Tyler Cook Denver Pre-Draft Workout Interview

It cracks me up that people act like Tyler can't get his degree without playing basketball for a college program. He can get paid to play basketball and continue his college course work on line, if he chooses. Millions of people pay for their own college education every year.
 
There is a player comp in the NBA that Cook kinda resembles. Larry Nance JR... I think Cook is a bigger stronger version of him. He isn't a scoring machine that's going to hit 19 ft jumpers all the time but he's a pogo stick down low that hustles and can make athletic plays around the rim. He's not a starting caliber guy you'd want to give 30 plus mins to very often but if Cook sells himself on being that type of NBA player....
 
Cook seems like a pretty good guy. I hope the best for him whatever he decides. A college education probably would be better for him in the long run. He can always make some $$$ overseas if he doesn't make the NBA. It would be nice to be able to pay cash for a nice home before you enter the real world of 9 to 5.
 
There is a player comp in the NBA that Cook kinda resembles. Larry Nance JR... I think Cook is a bigger stronger version of him. He isn't a scoring machine that's going to hit 19 ft jumpers all the time but he's a pogo stick down low that hustles and can make athletic plays around the rim. He's not a starting caliber guy you'd want to give 30 plus mins to very often but if Cook sells himself on being that type of NBA player....

That is his niche not only to get into league, but stay there. Ryan Bowen played 10+ years in the NBA being a hustle/energy guy. Bowen was light years ahead of Cook defensively, but his offensive skill set was somewhat similar. If you don't have a well rounded game you are better off finding a role and excelling at it. Bowen probably averaged about 10 minutes a game for his career and I would guess made 2 or 3 million dollars.

 
That is his niche not only to get into league, but stay there. Ryan Bowen played 10+ years in the NBA being a hustle/energy guy. Bowen was light years ahead of Cook defensively, but his offensive skill set was somewhat similar. If you don't have a well rounded game you are better off finding a role and excelling at it. Bowen probably averaged about 10 minutes a game for his career and I would guess made 2 or 3 million dollars.

He made quite a bit more than 2 or 3 million dollars. I'd probably guess closer to 8 or 9 million.
 
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He made quite a bit more than 2 or 3 million dollars. I'd probably guess closer to 8 or 9 million.
Yeah he hung around quite awhile that wouldn't surprise me a bit. Cook could be that 8th man off the bench play 10-20 mins a night just depending on matchups and how he's doing etc. Do I think an NBA team is going to draft him? No there's just too many other guys being looked at with both more of an offensive game and defensive. But his size and athleticism has upside. He'll get invited to a teams summer league roster and that's when he'll get a better feel of where he belongs. Be it Europe or the G league to start with. I doubt he'll make an NBA roster day 1 I think he'll have to work his way up to that. It feels like his days at Iowa are done the more I read on him. I think he's done with school and wants to start cashing checks. He's seeing what his former HS buddy Tatum is doing tearing up the NBA and he has a pretty good idea of how he lines up with him anyway...
 
Agreed. Why play for free and be forced to take college courses, when you can get paid to play basketball? Even if it's only $60K a year playing overseas.

Why play overseas for $60K when you can get way more exposure playing another year of D1 basketball for a power conference program. If he has any hopes of playing in the NBA he should stay stateside. If he goes to Europe his NBA hopes are done. He can be the big man on campus at Iowa getting free room and board with lots of fine females around or he can come off the bench for some low level European team where he won't fit in at all.
 
Why play overseas for $60K when you can get way more exposure playing another year of D1 basketball for a power conference program. If he has any hopes of playing in the NBA he should stay stateside. If he goes to Europe his NBA hopes are done. He can be the big man on campus at Iowa getting free room and board with lots of fine females around or he can come off the bench for some low level European team where he won't fit in at all.
I think that's a low figure for over there. I think in the higher levels they can make well over 6 figures. The G league is going to start paying around 50k I think. To me playing the NBA game as far as rules and staying over here would be a good option as well. To me that's what I'd try first. If in a year or so of that if it looks like the NBA won't happen I'd then go over seas and make as much as I could
 
Tyler can wish in one hand. Wait until he's playing in Lithuania with the Ball boys! Also did you see Bruce Weber takes his team to the Elite 8 gets a mere 2 year contract extension. Fran McCaffrey and enormous extension with much fewer results.

But they don’t have Gay Barta as an AD.
 
I have $20 on the gone

I can see a European cruise in the near future. If you thought there was any chance of Iowa being as bad as we were this past season, would you want to come back? People need to seriously think about that.
 
Why play overseas for $60K when you can get way more exposure playing another year of D1 basketball for a power conference program. If he has any hopes of playing in the NBA he should stay stateside. If he goes to Europe his NBA hopes are done. He can be the big man on campus at Iowa getting free room and board with lots of fine females around or he can come off the bench for some low level European team where he won't fit in at all.
Yeah.....because nobody that plays in Europe ever gets drafted by the NBA. You might wanna take a look at the name at the top of many mock drafts. Pay particular attention to his place of origin.
 
Good thread to remind us all that college isn't about an education or degree...it is about learning a trade to make money...hopefully big...while at the same time the system milks the "student athletes" for hundreds of millions without reimbursement (other than under the table)...recipe for corruption...but few seem to care inside or out...too much $$$ floating about.

Hope he reaches his dream, whatever that is...he won't be a big loss for Iowa's shut down, in your face, defensive system that Fran is working on...
 
Yeah.....because nobody that plays in Europe ever gets drafted by the NBA. You might wanna take a look at the name at the top of many mock drafts. Pay particular attention to his place of origin.

The European players getting drafted are...Europeans. They aren't Americans who went overseas first. The lone exceptions are lottery guys like Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay. Comparing Cook to Doncic is silly.
 
He made quite a bit more than 2 or 3 million dollars. I'd probably guess closer to 8 or 9 million.

Your guess is probably closer than mine. Do I think Cook will ever play in the NBA? I'm leaning toward no. If we are having this conversation 10 years from now about Cook playing in the league.......he will have made it the way Hawkfnntn described it.
 
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To give up a degree for a secondary league is a mistake. Yes, a guy csn go back to school, but most of these guys tend to blow their money real quick so they may not be able to afford to go back to school if the NBA farm leagues or Europe don't work out. Even guys that make the league tend to end up bankrupt because they can't handle the money. If Tyler doesn't get drafted, he should stay at Iowa another year to work on his game and get closer to his degree.
 
To give up a degree for a secondary league is a mistake. Yes, a guy csn go back to school, but most of these guys tend to blow their money real quick so they may not be able to afford to go back to school if the NBA farm leagues or Europe don't work out. Even guys that make the league tend to end up bankrupt because they can't handle the money. If Tyler doesn't get drafted, he should stay at Iowa another year to work on his game and get closer to his degree.
From what a lot of people are saying is that this has more to do with either Tyler just wanting to be done with school or really not wanting to come back to Iowa for some other reason. If he does stay at Iowa, he will do it reluctantly; that's rather obvious at this point.
 
I think hes definitely gone...he just seems to be done with the whole college thing and ready to move on.

With all the scandals and hypocrisy currently plaguing ncaa basketball I cant really say I blame him either. The ncaa needs a drastic overhaul
 
Hopefully, he will be back, but I think Cook thought he wouldn't of been at Iowa for more than two years when he first arrived. It could be an ego thing that his two years are up and he didn't even make a big ten all conference team. If he never makes the NBA he can make plenty of money playing overseas to get a good start on life after college.
 
I can see a European cruise in the near future. If you thought there was any chance of Iowa being as bad as we were this past season, would you want to come back? People need to seriously think about that.


Athletes, non-athletes leave college to pursue their dreams all the time. I don't have an issue with that. What is problematic is if he thinks he can't get the coaching, exposure, etc. that he needs to get to the NBA by coming back. If that's the case, that is on Fran.
 
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