Even at 6-9, 204, Cook Carries Own Weight

Anthony Cook, Arizona’s beanpole, is so skinny that Coach Lute Olson once said of the 6-foot 9-inch, 204-pound senior: “He’s the only player we’ve had who needed suspenders with his trunks.”

But in terms of his value to the second-ranked Wildcats, who will play UCLA today at the sold-out McKale Center, Cook more than carries his own weight.

Some, in fact, have said that Cook, who was all but smuggled out of Los Angeles under cover of darkness four years ago, is as valuable to Arizona as All-American Sean Elliott.

“He’s one of those players who has not gathered the type of accolades he deserves,” said USC Coach George Raveling, whose Trojans were burned for a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds by Cook Thursday night in a 93-70 loss.

“He wins a lot of games for them down in the trenches--blocking shots, rebounding. He does all the things that only a coach or a mother are going to appreciate.”

And some things that those with a less-focused eye would cherish, too.

Cook, the Wildcats’ No. 2 scorer and No. 1 rebounder, is averaging 17 points and 7.6 rebounds a game, leads the Pacific 10 Conference at 63.6% and is the conference’s all-time leading shot blocker.

Once considered too frail even for college basketball, Cook probably will be among the first 30 players taken this summer in the National Basketball Assn. draft, said Marty Blake, director of scouting for the NBA.

For the most part, though, Cook plays in the shadow of Elliott, his best friend and former roommate.

“He’s the most overlooked guy in the West, and maybe in America,” UCLA Coach Jim Harrick said. “You look at Dennis Rodman and John Salley (of the Detroit Pistons) and you see Anthony Cook.

“He’s going to be the surprise of the NBA draft. I look at Glen Rice of Michigan (who has been mentioned as a candidate for player of the year) and he’s got a three-point shot. But other than an outside jump shot, he doesn’t have anything on Anthony Cook.

“Anthony Cook will block your shot--stick it right back in your face--and then he’ll run right back down to the other end of the floor and dunk on you.

“He’s a big-time player and nobody ever talks about him.”

It was Cook’s ability to run the floor that attracted Olson, who won a recruiting battle with Loyola Marymount for Cook.

Cook, a two-time All-City selection who was bused to Van Nuys High from his parents’ home in South-Central Los Angeles, signed before his senior year.

Cook, 21, grew up in an area where gangs and drug use are common, but avoided the perils of the streets, he said, because of the influence of his stepfather and mother, Charles and Shirley Marsaw.

“They kept me away from some of those guys in my neighborhood,” Cook said. “My dad kept telling me, ‘They’re trouble.’ ”

One day, Cook listened and stayed home. His friends went out, stole a car and were arrested.

Cook, who didn’t play basketball until he got to high school, earned a 3.2 grade-point average at Van Nuys.

He wasn’t ignored as a basketball player, though.

Former UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard was interested, but Cook wouldn’t allow Hazzard to visit his home.

“I didn’t like his attitude,” Cook said. “He kept bragging about how good UCLA was going to be. I really didn’t care about that. I wanted to know about the school.”

Olson wasn’t allowed to visit, either, but only because Cook’s parents wanted him to stay closer to home.

Cook, though, was persuaded by Olson to visit Tucson. He enjoyed the camaraderie among the Wildcats and eventually signed--over the objections of his parents, who preferred Loyola.

Upon his arrival in Tucson a year later, the scrawny freshman weighed 178 pounds.

So taken aback was Olson by Cook’s appearance that at first he didn’t include Cook in his plans for the season, believing that it would probably be best for Cook to spend a redshirt year trying to add bulk.

But, Olson said, “The closer we came to making that decision, the more we realized that he was making great progress.”

While his teammates worked on their scoring averages, Cook concentrated on defense.

Less than a month into the season, Cook was a starter for a team that won the Pac-10 championship.

“Defense is the key to a coach’s heart,” Cook said.

Cook has been a starter ever since, improving his scoring average by about three points each season. Last season, when the Wildcats were 35-3, won the Pac-10 for the second time in three years and reached the Final Four, Cook averaged 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, made 61.8% of his shots and was an all-conference choice.

With the graduation of three starters from that team, Cook has assumed an expanded role this season, not only contributing as a defender and rebounder but also scoring more and providing leadership as a co-captain.

His contributions may be overlooked at times because of Elliott, but Cook doesn’t seem to mind.

“I’m just trying to stay consistent and do my part to help the team,” he said.

He has done that. Arizona is 19-3 overall, has lost only once in its last 12 games--to top-ranked Oklahoma last Sunday at Norman, Okla., 82-80--and leads the Pac-10 with a record of 13-1.

Cook’s effectiveness is enhanced by Elliott, Olson said.

“Sean’s abilities allow Anthony to maneuver inside,” Olson said. “Nobody can really sag and help out. Whoever is outside has to focus on Elliott, trying to keep him from doing what he wants to do.

“That gives Anthony room inside. Plus, Sean is our leading assist man and many of those assists are to Anthony.

“They’re good friends, and Sean is very aware of Anthony. So whenever Anthony comes close to being open, Sean gets him the ball.”

Once he gets it, despite appearances, Cook is often able to muscle it into the basket.

He’s stronger than he looks.

Or so he says.

“I play against guys who weigh 30 or 40 pounds more than me, but I’m able to push them around.”

Not that it’s often required.

Bruin Notes

Arizona has won 31 straight games at the McHale Center since March 13, 1987, when it lost in overtime to Texas El Paso, 98-91, in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament. . . . Arizona’s Sean Elliott, who needs 34 points to surpass former UCLA center Lew Alcindor as the Pacific 10 Conference’s all-time leading scorer, has made only 37.5% of his shots in the Wildcats’ last four games. . . . Anthony Cook, who made 12 of 14 shots Thursday night against USC, also had three blocked shots against the Trojans, raising his season total to 56. Cook established a school record with 75 blocked shots last season and has 250 blocked shots in his career. . . . UCLA is 16-6 overall, 10-3 in the Pac-10 and has not lost two straight games this season. The Bruins, though, are only 6-5 outside of Pauley Pavilion. . . . In five seasons at Arizona, Wildcat Coach Lute Olson is 5-5 against UCLA.