Iowa Basketball: Why Tyler Cook Will be B10 Freshman of the Year
Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
A look at why Tyler Cook has a chance to be the Big Ten Freshman of the Year
The Big Ten will once again be budding with talent, although Iowa basketball is not considered one of the premier teams in the league this year. Despite Peter Jok being selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team, most members of the media are picking the Hawkeyes to finish in the middle of the conference.
One player who could change the Iowa Hawkeyes season, though, is freshman forward Tyler Cook. In a year where freshmen phonemes such as Miles Bridges and Joshua Langford will take over the spotlight early in the season, Cook is one of the most under the radar players in the nation. The 74th ranked high school prospect in 2016, according to Rivals.com, is the best recruit Fran McCaffery has attracted at Iowa.
He has already expressed how impressed he is with Cook’s game and how he thinks Cook has stardom written all over him. As Iowa tries to replace four starters from a season ago, they need someone like Cook to step up and become a star.
Last season, the Big Ten named Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ the Freshman of the Year. Happ averaged 12.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for the Badgers.
Despite Cook entering the year as the 12th highest ranked Big Ten commit in his class, there is still reason to believe that he can put up similar numbers as a freshman and help the Hawkeyes as much as Happ helped Wisconsin. He might not be the obvious choice, however Cook has a perfect opportunity to showcase his skill set and be the most impressive rookie in the Big Ten this season.
Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
He Will Have a Major Role Right Away
A year earlier and Tyler Cook would be coming off the bench as the team’s sixth man. Although, Iowa returns just one starter and needs to replace their leading scoring, rebounder and shot blocker — all three came from their front court in 2015.
Cook will enter the season as the team’s premier big man. He’ll be given the green light right away and be a big part of the offense. The Hawkeyes have not had a back to the basket player like Cook under McCaffery. Therefore, he adds a new dynamic to the offense, one that Iowa will look towards often considering the scoring options they lost.
Jarrod Uthoff ranked second in the Big Ten last season averaging 18.9 points per game and improved his scoring output to 19.2 points per contest during Big Ten play. Although, the Hawkeyes lost more than just Uthoff. They’re trying to replace four of their top five scorers from last season, and Cook can help fill the void and add a post presence that wasn’t there a year ago.
Considering the dominating post game Cook showed at Chaminade High School and during the PTL, there’s no doubt McCaffery will feed him the ball early in his career. Not to mention the lack of depth on Iowa this season should result in Cook seeing a lot of minutes.
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Four of the five starters saw at least 30 minutes per game during conference play last season, and that occurred during a season Iowa had solid depth. Now, they have a lot of question marks on their bench and their solid bench turns into their starters. Iowa could end up developing a 10 or 11 man rotation, but Cook is a special talent that McCaffery won’t want to rest for too long or late in games, especially if he shows solid stamina.
Besides, other than Peter Jok, Tyler Cook is Iowa’s go-to scorer. Dom Uhl ranked sixth on the team in points per game last season, averaging six points per contest, and he’s the next best returning scorer from a season ago behind Jok. Simply put, Iowa will need Cook if they want to return to the NCAA Tournament.
The reliance on Cook will also give him a leg up on other freshmen who teamed up with other top-100 recruits. For example, Michigan State has four players in Rivals top-50. As good as Joshua Langford and Miles Bridges are, neither will dominate the ball. Both are great players and Tom Izzo will want to utilize them both. Cook is in a rare situation where he instantly became a leader.
While the amount of turnover Iowa faces is a daunting task, it leaves them with no choice but to rely on freshman Tyler Cook. It doesn’t automatically translate into impressive stats, but it does make it easier.
Intangibles
Great players have a lot of skill, but a big part is the it factor. No one can really explain what it is, however it’s easy to see when a player has it. Tyler Cook has the it factor and the intangibles that can help him become a great player very quickly, and it’s blatantly obvious.
Cook enters the season with a certain swagger to him. Some people might mistake it as cockiness, but it seems more like confidence than anything. Sure, maybe playing alongside Jayson Tatum on one of the top high school basketball teams in the nation made him a little cocky, but he’s not a me before the team type of player.
He realizes what fans and the media are expecting from him right away and wasn’t afraid to point out that his expectations are higher than anyone else’s. It might only be words, but Cook showed maturity with his answers during Iowa’s media day and that he’s here to win, not just to put up individual stats.
It’s important for any freshman to enter the season with confidence, although even more so for Cook since he’ll be implemented into the Hawkeyes’ game plan right away. His innate confidence is a big reason why the moment won’t be too big for him.
Adapting to the physicality and speed of the college game is a different story, but his mindset is right on point. Maybe a little nerves creep in if Iowa is on the road against a ranked team, but in general, Tyler Cook is battle tested for big moments.
Chaminade is consistently one of the best high school programs in the nation and play on ESPN multiple times every year. Also, the third ranked prospect on Rivals.com, Jayson Tatum, was Cook’s teammate in high school. It’s safe to say that a lot of college recruiters attended every game.
There is a certain comfort that comes with knowing a player has been in the spotlight before. He’s had numerous college scouts looking at him, he’s played on national TV and next to one of the best high school players in the nation.
It doesn’t show up on his stat sheet or in his measurables, but being mentally ready is a big part of transitioning to play for a power-five school. It will help him stay even-keeled early in the season and late in games, as well. Iowa saw a little of that confidence and poise when he dominated the PTL League this summer, which gave McCaffery and his staff all sorts of things to be excited about.
He’s a Good Player
Tyler Cook is simply a good player. All the confidence and playing time in the world is great to have, but the lack of skill easily diminishes all of that. Cook has flaws like any player, although it’s easy to see why Iowa feels he has the talent to lead them to the NCAA Tournament.
During the PTL this summer, one that featured many Iowa players, Cook was the leader of his team and shined. He averaged 22.1 points (ranked fourth) and 7.3 rebounds (tied for ninth) per game. Not to mention he also shot 54.2 percent from inside the arc on 83 shots, 35 more than anyone else on his team.
The Hawkeyes need that kind of aggressiveness this season, and it’s evident that he’s not afraid to take over a game. At the same time, he’s more than a willing passer. He ranked third on his PTL team with 2.3 assists per game.
While it might not be the strongest part of his game, Cook isn’t selfish and is still learning to be the go-to player of a team. Remember, he never was the go-to option in high school while playing alongside Jayson Tatum, that’s why being aggressive during PTL play is a positive sign.
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That being said, Cook has the potential to become one of the best post scorers in the Big Ten. He’s shown great ability to finish around the rim with a soft touch. Whether it’s a layup or his go-to running hook shot, Cook is one of the best incoming freshmen when it comes to finishing at the rim with either hand.
However, Cook’s athleticism is what makes him so unique. It will be very hard for teams to match-up on him. He’s a very good post scorer, although he has solid handles and uses that to take his defender off the dribble.
While they’re not the same type of offensive player, he and Jarrod Uthoff both attack defenses in multiple ways, which makes them extremely hard to guard. Cook doesn’t have the outside shot that Uthoff does, although stopping an athletic freak with a head full of steam going to the basket is not an easy task, either.
He’ll create matchup problems for opposing team since he’s too big to be guarded by a guard and too strong and quick to be guarded by a big man. That should open up more mismatches on the court for Iowa.
Plus, Cook is an explosive dunker. He’s not afraid to dunk over anyone and will make plenty of highlight dunks over the course of his Iowa career. If he gets a fastbreak opportunity, ESPN will be replaying his windmill dunk the whole night.
When it comes down to it, Cook is as polished as any freshman Fran McCaffery has ever had. With Iowa’s lack of height (tied for being the team’s tallest player at 6-9), Cook should have enough opportunities to dominate on the glass, as well.
If he can dominate the glass like he did during PTL, and showcase the same shot blocking ability he did in high school, there’s no reason Cook can’t be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. His offense speaks for itself and he’d be one of the most complete freshmen in the Big Ten.
Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
His Weaknesses are Correctable
As good as Tyler Cook can be for the Hawkeyes, like any player, he has obvious weaknesses. None is bigger than his lack of a an outside shot, though. Cook has worked on his mid-range game and three-point shot this offseason, however he still has a long way to go.
During PTL this summer, Cook shot a mediocre 32.2 percent from three, but he wasn’t afraid to take them — he attempted 31 threes. Even though it’s a far cry from where Iowa would like him to be, it’s evident that the deep ball can become part of his arsenal.
The Hawkeyes will want him to dominate in the paint with his silky smooth finish but big men who can space the floor are valuable, which makes developing at least a mid-range game important. Even if Cook struggles with a hand in his face, connecting on open shots will force teams to stay on him, something they didn’t have to do with Adam Woodbury a year ago.
Also, if Cook’s shot develops and teams start to respect it, playing up on Cook to prevent an open jump shot will make it easier for him to drive by his defender. It’s not to say that Cook will become a 40 percent shooter from three by the end of the season, however his already very good offensive game is budding with potential.
Along with his poor outside shooting, free-throws could become a problem late in games. Iowa wants to keep Cook on the floor. He’s a solid defender and Iowa will want his offense. Although, shooting 56.5 percent from the line, like he did in the PTL, won’t cut it.
It will force McCaffery’s hand to sit him because teams will foul him to stay alive in a game. Even Woodbury, who was incompetent on the offensive end, connected on 70 percent of his free-throws. The only player who shot worse from the line on the Hawkeyes last season was Ahmad Wagner, who connected on 51.4 percent. Although, Wagner only played 10.1 minutes per game and wasn’t a vital player late in games.
Cook has obvious weaknesses and teams will target that. However, his weaknesses are also normal for freshmen big men. 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Ethan Happ didn’t face-up defenders on a consistent basis and he didn’t attempt a three all season. Plus, Happ only shot 64.3 percent from the line.
In fact, Cook and Happ play very similarly. Both can take defenders off the dribble, prefer to score inside using good footwork and post moves, and both are solid rebounders and defenders. Happ improved drastically throughout the season and Fran McCaffery is expecting that from Cook, as well.
Cook will have games where his jump shot isn’t falling and it will force him to struggle and have a dreadful shooting night on the box score. Although, nothing in Cook’s game screams disaster. Outside shooting and free-throws are common weaknesses in young big men, now it’s Iowa’s chance to help him refine those areas.