a game while leading Lincoln's Community High to a 30-1 record during his senior year. Cook did not go wanting for college coaches beating a path to his doorstep.
One way Owens was able to lure Cook to Mount Oread was to offer his high school coach, Duncan Reid, a job on his staff.
"It hurt Norm that when he left here he didn't have Duncan Reid with him," said Morningstar, a Cook teammate for two seasons in the mid-70s. "Duncan had him on a structured program. He'd get in Norm's face. Some kids don't respond to that. Some do. Norm did."
I'll never forget Norm Cook's first game in a Kansas uniform. Few first-year KU players have made such a splash. It wasn't so much that Cook scored 21 points in an easy win over Murray State, it was that he made all 10 of his shots.
Norm Cook showed the Allen Fieldhouse fans something else on that fall night in 1973. He exhibited one of the most unusual jump shots they'd ever seen. Every time Cook jumped to shoot, he fluttered his feet.
"I don't know why he did it," Morningstar said. "It was a funny little ballet kick, kind of a duck flutter. We used to make fun of it as teammates will do."
Cook was named the Big Eight Conference freshman of the year in 1973-74. He was the starting forward on a KU team that reached the NCAA Final Four. Two years later, he was the Jayhawks' leading scorer at 14.8 points a game. A year after that, he was in the NBA. Then the decline started.
"He was a good jump shooter, but not a great jump shooter," Morningstar said. "We couldn't dunk back then so he couldn't do thunderous dunks, but he had big hands and he could run and he could defend."
To tell the truth, I've watched Brian Cook play and, if I didn't know he was Norm's son, I wouldn't have guessed they were father and son. Young Cook can shoot like his dad, but he's taller and bulkier. Strength wasn't Norm Cook's strong suit and his son appears to be more of a finesse player, too.
During the 100th anniversary of Kansas University basketball a couple of years ago, Morningstar played host to a reunion of the '74 NCAA Final Four team. Norm Cook was one of the few who didn't make it.
"It's a terrible tragedy," Morningstar said.
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Brian Cook and LDN: One-on-one
Lincoln Daily News, 03/22/01
by: Jeff Mayfield
One year ago, Brian Cook was disappointed, dejected and despondent. His Fighting Illini had looked lethargic, lifeless and totally lost as the Florida Gators kicked the stuffing out of Illinois on their way to an NCAA title date. Even though the media seldom reports on the strong character and integrity that Cook possesses, we all knew that Brian would blame himself. And that’s exactly what he did. Never mind that the rest of the team failed to show up as well on that fateful day. Cook vowed that if his chance rolled around again that he would be ready…and ready he was, firing in 31 points and crashing down with 16 rebounds. The LDN spoke with Brian at the press conference last Friday in Dayton and then in a joyous Illini locker room after the game.
Q. Brian, once again you came out on fire, scoring eight straight points.
A. Yes. I just tried to come out with a lot of energy and a lot more focus than I came out with last year. I think that experience from last year helped me prepare for this year.
Q. Were you relaxed playing a team like Northwestern State in the first round?
A. No. They really pressured us in the first half, and after a few minutes they were picking their spots. We made some nice adjustments at halftime, and then their pressure was no factor after that.
Q. Did you guys need a game like this to get your confidence back and to get rolling into the NCAAs?
A. No. We’re just going to take it one game at a time. We played well today. We all worked the ball around and played unselfishly. Whoever we play tomorrow, we know that we’ll have to bring our A game (I forgot to ask Brian if he’s been talking to Tiger Woods with that A-game crack).
Q.You guys seem to be playing unselfishly, making lots of extra passes out there.
A. At the end we were just having fun, especially when the entire bench got in.
Q. Did all of the upsets on Thursday affect your thinking going into your game?
A. Yes. It affected us a little bit. You know…we didn’t want to get popped. But we came in here focused, with the mentality that we want to keep playing.
Q. After winning so handily, are you still able to see areas that can be improved on?
A. We’ve got to guard the ball more. When people try to pressure us, especially full court, we can’t let it bother us like it did for a few minutes.
Q. How did last year’s tournament help you this year, and do you feel redeemed?
A. Actually we all played well. I went out there and tried to get some easy baskets underneath and basically do my job. It feels real good that I could contribute and play as well as I did. I think I’m a lot stronger and much more mentally focused than I was last year. And like I said earlier, the experience from last year really helped me this year.
Q. For our loyal readers that don’t know, tell us about the shaved-head thing.
A. My hair was just long and I wanted to cut it. I wore it like this in high school during tournament time. I mean, I just wanted to bring it back.
Q. What a balanced attack! That should make us a scouting nightmare, huh?
A. We’re really moving the ball well and finding each other.
Q. It seems like the Big Ten really struggled the first day. Were you weary of that?
A. We want the Big Ten to do well, but our main focus is us. We are selfish in that regard. We’re just going to go out and try to do our best.
Q. Any secret good-luck charms besides shaving your head…like your mom’s chicken?
A. No. I ate the hotel’s chicken.
Q. Compare this year with last year.
A. Last year I felt a little bit intimidated with all the media coverage and with all the hype flying around. That year to think about it and deal with it has helped me grow. Last year I was even shy with the media. This year my teammates and I were much more calm than we were a year ago.
Q. How fun was it to see your teammates get some playing time?
A. It was really fun. They work so hard trying to get us prepared. It was great to see them go out and be able to do their thing.
Q. What did this win mean, especially after losing to Indiana?
A. It means a lot. Everybody was knocking down shots…Cory shot it well, Sean shot it well…everyone was shooting it well. We’ve got a lot of weapons, and hopefully we can continue to use them all. We were disappointed after the Indiana game, but since the next day was selection Sunday, I think we got that out of our minds quickly. We immediately started focusing on the NCAA Tournament. I thought we came out with that kind of focus and jumped on ’em early today and came away with the victory.
Q. Did you watch the games Thursday on TV?
A. We watched as many games as we could. But mostly, we’re concerned with ourselves; we’re not concerned with other teams. We’re concerned with Illinois basketball and what goes on amongst our own players.
Q. Some people say that you weren’t really tested.
A. They played better pressure defense than most people thought. We came out in the second half and broke their press. Give credit to them. They didn’t back down the whole game. They did beat us to some loose balls and got a few boards, but that’s what we expected from them.
Q. Are you sick of answering questions about what happened last year, and is it a weight around your neck?
A. No. It’s not a weight. I knew the questions would be coming. I just thought I would take that experience and not let it happen again.
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The inside scoop with Brian Cook
Lincoln Daily News, 03/26/01
by: Jeff Mayfield
Q. I know that your high school coach, Neil Alexander, visits you from time to time. What kind of advice does he give you?
A. He’s been a big part of my life. He’s always telling me to take the ball hard to the basket. He’s worked hard with me over the years, as has coach Donnie Aeilts, my junior high coach.
Q. Your shoulder-turn to the basket looks a lot sharper and a lot quicker. Have you guys been working on that a lot?
A. Our emphasis at Illinois is to take the ball to the basket and to dunk everything. I think if we could do that we could get to the foul line a little more often.
Q. How far can this team go?
A. First, we’ve got to remember what happened to us last year and always keep that in mind. We have to come out every game with the best focus that we can. We have to show up with our A game and always give it 100 percent.
Q. Do you know how much this means to the fans?
A. Yes. We know, but we have to be a team that approaches things one game at time.
Q. Where do you watch the NCAA tournament games, and do you root for the other Big Ten teams?
A. I watched some in Frank’s room and some with my roommate, Sean. Yes, we want our conference to do well, but we’re mostly concerned about how well we perform.
Q. What do you need to do personally through the rest of the tournament?
A. I have to come out with more intensity. If I can be even more focused, that will help me and our team be even more successful. I just want to keep it going. I will use that experience from last year to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
Q. Your teammates seem to be shooting the ball really well right now.
A. They are stroking their shots pretty well right now. When they shoot it we think that they will make every shot.
Q. What did you think about your former Railer teammates having such a great season?
A. I only got to see one game, but I read about how well they were doing. I was excited for them because I know how hard they have worked. I really wanted to see those Southeast and Mount Zion games, but obviously we had work to do here.
Q. Rod Cardinal is here working on you while we talk. Do you give him credit for all of Illinois’ success this season?
A. I give him credit for keeping us healthy.
Q. How would you compare this season to last season?
A. I’m a lot more calm this year. I’m not bothered by the media or the hype now. I took that experience and learned from it. It’s a mental thing...my attitude is so much better this season. I remembered that in last year’s NCAA’s I had two rebounds in two games. I’m not going to let that happen again. I’m just trying to come out and do my job.
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A troubled mind
Lawrence Journal-World, 03/21/02
by: Chuck Woodling
Today is Norm Cook's 47th birthday. Sadly, I don't think there will be any ice cream and cake. No presents, either. No celebration at all.
Cook is a former Kansas University basketball standout, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward on the Jayhawks' 1974 NCAA Final Four team who was a first-round draft choice of the Boston Celtics two years later.
Cook's 21-year-old son, Brian, is the starting center on the Illinois team that will face KU on Friday in the NCAA Midwest Regional. And as you may know, Cook has never seen his boy play.
Norm Cook suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. He lives in a small two-bedroom house in his hometown of Lincoln, Ill., subsisting on the dole or an NBA pension or both. Duncan Reid isn't sure. All Reid knows is Cook doesn't recognize him.
Reid coached Cook in high school back in the early '70s, then brought the thin and talented youngster with him to Mount Oread when he was hired as a KU assistant coach in 1973.
"I don't know what triggered his mental illness," Reid told me by phone from his home in Rock Island, Ill. "I don't know when it started. I saw no sign of it at KU."
Nearly a year ago, two of Reid's best high school teams gathered for a reunion in Lincoln. Cook didn't come, of course, but a couple of the players and Reid decided to give it their best shot and go to his house.
"When we got there, he was sitting in the living room looking at the wall," Reid said. "He wasn't looking at a TV, just the wall. I said, 'Norman, it's coach Reid.' And he said, 'You're not coach Reid. There aren't any basketballs here.'
"Well, it was no sense arguing with him, so we went away."
Many people who suffer from Cook's mental illness live normal ? or close to it ? lives by taking medication.
"When he's on medication, he's lucid," Reid said, "but he doesn't take it. So he gets arrested for scaring people. Most of the time he just walks the streets and scares people, but he doesn't hurt them. He's been arrested at least 50 times."
Sometimes, Reid says, Cook has to be taken to a state hospital in Springfield, but mostly he lives in that two-bedroom house alone with his fears, lost probably forever to his family and friends. Cook's wife Joyce divorced him in 1986.
Brian Cook resembles his father facially, but is bulkier at 6-10 and 240 pounds. Norm never weighed more than 215 pounds while in college. Other differences exist, too.
"Norm was stronger than Brian," Reid said, "and may have been tougher. Brian's larger and probably a better distance shooter."
Norm Cook averaged 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds during his junior season at Kansas. Brian Cook's junior year to date shows corresponding numbers of 13.5 and 6.6. Pretty close.
"Yes," Reid told me, "but in their prime Norm was better."
If you're wondering what Reid is up to these days, he turned 65 and retired from coaching at Rock Island High last spring. He's staying busy by penning a weekly column in the city newspaper called "The Old Coach Says," and he works part-time as an outreach officer for a local bank.
Other than that, he and his wife Sandy are kept on their toes by the 10 grandchildren produced by their three sons ? Steve, Mike and Bill. Steve and Mike played basketball at Purdue and Colorado, respectively. In fact, Steve, who works in West Lafayette, Ind., is the analyst on Purdue's radio network.
"We are," Reid said, "very blessed."
Would that we could say the same about Norm Cook, but life isn't always fair. For example, another starter on that '74 Kansas Final Four team, Danny Knight, died of a brain aneurysm less than three years later. Knight was only 24 years old.
Still, Cook and Knight played on the same team with two men who went on to become doctors ? Cris Barnthouse, who has been a team physician of the Kansas City Chiefs for several years, and Ken Koenigs, who practices medicine in Springfield, Mass.
What a great story it would have made last year and again this year to hear Norm Cook talk about his son playing against his alma mater in the NCAA Tournament. He could have reminisced about his experiences in the Final Four and busted his buttons telling every writer and broadcaster who asked how proud he was of his son.
But it's a story that will never be told.
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Forget Cook's childhood, because he can't
St. Petersburg Times, 03/22/02
by: John Romano
The best that could be said of Brian Cook's early childhood is it is over. The worst is he still can recall it.
They say a person is shaped by the experiences of life, and living with Norm Cook was an experience impossible to forget.
In many ways, the boy is a mirror reflection of the father. Tall, slender and athletic. There is something too in the eyes and the curves of the mouth.
They have seen the world from nearly the same vantage point at practically the same time in their lives. A generation ago, Norm Cook led Kansas out of the Midwest Region and into the Final Four. Today, Brian Cook hopes to lead Illinois past his father's old school, again in the Midwest Region.
Yet mirrors have a way of distorting reality, and so it is here. The son is not a replica of the father, merely a familiar image. Stare long enough, and the resemblance begins to fade.
By the time Brian was born, Norm had been an All-Big Eight selection and a first-round draft pick of the Celtics. He also was beginning to succumb to a mental illness that later would be diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia.
"We've talked about it and I've been amazed at some of the things Brian has remembered," his mother, Joyce Cook, said by phone this week.
"You think a kid is too young for something like that to sink in, but it does. They may not remember it all, but there are things they've heard or seen that stick with them. Unfortunately, that's true."
Brian learned about love at a young age in his mother's arms. It is where he also came to understand fear and pain. Perhaps even survival.
Although reluctant in the past to talk about her ex-husband's illness, Joyce Cook decided to go public this year. She said Brian and his sister, Kristina, a high school senior, were old enough to bear the scrutiny.
And she was hopeful their experience might somehow be beneficial for families in similar situations.
So she told stories of how Norm would beat her almost on a daily basis. How he would lock her in their home because he was suspicious of other men. How he held a knife to her throat at the time she believes they conceived Kristina.
The marriage deteriorated rapidly, although Joyce was afraid to leave. Mostly because she had nowhere else to go.
When they met, Joyce had been a teenager in a small-town high school in Illinois. Norm was 23 and a pro basketball flop. She was white, he was black. When she refused to stop seeing him, her father kicked her out of the house.
Eventually she became pregnant with Brian and moved in with Norm's parents. She said the abuse started soon afterward.
It continued for several years before Joyce contacted local officials who determined Norm needed hospitalization for psychiatric evaluation. Norm has since been in and out of mental health centers.
Brian was 6 when his parents divorced.
He has had minimal contact with his father.
"Now people know I'm not just some basketball player from Lincoln who grew up with this easy life," Brian said Thursday at the Kohl Center. "I couldn't care less that people know. So what? I've had some struggles in my life, just like other people have had struggles. It doesn't make me different."
He is right. A troubled childhood does not make Cook different. But it would be wrong to assume he is not somehow unique.
Joyce, Brian and Kristina were like siblings rather than a mother and her children. She was devoted to them and they clung to her. Joyce had a second daughter with another man in 1988.
A 6-foot-10 forward with an outside shooting touch, Brian was a McDonald's All-American in high school and practically had his choice of colleges. He chose Illinois because it was fewer than 90 minutes from Lincoln.
Cook's success at Illinois is difficult to measure. To begin with, he is immensely popular within the basketball family. He is gentle, unassuming and has an engaging, playful side to him. He also is considered an NBA prospect.
At the same time, his production on the court has been inconsistent. With his size and skills, he should be close to dominant, but Cook is too passive. He has lacked the confidence and the aggression to take over games.
"Brian didn't have a male influence to push a lot of that out of him. He grew up with his mom and sisters," Joyce said. "We've tried to push him to be more aggressive, but he's very sensitive. He wants to be well-liked.
"But, you know what? You raise your children to be good people. That is a parent's job. I want Brian to be the best basketball player he can be, but I care more about the type of person he is. And he is a good person."
In recent months, Cook has been talking to a sports psychologist to help with his confidence on the court. Illinois coach Bill Self says the difference is visible. He may not be a banger, but he is more assertive.
Cook lets out an embarrassed laugh when told Self called him the nation's best power forward during the last month. He laughs a little more when asked if this is the result of a tougher, nastier Brian Cook.
Yes, he has been trying to listen to the advice of others. No, he does not think his personality has changed.
And, no, he does not care if you refer to him as Norm Cook's son.
It does not change who Brian is.
"I'm trying to make my own way, I'm not trying to follow in his footsteps," Brian said. "This is my life. This is Brian Cook's life.
"It's as simple as that."
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Brian Cook has finally arrived
Lincoln Courier, 01/13/03
by: Mike Nadel
For three years, he teased and tormented, soared and snored, dazzled and disappointed.
As it turns out, Brian Cook was worth the wait.
Now a senior - yes, senior stars still exist in college basketball; you just have to cut a wider swath across America to find them - Cook has turned himself into more than just Illinois' big man on campus.
He is more than merely the best player in the Big Ten, too.
After three seasons as an overhyped role player, Brian Cook has become as good as any amateur basketballer in the land.
"There are some guys who have more low-post presence and maybe have better numbers rebounding, but I don't think there's a better all-around player than Brian," coach Bill Self said Saturday after Cook's career-high 31 points led the Illini to a 69-63 victory over Wisconsin. "I certainly think that he's as good as there is."
Including the All-American studs at Kansas and Arizona?
"I don't know of many players in America who have put up numbers like he's put up (while leading) a team that wasn't supposed to be as good, a team starting three freshmen, to a 12-1 record," Self said.
Cook is averaging 21.7 points on 56 percent shooting. At 6-foot-10, he can dominate inside. He also makes 37 percent of his 3-pointers and 84 percent of his free throws.
Finally the undisputed go-to guy after the departures of Frank Williams, Cory Bradford and Robert Achibald, Cook has become the aggressor. He has taken more than twice as many free throws per game this season as he did in any of his first three years.
After sitting out most of Saturday's first half with foul trouble, Cook owned the second half. I found myself almost feeling sorry for the four Wisconsin defenders who tried - and failed - to check him.
Illinois scored 33 second-half points; Cook had 24 of them. At times, he posted up so assertively and confidently that he was practically throwing Badgers out of his way. It was a beautiful display of power basketball.
"Last year, Brian wouldn't have gotten numbers like this because when he got in foul trouble and sat, he wouldn't have been as aggressive coming back in," Self said. "But this year, he's more mature. He's playing like it's his last go-around."
Said Cook: "I just go out and play hard, man. I'm on a mission. I feel like I have nothing to lose. I'm playing for my future. I really could care less who's guarding me."
A mission? Sure. He knows NBA honchos are watching.
Those who scout Illinois games can't help but be impressed by the kid who for three years often seemed so passive on the court.
"He's playing for his future family; he's playing for his future children; he's playing for his mother and his sister," Self said. "When you're doing that, I would think it would become pretty important. The one question (NBA scouts) have about Brian is, 'Can he be consistently aggressive?"'
Illini Nation had asked that question for years. As a freshman, sophomore and junior, Cook routinely followed 20-point games with 2-pointers and regularly drifted through long stretches without scoring or rebounding.
This season, he has been Mr. Consistent, scoring between 17 and 25 points in every game before really busting out against the Badgers. He's also averaging 8.4 rebounds.
"He made the right decision staying in school and working on his game," Colangelo said. "Some people need a little bit more maturity both on and off the court than others."
But not too much maturity.
"This is more fun than I had in my first three years here," Cook said. "We've got a bunch of young kids who keep it fun. I'm not knocking Frank, but he was all about getting down to business. These kids are goofy."
You want to hear something goofy? Cook has blocked only one shot all season.
He also commits too many soft fouls and is not the rebounder he needs to be. Several times a game, Self has to point at his head and yell for Cook to "THINK!"
But that is nitpicking.
"He's a great player. I don't mean good, I mean great," Self said. "He's playing like we thought Brian could play all along."
Yes, Brian Cook, welcome to the Big Time.
Mike Nadel (mikenadel@aol.com) is the Chicago sports columnist for Copley News Service.
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Brian Cook-ing up national attention
Daily Illini, 02/13/03
by: Chris Neubauer
Don't let Brian Cook's quiet and reserved demeanor off the court fool you.
On the court, he is as tenacious as any top player in the country. And apparently he is also a pretty good trash-talker on the hardwood. At least that's what some of his Big Ten peers say.
It is that tenacity and a deft touch around the basket that has helped propel Cook to a serious contender for a place on the All-America team.
His career credentials are impeccable: Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, Two-time member of the All-Big Ten team (2001 and 2002), United States World Youth Basketball Team in 2001 and Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2000).
This season Cook was named to the Naismith Award preseason watch list. Illinois head coach Bill Self and many others across the country think Cook has an outside chance of winning the coveted national player of the year honor.
"I don't think Brian is a favorite to win national player of the year," Self said. "But I don't think there is a clear-cut favorite. I certainly think Brian is one of five or six players that should be looked at. Brian and the other players' chances are going to be determined by how they finish the season.
"He's in the game to be an All-America and if you are an All-America you've got a shot (to win the Naismith Award) if there is no clear-cut player."
Cook has certainly backed up his preseason billing. He is averaging 20.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He has scored in double digits in all 18 of his starts, including 12 games of 20 or more points.
The senior forward is also at the top of the Big Ten rankings. He is first in points, third in rebounds, fourth in field goal percentage (53) and ninth in free throw percentage (81).
And at times Cook has single-handedly carried the Illini this season. He scored a career-high 31 points in a win over Wisconsin on Jan. 11. His 26 second-half points led an Illini comeback victory over then-unbeaten Michigan on Jan. 29. He finished with 30 in that game.
"It means a lot to me," Cook said of the national recognition. "But I know that if my team doesn't win and if my teammates don't play well, that I'm not going to be there. All of my success is based on my teammates and them being as good as they are."
Cook's teammates have been there to support him so far. The Illini are ranked No. 14 in the nation and are 16-4 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten.
Cook's one vice this season has been his penchant for fouling. Foul trouble has limited Cook to less than 30 minutes of playing time in six of his nine Big Ten games.
But he seems to have possibly kicked the habit. Against Ohio State, Cook committed only two fouls; it was only the second time in the Big Ten that he committed less than three fouls. As a result, he was able to play 36 minutes (his second most this year) and score 22 points in a 76-57 win.
Self and Cook credit his reduced foul count against Ohio State to a shift in defensive philosophy. Self decided to switch to a trapping post defense to keep his big men out of foul trouble.
"A lot had to do with trapping in the post because I got my hands up," Cook said. "I stayed out of foul trouble by getting my hands up."
Self's player of the year candidate at the moment is David West of Xavier, though Self has never seen Xavier play. But looking at West's stats, one can't blame Self's judgement. West, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, scored 47 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win over Dayton on Sunday.
West averages 20.1 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. He has recorded 16 double-doubles this season. West's Xavier is17-4 overall and 8-1 in the Atlantic 10 conference.
Cook agrees with the West pick, but he also adds Texas guard T.J. Ford and Kansas center Nick Collison to the list of top players.
"Last year everyone kind of knew it would be Jay Williams (of Duke) from the beginning," Self said. "There hasn't been anyone to jump off the page at you yet this season."
That balance will help Cook. And the better the Illini finish, the better Cook's chances. If the Illini can capture the Big Ten title and advance deep into the NCAA tournament, Cook's stock will certainly rise from the added exposure.
If Cook does snare the Naismith Award, his stellar season will have a lasting effect for the Illini.
"The winner must play for a successful team, so that helps us," Self said. "But the exposure and being able to sell that you have the national player of the year would be huge for us in future recruitment. Players want to go someplace where they are going to get recognized. That's part of why players are drawn to Duke and Carolina. They want to be a part of that tradition."
Cook's tremendous season is a start for the Illini.
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Brian Cook wins Big Ten Player of the Year award
Daily Illini, 03/12/03
by: Chris Neubauer
The self-proclaimed “big goofy kid” has earned himself a big-time award.
Senior forward Brian Cook was honored by Big Ten coaches and media Tuesday as the conference’s Player of the Year.
“I’m happy,” Cook said. “This was one of my goals at the beginning of the season, but I want a championship. I didn’t get the whole package yet.”
Cook is the second Illini to win the award in the past three years. Frank Williams was honored in 2001.
“It’s great for Brian and it’s great for our program,” said Illinois head coach Bill Self. “Two of the last three years, I’ve been able to coach the Big Ten player of the year and that’s a big reason why we’ve won a lot of games. It’s an award that’s tough to win if you are the preseason pick. But he didn’t back his way into the award — he earned it.”
Cook was selected as Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year with Rick Rickert of Minnesota in October. Rickert joined Cook on the coaches’ All-Big Ten First team, which was also announced Tuesday. Wisconsin’s Kirk Penny, Purdue’s Willie Deane and Michigan’s LaVell Blanchard were also named to both first teams. Indiana’s Jeff Newton took Rickert’s place on the media’s first team.
Cook’s credentials are impeccable. He led the conference in scoring at 20 points a game. He finished eighth in rebounding with 6.6 a game. He finished 11th in field goal percentage (48) and 15th in free throw percentage (78).
He also led the Illini to a 21-6 regular season mark (11-5 in the Big Ten) and within a second of a third straight Big Ten championship. The Illini finished second to Wisconsin.
“Even Brian will tell you that this is a reflection of our team and he’d rather take a win at Wisconsin,” Self said.
Cook said his journey to the Player of the Year Award began last summer. For the first time in his career, he hit the weights hard and was a regular on the hardwood.
But his most important transformation was in his attitude. He went from being a self-conscious role player to asserting himself as the undisputed team leader.
“Before this year, during the summer it became my goal,” Cook said. “My whole attitude changed over the summer. I started to have fun and to play with more intensity.”
He also started to silence the critics. Cook earned a label of “soft” during his first three years at Illinois. His numbers were impressive in that stretch, earning him Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year honors in 2000 and a place on the All-Big Ten teams in 2001 and 2002. But he would sometimes float in and out of games and get knocked for not being a leader.
“It means I shut up a lot of critics and proved a lot of people wrong,” Cook said. “That’s what makes me go; my desire is to prove people wrong. People were saying I was soft, couldn’t get the job done and that I couldn’t lead the team.”
The team he leads couldn’t appreciate him more. Cook said his roommates — Luther Head, Jerrance Howard and Blandon Ferguson — were jumping up and down when they heard he won the award. And at Tuesday’s practice, his teammates voiced their appreciation.
“He deserved it,” said freshman Dee Brown. “Everyone knew he was the man. He was the best player in the league.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Cook or Dee,” said freshman James Augustine. “Cook takes so much pressure off of Dee and I. Other teams double and triple team him, but he keeps producing 20 points a game.”
Cook said the full impact of the award would come later. For now, he wants another championship.
“Hopefully, I can look back and tell my children — if I have any children — that, ‘Your papa was a good player,’” Cook said.
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Cook carries Illini to finals
JS Online, 03/15/03
by: Associated Press
Brian Cook's mere presence means everything to Illinois. When the Big Ten player of the year spends time on the bench with foul trouble, as he did Saturday, the Illini suffer.
When he's in the game, they're a very different team, one that's very difficult to beat.
Cook scored 25 points and made two free throws with 5.2 seconds left as the Illini withstood a late Indiana charge led by Tom Coverdale to beat the Hoosiers, 73-72, in the Big Ten semifinals.
"Certainly we are not the same team without Brian, and today was a day when we needed him because our other guys weren't as good offensively in the past," Illinois coach Bill Self said.
Illinois (23-6) will play Ohio State on Sunday for the title and the automatic NCAA tournament bid. The surprising Buckeyes won their third straight Saturday, beating Michigan State 55-54.
"If they go down, it will have to be a good team to beat them because there are not many weaknesses on their team," Coverdale said of the Illini.
Indiana (20-12) probably assured itself an at-large NCAA berth, one year after making it to the national final.
Coverdale, booed throughout the game by a contingent of Illinois fans at the United Center, made a pair of 3-pointers in the final 6.7 seconds - the final one with four-tenths of a second to go - and nearly brought the Hoosiers back from a 16-point halftime deficit.
He scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, making four 3-pointers.
"When you are in a tournament situation, that's what you have to do as a senior. You have to do everything you can for your team to win, and that's what I was doing," Coverdale said in a description that could also apply to Cook's contribution for the Illini.
Luther Head scored 16 for Illinois, while Indiana's Bracey Wright, who had to leave the game late in the first half after taking an elbow to the head, also had 16.
With Cook on the bench for more than six minutes after getting his second and third fouls early in the second half, the Hoosiers chopped the halftime lead to five. George Leach had seven points during a 16-7, run capped by Wright's 3-pointer.
But Cook's return sparked the Illini, and they appeared to pull away again. He had two quick baskets and a three-point play, and Sean Harrington and Head hit 3-pointers, putting the Illini up 55-42 with 7:14 left.
"My fouls were obviously dumb; they took me out of the game," Cook said.
Illinois was still ahead by 11 after Dee Brown's steal and three-point play with 2:53 to go, but Coverdale wouldn't let the Hoosiers slip away.
"This team has pushed the panic button a lot this year, but I thought Coverdale calmed the storm," Indiana coach Mike Davis said. "He's playing his best basketball."
He hit his second 3-pointer of the half with 1:58 left, cutting the lead to seven, and then it became a free-throw contest down the stretch.
Brown and Head each made one of two at the line around two misses from Wright, leaving Illinois ahead 71-66 with 13 seconds left.
Coverdale then sank a 3 to make it 71-69. Cook calmly hit two from the line around a timeout for a four-point lead before Coverdale made another 3-pointer just before the buzzer. This time, the Hoosiers couldn't foul again to stop the clock.
Illinois missed four of 10 free throws in the final 47 seconds.
"I think we played the dumbest we played all year down the stretch," Cook said.
Cook picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench with 2:44 left, but when teammate James Augustine fouled out, he returned for the final 67 seconds.
"I just wanted to make sure we had him down the stretch, which turned out to be pretty important," Self said.
The Illini went on a 17-2 run in the final 5:26 of the first half as Head scored nine points, including a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, and Cook had eight.
That gave the Illini a 37-21 lead at the end of a physical half that saw both of the Hoosiers' starting freshman guards, Wright and Marshall Strickland, leave the game after collisions.
Wright went to the locker room after catching an elbow to the head that left him woozy with 1:43 left. Strickland collided with Head while chasing a loose ball and got a cut on the side of his head. Head broke a tooth in the run-in that splattered the floor with blood with 21 seconds left.
Wright held an ice pack to his head before returning to the game with 14:16 left, and Strickland stayed on the bench for the entire second half.
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Illinois' Cook worth 2nd look as forward with height, skills
Arizona Republic, 06/20/03
by: Bob Young
While the Suns have expressed an interest in adding a backup point guard this summer, they may be leaning more toward going big with the 17th pick of the first round in the June 26 NBA draft.
They took a second look at Illinois forward Brian Cook Thursday at the America West Arena practice court and came away impressed.
"He's a skilled guy," coach Frank Johnson said. "He can present some problems because he can shoot the ball and he can handle it and make plays off the dribble. Any time you've got a guy who can spread the floor, it causes problems.
"You saw it in the (NBA) Finals with San Antonio. As he gets better, Amare (Stoudemire) is going to create some double teams the way Tim Duncan does for the Spurs, and then you need to have somebody out there who can hit the shot."
Cook is a smooth, 6-foot-10, 240-pounder who averaged 20 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Illini. He was a career 51 percent shooter.
Although Cook isn't projected as a first-round pick in some mock drafts, it appears that he is moving up in the eyes of NBA player personnel evaluators.
"I think my stock is going up," Cook said. "I think I've got a little buzz going around about me, so hopefully everything goes well."
Like a lot of teams, the Suns would like to add a big man who can shoot, thus their interest in Zarko Caparkapa, a 6-11 forward from Serbia, if he's still on the board at No. 17.
It's players such as Caparkapa who could push Cook down in the draft.
"Nobody wants to miss out on that next Dirk Nowitzki, so they roll the dice," said Mark West, the Suns' assistant general manager. "This kid (Cook) has played here, we've seen a lot of him.
"But he's 6-10 and people can get 7-footers overseas, so they roll the dice."
Tough enough?
Cook admits the knock on him during his first three seasons at Illinois was that he was too soft, and not just physically.
"I got a lot of criticism early in my career about not being tough, about being soft," he said. "I thought I improved every year. At first when I got there, I didn't produce like people expected me to, but I thought I improved every year.
"I came back my senior year just to show that I could lead, carry a team on my back, be aggressive, hit game-winning shots, things like that. That was the knock on me. I wasn't big at crunch time throughout my first three years.
"I love proving people wrong."
Another second
The Suns also took a second look at Koko Archibong on Thursday, a 6-9, 215-pounder from Penn.
Archibong is so far off the radar he doesn't even have a bio in the 2003 NBA draft guide, which includes 126 players.
He was a center for most of his career at Penn but showed some pretty good perimeter skills and exceptional quickness during the portion of the workout open to the media.
The Suns don't have a second-round pick, but Archibong could be a player the club will look at as a free agent if he isn't selected.
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Cook goes Hollywood as Lakers make him a first-round pick
Daily Illini, 06/27/03
by: Jeff Mayfield
If you were a basketball player good enough to be selected in the early rounds of a professional NBA circuit, what would your thoughts be going into a draft of this nature? Would you think how fun it would be to have Jason Kidd throwing you a few passes out in New Jersey? Maybe you would think about teaming up with Karl Malone and becoming the new set of twin towers out in Utah. You could even dream of replacing the Admiral and find yourself positioned right next to Tim Duncan down in San Antonio.
But, in your wildest dreams could you ever imagine yourself playing with the world-renowned Los Angeles Lakers and maybe find yourself in the starting lineup with Shaq and Kobe?
You might not, but that's exactly where Brian Cook finds himself as the Lakers made him the 24th pick of the first round.
A skittish crowd of family, friends, coaches and media members erupted when NBA Commissioner David Stern spoke his name. In fact, he barely got the name "Brian" out before the crowd stood and screamed. The screaming and yelling lasted several minutes, while Brian kissed his girlfriend, Melissa Williamson, and hugged his mother, Joyce Cook, all the while wiping away the tears. At times there was even more relief than joy, but that mostly came from having to sit there and watch the names of several international players get called that none in the room had ever heard of!
According to the LA Times, Los Angeles Laker coach Phil Jackson, no stranger to our local Chicago Bulls fans, called Brian the "kind of ballplayer that fits the style of basketball we want to play." He then went on to give Brain and the other new draftee, Arizona forward Luke Walton, some additional motivation -- as if they needed any! "We have to assume that rookies aren't going to help us." Very coy, Phil. And welcome to the Zen master, Brian.
As for the LDN's thoughts on all of these festivities… I really wanted Brian to go somewhere out of the spotlight, where he could learn the NBA game for a year or two. A place where there wouldn't be too much media scrutiny or pressure on him to produce right away. With his selection by the Lakers, it is a mixed bag in my mind. So much for not wanting him in the media headlights… How 'bout the No. 1 market in the world! BUT, with Shaq and Kobe always vying for the media attention, the pressure for Brian to produce should be minimal. Then if he can come up big as a third or fourth option in the triangle offense, he can learn the game at the hands of the best.
Also, you can never rule out a trade, and so Brian may or may not have a long tenure in Hollywood. The LA Times is reporting that the Lakers weren't taking the draft as their primary vehicle to rebuild their team -- that they intend to be very active in the free agent market over the next few weeks. As friends and fans of Brian, let's hope their activity centers around the procurement of guards and other players who won't limit Cook's playing time.
All in all, this whole NBA draft thing was a wonderful experience. I never thought I'd be sitting there with a friend who was about to become an instant millionaire! I am so happy for Brian and Melissa and for his mother, Joyce, and their whole family. They have always been good to me personally, and I'm happy that their many years of sacrifice are now being rewarded. Brian and his family deserve nothing but the best, and that is exactly what we wish for them.
Area media outlets are reporting that between 45 and 85 people were gathered for the [unpublicized] fun. Judging by that number and knowing that Laker games are usually sold out, tickets may be hard to come by… so we'll see you all on eBay!
Don't forget to tune your televisions to CITV Channel 5. The CITV/FIX-96/LDN crew members were out in force last night to bring you, [our] loyal fans, the inside look that you've now come to expect. If we had the capabilities, we would have brought the night to you live… but, hopefully it will be just as fun on taped delay!
The LDN would like to close this chapter with a special salute to Brian Cook. I have been around a lot of sports stars in a lot of different sports in over 40 years. Seldom have I come across ANYone more accommodating than Cook. I mean, he is so stinkin' accessible that I usually lean away from getting in the middle of things. I want him to get his due with ESPN, FOX and all of our great central Illinois media outlets. Whether his team has won or lost, whether he has played well or not, he is always willing to come on camera or tape. He is always polite, friendly and stays with you painstakingly until you ask your final question. He blames himself for a team loss when he went triple-double or double-double. When his team wins, he wants to give his teammates and his coaches all of the credit. Could Lincoln, Ill., have a better representative than this?
I am as proud of him as if he were my own son. Most of you have never seen what I have seen. The hours in the weight room and training room. The hundreds of shots each day from virtually every spot on the floor. Yes, he is blessed with the gifts that only God gives at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, but his unselfish play and his humble demeanor have not been missed by this would-be reporter. Whether he plays for 10 years or two years makes no difference to me. Whether he becomes an all-star and makes the Hall of Fame or whether he has a journeyman's career is irrelevant to me. He has already accomplished some of the most important things in life. Brian Cook has become a man!
I am just happy to have known him, and my prayer for him is that God will continue to keep him and his family safe and that God will raise Brian up to not only be a good ambassador for Lincoln and for Illinois, but for the Lord's kingdom as well.
Bon voyage, Brian… and remember, no matter where you go in this land or in this world, there is a small but formidable band of a few thousand family and friends who will be cheering your every move. Thanks for taking us on the ride of our lives!
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Brian Cook's wild ride
Lincoln graduate reflects on where he's been before his next journey begins
Lincoln Courier, 06/30/03
by: Brian Longly
Brian Cook was nervous, but you could hardly blame him.
As the 23-year-old took the time to talk to various media outlets prior to the NBA draft last Thursday, he had no idea what the future held for him. After being able to choose where to go to college, his next destination was left to the NBA general managers who would be making the selections in the draft. And none of them had given Cook an idea of where he was going to be selected.
"The teams would tell me that I did a good job (after my workout), but I think they tell everyone that," Cook said. "I don't know anything more than you guys do, so I won't know (where I'm going) until it flashes up there on the screen."
The Los Angeles Lakers' selection of Cook was just a conclusion of the wild ride he has been on since his college career ended back in March. He had worked out for 17 different NBA teams in the past five weeks, traveling from city to city and meeting lots of different people.
"It's been fun for me because of the basketball part of it," he said. "All the traveling is what you get tired from. It's just been great to see all the different organizations. I got a chance to meet Red Auerbach and Danny Ainge (of the Boston Celtics) and it's great to meet them; they're legends of the game. I mean Auerbach; he's got 13 (championship) rings. And also seeing where my father played was cool as well. There are a lot of great coaches out there and cool organizations."
Very few people get the opportunity to play professional sports, but those that saw Cook at a young age thought he had a chance. Lincoln coach Neil Alexander saw the potential in him from the minute he walked into the gym at Lincoln Community High School.
"From day one 14 years ago when I got here, he was a young kid and you could just see he loved the game and wanted to improve," he said. "By the time he was a sophomore, he was long and lean and lanky, he had a lot of ball handling and shooting skills, and that's something that doesn't usually come for big people. I thought at that time that he had a chance. And his father playing in the NBA, you just knew the chances were very good."
As his high school coach, Alexander played a big role in Cook developing his skills on the basketball court, helping him to be named "Mr. Basketball" for the state of Illinois in 1999 and earn a scholarship to the University of Illinois. But Cook says Alexander helped him in many more ways than just on the basketball court.
"Coach Al, he's like a father figure for me," he said. "He's looked out for me ever since I was younger. He's been a great influence on my life. The way him and his wife are, growing up showing you how a man should live and treat his wife and do things the right way."
When Cook got to Illinois, he played for two different coaches, Lon Kruger and Bill Self. Cook played for Kruger during his freshman season and for Self his final three for the Fighting Illini. These two coaches, Self especially, helped Cook get to where he is today.
"Coach Self was great," Cook said. "He taught me a lot about the game as far as X's and O's. I also think he instilled a mental toughness for myself and the whole program at Illinois about how to play and how to win. Coach Kruger was more laid back and didn't cuss, but Coach Self is more in your face, motivating you that way. So it was two different areas but it was great to have Coach Self. He's one of the greatest coaches I've ever played for."
Cook now will get the opportunity to play for one of the greatest NBA coaches in history, Phil Jackson, as well as two of the greatest players in the league today, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. But before he does that, Cook will be participating in the team's mini-camp as well as playing in the NBA's summer league. He then gets to come home for a little while before heading back to Los Angeles for training camp in September.
Through it all, if Cook can maintain the work ethic he has displayed in getting to this point, Alexander believes that the success Cook has experienced thus far can continue.
"Nobody gets to the NBA or any pro level if they don't work at it; it doesn't matter how much talent they have," he said. "And there are other things that go along with that. Not only his work ethic but his off-the-court behavior, and he has to stay in shape and do the right things.
"And if he continues to do that I think the chances are very good of him having a good, long professional career."
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Book signing mutterings
Lincoln Courier, 06/30/03
by: Jeff Mayfield
What a crowd that was on hand Sunday afternoon at Graue Inc.! Brian Cook fans from all over Lincoln, Logan County and other parts of the country, including Kansas City, braved the heat and the humidity. All that to get their copies of "Brian Cook: An Illini Legend" and a wide variety of other items autographed by the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The book, written by perhaps one of our area's finest sportswriters, Mark Tupper, is a quick, enjoyable read. With this scholastic series of books, they appear to be geared for younger readers, but young and old alike will enjoy this trip down the Illini and Railer memory lane! There are also some nice photos from Brian's early years that you won't want to miss.
Don't worry if you had to miss this extravaganza. The LDN will keep you posted on where you can buy your copies in the future and when the next book signing(s) will be. We've already been told that Cook will be in town for the Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival and that books will be available for purchase as he signs them for you!
What a week it's been! Don't forget to tune your stations to CITV-5 tonight at 6 as the unflappable sports crew will bring you the sights and sounds of all these events. We think you will especially enjoy interviews with former coaches like Rob Judson and Neil Alexander. The author of the book, Decatur Herald-Review's Mark Tupper, also has some interesting comments that you won't want to miss. Other moments were captured with his family, former teammates and friends in a celebration that seemingly has touched the entire county.
Cook is to fly out to California this week to be introduced to the media. There has also been some speculation that at some point he will participate in some kind of a pre-preseason minicamp. The Lakers plan to do some team rebuilding through free agency over the next few weeks, so it could be interesting to see what kind of a team Brian will eventually be paired with. Coach Judson was kidding me about starting a fund to go to Hawaii. I think he meant to follow his Northern Illinois Huskies, who are scheduled to play in a tournament there this season. But, he might have been referring to the Lakers' first two preseason games, scheduled for Hawaii on Oct. 7-8. You don't think my wife is planning to surprise me by taking me there for our anniversary, do you???
It's hard for me to believe that there are 10 or so better international players in the world than Brian Cook. Who did these evaluations? Could ANY of them play in the rugged Big Ten? I've seen some of them come and go, and some of them are pretty good… but, BETTER than Cook? I don't think so!
I'm not so sure that ANY of the players selected before Brian are better. More hyped maybe! If you watch basketball much, you realize it is a game of spurts, trends and momentum shifts. Few are good night in, night out. Now guys like James and Anthony will be playing for inferior teams, so they're likely to get more PT and more stats, but will they be better than Cook? I think the jury is still out on that one. I can tell you this: If they don't guard Brian, he will make them pay! Good shooting overcomes a multitude of sins. It doesn't hurt that Brian is already one of the best free-throw shooters in the game either. I guess I'm going to have to become a fan of the NBA again and obviously a fan of the Lakers.
This whole experience reminds me of when I was a kid. I used to go to the Cow Palace to watch my beloved Golden State Warriors (can you believe those jokers passed on Cook -- wait 'til I see that front office crew). They had the best offensive player in the league in Rick Barry but couldn't get over the hump. Then came the smooth rookie out of UCLA, Keith Wilkes. You may remember him as Jamal "Silk" Wilkes of LA Laker fame (do you see where I'm going with this?).
But before he helped the Lakers win some titles, he had work to do with my Warriors. In 1975, he and Barry and a band of some of the most forgettable players in NBA history shocked the globe by winning the world championship. It was against the best team at that time, the Baltimore (Washington) Bullets. So good were the Bullets that virtually every NBA expert not only picked the Bullets to win but to win it in four.
The experts were right about one thing. There was a sweep. But the party in the San Francisco Bay area is still going on to this day (probably the reason Golden State seems to have made no progress since then)! The experts thought that a rookie like Wilkes wouldn't be enough to help Barry get his title. They couldn't have been more wrong. Wilkes, Barry and their band of merry men gave me a memory that I will never forget! Could Cook coupled with Shaq and Kobe bring us another memory? I wouldn't bet against them!
The Cardinals actually looked like an awake, alert team this weekend, taking two of three from the surprisingly good Kansas City Royals. With as many injuries as they have had, I just didn't think they'd make it to first place before the All-Star break. I have to give Tony LaRussa kudos here. I question him at times, so it's only fair to praise him when he does well. This is one of those times. I don't even know how he makes out a lineup card. The St. Louis writers tell us that even the players who are starting are day-to-day; but as Keith Obberman used to remind us, aren't we all?! The Redbirds do enter one of their toughest stretches of the schedule over the next three weeks, so we'll see how long they can last at the top. If they don't get some of their ailing players back, I fear that they will run out of gas way too soon!
The Cubs have had a tough stretch, especially with the White Sox, but Kerry Wood slammed the door on the pale hose yesterday in what I believe was a HUGE game for the Cubbies. Lose that one, and you limp out of town just totally bewildered. Win it, coupled with the fact that the rest of the division seems to be lost in space somewhere, and you stay in the thick of the race. Chicago's starting pitching is still better than anyone else's in the division!
And what's become of the Jerry Manuel death watch? I guess those guys on "FANdamonium" aren't as dumb as you thought?!
Lincoln's Legion baseball team recorded its first win of the year with a 5-2 victory over Morton. We'll bring you more on them over the coming weeks.
That's it for now. Have a great week, everybody!
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Lakers meet Miramar Marines
MCAS Miramar, 09/18/03
by: Sgt A.C. Strong and Sgt. Richard Kulleck
It's zero-dark-thirty and four men are preparing for their day. Suiting up for the morning workout, they cram their feet into athletic shoes, drag on their gear and prepare to push their bodies to the limit of endurance and strength and train themselves to be in the best physical condition they can be. Push-ups...pull-ups...sprints... weights...and at the end of the training session, two of these men are done for the day, the other two... are United States Marines.
Two worlds didn't exactly collide Sept 18, when Lakers rookies Brian Cook and Luke Walton visited Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, but both got a good look at what goes on behind the curtain in the other camp.
According to Lakers' Community Relations Director Eugenia Chow, that is exactly what the players were interested in when she contacted Miramar about a visit.
"Brian and Luke wanted to see Marines doing what Marines do," said Chow.
The players started their day at the helicopter simulator, so that they could get an idea of the pilots' job, then they headed over to the flight line and made their way through the helo squadrons meeting Marines and seeing what it's like behind the scenes.
At first, it seemed that the visit to hangar 4 was going to be a flop. Junior Marines stood back and watched as others approached the players. However, the intimidation factor vanished as the Marines and the players realized that the only difference between them was the uniform... and the paycheck ... and some good-natured trash-talking ensued.
"It makes me feel good knowing they look up to me," said Cook, who has been named Third Team All-American by Associated Press and Named Big Ten Player of the Year by conference coaches and media as a senior, "but I look up to them because they are risking their lives for our country."
Among those risking their lives was Staff Sgt. Brian Cox, CH-53 crew chief, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465, who was recently named Crew Chief of the Year for the Marine Corps. The Lakers group all took time to meet someone they consider to be one of America's finest.
"Hey, this is the job we train for every day. I just got a chance to apply that job when I was in the desert," said Cox, a Jeffersonville, Ind., native. "That they thought about us while we were in the sand means a lot."
"With things in Iraq and recent events, I had friends in the military over there also, so it kind of hit close to home for me," added Cook. "I was praying for them, so it is a blessing to meet them too."
After meeting the players Sgt. Joe McMullen, CH-53E crew chief, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, said "It's interesting that there are more people than just our close circle that are aware of what we are doing and why. It's great that they are here because children and people look up to their idols - up to them as idols - and if the people they look up to think something is important, then they will see the importance."
Sunny California rarely seems so hot as when you're wearing a flak jacket and getting thrown in the dirt, so next stop on the visit was the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program tan belt course.
Upon seeing Sgt. Michael E. Childs, MCMAP instructor, Provost Marshal's Office, training the Marines "by the numbers," even Lakers Girl Nicole Irving wanted to see if she could meet the challenge.
"This is a really cool experience - definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I have a lot more respect for what the Marines do and this is just incredible," said Irving, while Childs instructed her on the proper technique for executing a leg sweep.
A high-energy grappling demonstration by Childs and fellow instructor Staff Sgt. Kenneth C. Alexander was the planned end to the day.
"I am really impressed. Though everyone is nice, they are really serious about their business," said San Diego native Walton, who graduated from Arizona, named Honorable Mention All-America by AP and garnered All-Pac-10 Conference recognition in his junior and senior year. "We've been in helicopters, flew them in the simulator, and we're learning how to drop each other. It's been a great day so far."
Of course, the highlight of the day for many of the Marines at the MCMAP training was undoubtedly an unplanned one. Feeling motivated by the grappling demo, Cook decided to use some of his newly-acquired skills, and proceeding to drop Walton, right into the dirt.
"We learned so much and we walked away with a greater respect for the Marines," said Chow, laughing at players. "These are some of the most amazing people I've ever met. We'd definitely love to come back."
In both camps, there are those that are considered amazing, even heroes... some don a jersey, the others camis.
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Small-town Cook cannot wait to get to L.A. -- to fish
ESPN, 07/02/03
by: Associated Press
Brian Cook knows there are big changes ahead as he moves from his sleepy central Illinois hometown to Los Angeles, starting with the number on his new Los Angeles Lakers jersey.
Cook wore No. 34 at Illinois, where he was the Big Ten player of the year last season. In Lakerland, that number belongs to Shaquille O'Neal.
"I don't think I can get that one, man," he said laughing.
Cook, taken by the Lakers as the 24th pick overall in the first round of the NBA draft, joined second-round selection Luke Walton at the Lakers' practice facility Wednesday.
They were presented purple-and-gold jerseys by general manager Mitch Kupchak. Cook will wear No. 43; Walton will wear No. 4.
"We don't expect to put a lot of pressure on young players, but they'll both have the opportunity to make a contribution," Kupchak said. "We think they both have bright futures in the NBA."
Cook was accompanied by his mother Joyce and high school sweetheart Melissa Williamson, who will move to Los Angeles with him.
"Brian is real quiet, but he's grown a lot in the last few years so I think he'll do just fine," said Joyce Cook, who will remain in Lincoln, Ill., a rural town of about 15,000 people located three hours south of Chicago.
That's where Cook feels most comfortable, hanging out with friends he's known since grade school. His father Norman played at Kansas and for the Boston Celtics, but the two are not close.
Cook's favorite thing to do, other than basketball, is fishing. He's eager to cast his line in the ocean for the first time.
"Go get the big ones," he said, smiling.
Cook wasn't sure where he would live in Los Angeles, but someplace near the water seems likely.
"If I can find me a lake where I can go fishing I'll be fine," he said.
"I just want to stay somewhere quiet where I can hang out and chill. I'm real laid back."
One place Cook doesn't expect to spend much time is the Sunset Strip, home of Los Angeles' hottest nightclubs that attract celebrities and athletes.
"I'm not into partying too much. I don't go out much. I'm a movie watcher," he said.
Despite being in Los Angeles for his first extended visit, Cook wasn't intimidated by the traffic and fast pace.
"I go into everything with an open mind. I tend to adapt well to my surroundings," he said.
Before last week's draft, Cook worked out for 17 NBA teams. The Lakers never had him in, but team representatives watched him in Phoenix.
"I was really tired by the last workout," he said.
Then came the chaos of draft night, when the Cooks' home was jammed with family and friends.
"It was kind of agonizing. I hope I never go through it again," Cook said. "As soon as my name flashed across the screen, it was a lot of excitement and joy and emotion."
Cook expected to see his name higher than 24th.
"But it was a great opportunity for me to fall to the Lakers, a winning tradition, winning team, a great coach, great players I can learn from," he said.
Cook led the Big Ten in scoring with 20 points a game and was the Illini's leading rebounder with 7.6 a game.
Kupchak likes Cook's ballhandling skills and his ability to make shots from 18 feet.
"He has to be guarded. He's an excellent passer," Kupchak said.
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