Iowa State men’s basketball preview: Looking at Hallice Cooke
By Brian Spaen
EDITOR’S NOTE: Originally we had Hallice Cooke playing for just two years, but he will be eligible for three years after using his redshirt for this season. The change has been corrected below.
One of the many transfers that are coming to the Iowa State men’s basketball program this year is former Oregon State guard Hallice Cooke. Even though he’s not eligible to play this year, that doesn’t mean we can’t take a quick glance at him.
More from Men's Basketball
- Iowa State basketball: Comeback over Iowa receives wrong attention
- Iowa State men’s basketball: Thank you, Fred Hoiberg
- Iowa State basketball: Never doubt Hilton Magic
- Iowa State Basketball: Cyclones gearing up for end of season
- Iowa State basketball: Cyclones destroy Texas Tech in Jameel McKay’s first start
Cooke was part of the mass exodus from the Beavers after last season. They fired their head coach, Craig Robinson, after a 16-16 overall year (8-10 in the Pac-12). They were only ahead of Washington State and USC in the conference, who combined for just five wins in Pac-12 play.
OSU lost all five of their top scorers. Eric Moreland, a junior, left the team and declared for the NBA Draft. The other three were seniors. Cooke averaged 8.2 points per game and scored the fourth-most points on the team. Did we mention that Cooke was a freshman?
Cooke wasn’t shy about why he wanted to leave. Things were looking bleak in Corvallis, and instead of being a piece the team could build around, he jettisoned to better pastures.
Asked Hallice Cooke what he thinks will be different between Oregon St & Iowa St. "Winning." You've come a long way, Cyclones.
— Luke Meredith (@LukeyMeredith) May 20, 2014
Who can blame him? Oregon State fans will be his biggest critic, but there’s a stiff penalty for players that want to transfer. They lose a full season or burn a redshirt, and nothing emulates actual playing time on the court in a game. Cooke will have just three years to prove to draft scouts that he’s NBA material should he choose to go in that direction.
Cooke’s averages from last season were 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He averaged 26.3 minutes in 32 games, and he started in 18 of them. The freshman had an effective field goal percentage of 56.4 percent and recorded 17.8 percent of the team’s assists (second best).