What are your expectations for Cook this season?

[Ian Pike Hammer]

I believe he'll be in beast mode.
On offense, he'll look to score most every time he has the ball. This could be both good and bad, as the league will no doubt try to double team him as much as possible. He's gonna want to post double-doubles every game and hike his scoring avg over 20 ppg. This could lead to ill-advised shots and empty possessions if he's not wise.
On defense, he's gonna want to show improvement to the execs in the NBA. This also may lead to more fouls, and more time on the bench. Let's hope he plays smart and doesn't try to do too much!

 

[InGoodCo]

strong ball handling
better mid range jumper
better defense
B1G first team with his name being tossed for POY

no pressure.

 

[N8theGr8]

Mid-range jumper gets him 3 extra ppg on 4 extra shots per game. Gets after the boards to improve his defense and averages 2 extra RPG. Averages 1 block per game with extra emphasis on defense and looks less confused due to better communication and awareness. Will still have 2-5 WTF moments per game on defense, but will limit those to mental lapses when tired.

Averages 19ppg and 9rpg for first team all-conference honors. Will be in contention for POY if he keeps his WTF moments on defense closer to 2 rather than 5.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

In a word. Dominate. I'd like to see the ball go through him in the half court as much as possible. I hope he doesn't go trying to shoot longer jumpers just to advertise himself for the NBA but within the flow of the offense if he can hit them than sure. But man there's not much worse then an 18 ft jump shot if you can get a better look be it from 3 or in the paint. I'd like to see him get to the free throw line more.

He should be a 20 pt a game guy. Now will defenses focus on him and force us to spread the wealth? I'm sure and that's where having a guy like Garza along side helps immensely. Can't get him back soon enough. Pairing them with a shooter like JBo and a slasher like Moss who I hope is improved we should have all the balance we can hope for that should allow Cook to do his thing out there.

 

[Jason Rann]

I'm thinking 20 ppg and 8-9 rpg. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be double teamed frequently. Teams are going to figure out very quickly that if they don't, they're going to be on a lot of dunk reels. When he is doubled, he'll find the open man and that is where the fun begins because the defense will be scrambling from there. Garza is good around the basket, Moss, Wieskamp and Dailey can slash, we have plenty of 3-point shooters. Shot selection should not be an issue this season.

 

[tksirius]

I guess Cook always wanted to come back this year.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

In a word. Dominate. I'd like to see the ball go through him in the half court as much as possible. I hope he doesn't go trying to shoot longer jumpers just to advertise himself for the NBA but within the flow of the offense if he can hit them than sure. But man there's not much worse then an 18 ft jump shot if you can get a better look be it from 3 or in the paint. I'd like to see him get to the free throw line more.

He should be a 20 pt a game guy. Now will defenses focus on him and force us to spread the wealth? I'm sure and that's where having a guy like Garza along side helps immensely. Can't get him back soon enough. Pairing them with a shooter like JBo and a slasher like Moss who I hope is improved we should have all the balance we can hope for that should allow Cook to do his thing out there.

Appreciate your mention of Garza because THAT'S where the offense needs to go through. If he's not touching the ball every single possession then might as well plan on a repeat of last season.

Being avg to bad ball handlers, when Moss and Cook try to do too much it just falls apart. Let him get his highlight dunks and let's hope he's really worked hard on his mid-range and, especially, defense. Otherwise, it's best to keep him around the lane and not having him put the ball on the floor.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Appreciate your mention of Garza because THAT'S where the offense needs to go through. If he's not touching the ball every single possession then might as well plan on a repeat of last season.

Being avg to bad ball handlers, when Moss and Cook try to do too much it just falls apart. Let him get his highlight dunks and let's hope he's really worked hard on his mid-range and, especially, defense. Otherwise, it's best to keep him around the lane and not having him put the ball on the floor.

Yeah I have high hopes for Garza as well and those two's game compliment each other a lot. Because Garza can feed the ball to him from the high post and float out to spread the floor. His guy has to stay with him the way he can shoot too. I hope teams try doubling off of him and leave him for open looks be it diving to the rim or outside for jumpers. I'm not quite so sure he's ready to shoulder the load of being the primary offensive guy for the ball to be flowing through as your suggesting but I sure think he will be if not this year sometime the next two for sure. I really like his game a lot.

Yes I'm not a fan of Cook putting the ball on the floor a ton either.. But when he's on the block with one defender on him I have confidence in him getting a good look or drawing a foul. If his game has improved even a little bit he'll be a heck of a handful for the BIG to have to try and handle along with the rest of the team. This team should be able to impose their will at the offensive end. The defensive end on the other hand... They'll have to show me before I assume any improvement there

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I guess Cook always wanted to come back this year.

Nice find. I like his attitude about being the leader of the team and wanting to turn us around. I didn't see much about him talking about the strides he's made at the defensive end of the floor but hey I'd rather he show me that regardless I guess. I'm tickled he's back. If he wasn't back and Garza is out for awhile.... We'd have a totally different feel to what to think about this season anyway that's for sure..

 

[MWS604]

My expectations - more of the same. When I look at Cook's game it reminds me a lot of Gerry Wright aka Sir Jamalot. Given the coaching staff, I think we will see what we saw last year on defense. I just can't see him playing defense or hitting mid-ranges shots on a consistent basis.

I just hope that Fran doesn't put together an offense that features Cook. I think our offense could be a lot more potent that featured Bohannon at the SG, Wieskamp at the 3, and Garza at 4/5. Even with the limited time Conner played last season, he showed me significant skill at passing/distributing the ball. I think he can find the open man that includes spotting Cook when he has room to dunk. If we start routinely feeding Cook with his back to the basket, it's going to be another long season.

With all of the offensive options we have and our obvious defensive liabilities, the focus should be on outscoring teams rather than stopping them. Since no coaching changes were made, why does anybody reasonably think the defense will improve? Until Fran is forced to bring in an assistant that is a defensive specialist, 90% of the time there will be at least one player on the opposing team with an open 3 when the shot clock hits 5 seconds.

 

[Cyhawk]

14-15 points and 13-14 Boards

 

[thedukeofearl]

Yeah I have high hopes for Garza as well and those two's game compliment each other a lot. Because Garza can feed the ball to him from the high post and float out to spread the floor. His guy has to stay with him the way he can shoot too. I hope teams try doubling off of him and leave him for open looks be it diving to the rim or outside for jumpers. I'm not quite so sure he's ready to shoulder the load of being the primary offensive guy for the ball to be flowing through as your suggesting but I sure think he will be if not this year sometime the next two for sure. I really like his game a lot.

Yes I'm not a fan of Cook putting the ball on the floor a ton either.. But when he's on the block with one defender on him I have confidence in him getting a good look or drawing a foul. If his game has improved even a little bit he'll be a heck of a handful for the BIG to have to try and handle along with the rest of the team. This team should be able to impose their will at the offensive end. The defensive end on the other hand... They'll have to show me before I assume any improvement there

Tyler certainly needs to pass the ball much better when guarded closely away from the basket. Too often he would quickly throw the ball to a member of the other team. Just hold on the ball, protecting it, and attempt to pass it to a teammate. Value the ball like it is your mother's purse and someone is attempting to steal it.....

Yeah, that's the ticket.....

 

[Ian Pike Hammer]

My expectations - more of the same. When I look at Cook's game it reminds me a lot of Gerry Wright aka Sir Jamalot. Given the coaching staff, I think we will see what we saw last year on defense. I just can't see him playing defense or hitting mid-ranges shots on a consistent basis.

I just hope that Fran doesn't put together an offense that features Cook. I think our offense could be a lot more potent that featured Bohannon at the SG, Wieskamp at the 3, and Garza at 4/5. Even with the limited time Conner played last season, he showed me significant skill at passing/distributing the ball. I think he can find the open man that includes spotting Cook when he has room to dunk. If we start routinely feeding Cook with his back to the basket, it's going to be another long season.

With all of the offensive options we have and our obvious defensive liabilities, the focus should be on outscoring teams rather than stopping them. Since no coaching changes were made, why does anybody reasonably think the defense will improve? Until Fran is forced to bring in an assistant that is a defensive specialist, 90% of the time there will be at least one player on the opposing team with an open 3 when the shot clock hits 5 seconds.

How many times did we see this exact same thing? Great observation! The shot clock seemed to be about 5-7 seconds too long last year!

 

[MWS604]

Tyler certainly needs to pass the ball much better when guarded closely away from the basket. Too often he would quickly throw the ball to a member of the other team. Just hold on the ball, protecting it, and attempt to pass it to a teammate. Value the ball like it is your mother's purse and someone is attempting to steal it.....

Yeah, that's the ticket.....

TC led the team with 82 turnovers last year and just 58 assists. I worry that his primary goal this year is to TRY to be a scoring leader in the B1G to increase his chances to be picked in the 1st round. Its notable that we haven't been to the tourney since he arrived. No doubt he's a great athlete. The question is, can he be a great teammate?

 

[Adam]

I believe he'll be in beast mode.
On offense, he'll look to score most every time he has the ball. This could be both good and bad, as the league will no doubt try to double team him as much as possible. He's gonna want to post double-doubles every game and hike his scoring avg over 20 ppg. This could lead to ill-advised shots and empty possessions if he's not wise.
On defense, he's gonna want to show improvement to the execs in the NBA. This also may lead to more fouls, and more time on the bench. Let's hope he plays smart and doesn't try to do too much!

My expectation. 20 ppg 10 boards 3 assists 0.7 steals and 1.2 blocks. If he averages that I think we win 21-25 games and he achieves his dream of heading to the NBA.

 

[Jason Rann]

My expectation. 20 ppg 10 boards 3 assists 0.7 steals and 1.2 blocks. If he averages that I think we win 21-25 games and he achieves his dream of heading to the NBA.

 

[Knight78]

My expectations for him? 15pts/10rebs per game. Vocal team leader. Get on teammates who dog it on defense. Get completely pissed off if an opponent gets an uncontested layup.

 

[Jason Rann]

My expectations for him? 15pts/10rebs per game. Vocal team leader. Get on teammates who dog it on defense. Get completely pissed off if an opponent gets an uncontested layup.

I hope he does all of this. However, if he is going to get on teammates that dog it on defense, he sure better not be dogging it himself. He was the poster child for that last season.

 

[Ian Pike Hammer]

I hope he does all of this. However, if he is going to get on teammates that dog it on defense, he sure better not be dogging it himself. He was the poster child for that last season.

I find it quite ironic that the NBA preaches defense, when time after time a player drives the lane and 4 defenders run away! Peter Jok, you got shafted.

 

[Northside Hawk]

My expectations - more of the same. When I look at Cook's game it reminds me a lot of Gerry Wright aka Sir Jamalot. Given the coaching staff, I think we will see what we saw last year on defense. I just can't see him playing defense or hitting mid-ranges shots on a consistent basis.

I just hope that Fran doesn't put together an offense that features Cook. I think our offense could be a lot more potent that featured Bohannon at the SG, Wieskamp at the 3, and Garza at 4/5. Even with the limited time Conner played last season, he showed me significant skill at passing/distributing the ball. I think he can find the open man that includes spotting Cook when he has room to dunk. If we start routinely feeding Cook with his back to the basket, it's going to be another long season.

With all of the offensive options we have and our obvious defensive liabilities, the focus should be on outscoring teams rather than stopping them. Since no coaching changes were made, why does anybody reasonably think the defense will improve? Until Fran is forced to bring in an assistant that is a defensive specialist, 90% of the time there will be at least one player on the opposing team with an open 3 when the shot clock hits 5 seconds.

Cook has nowhere near the athleticism of Gerry Wright, but a much better shooting touch and a better all around game. Wright's athleticism had to be seen to be believed-he grabbed an alley-oop against Illinois that everyone thought would be a least a foot over his head, caught it with one hand almost at the top of the backboard, and slammed it through. I once saw Michigan's Glen Rice and Gary Grant get loose at half court on a two on one, but pull it back and set it up when they saw that Wright was the one. He may be the best Hawkeye athlete I've seen in 43 years of watching Iowa basketball.

A good comparison to Cook is Greg Stokes, which I've made in previous comments. Stokes had endless moves around the basket and a soft shooting touch to 15 feet.