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Did/does Tyler Cook make NBA Combine?

It will be interesting to see if he withdraws before the deadline. I'm leaning toward him staying in the draft. The likelihood of him being selected is quite low, however.
His next stop seems likely to be the G league or Europe.
 
Why? His parents seem supportive and he can always come back and finish.

Because it most likely wont happen.

Hes going to have to be working for the rest of his life. Makes it hard to also get degree.

Only reason to leave now is if you hate school, if you hate it youre probably not coming back.

Not impossible but if your plan is to essentially shoot yourself in the foot now for no reason I have my doubts that he possees the capicity to make it work later when its more difficult.
 
Because it most likely wont happen.

Hes going to have to be working for the rest of his life. Makes it hard to also get degree.

Only reason to leave now is if you hate school, if you hate it youre probably not coming back.

Not impossible but if your plan is to essentially shoot yourself in the foot now for no reason I have my doubts that he possees the capicity to make it work later when its more difficult.

A lot of assumptions there. He's never had academic or behavior issues at Iowa. It could be as simple as he's ready to earn money playing basketball, whether it's in the NBA or overseas if that isn't an option. Every player has a finite # of years they have to earn money playing hoops. I would prefer as a fan that he come back to Iowa and play more, but if the feedback he's currently getting is that he's not good enough for the NBA, another year or two isn't likely to change that, and that he could go right now and make six figures or better playing outside the US, I don't see how that is a terrible choice. I'm not saying that's what is in front of him, it's just a possibility. Of course all of that could be there 1 or 2 years from now too.

Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, the safety for the Packers, just got his degree from Alabama this spring after leaving early several years ago. There are other guys who finish their degrees too.
 
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Didn't see a thread started on it. Looking like the combine will be next week 16-20.

CBS article I read didn't have him in the list of 69 folks, but he could still be invited per the details.

article for those wanting to read
https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...outs-and-general-managers-at-the-combine/amp/

anyone who has info post away.
"Cook wasn’t among those invited to the NBA scouting combine, so he remains an extreme long shot to appear on many draft boards." From Hawkcentral article with Fran.

He has 6 individual team workouts scheduled
 
A lot of assumptions there. He's never had academic or behavior issues at Iowa. It could be as simple as he's ready to earn money playing basketball, whether it's in the NBA or overseas if that isn't an option. Every player has a finite # of years they have to earn money playing hoops. I would prefer as a fan that he come back to Iowa and play more, but if the feedback he's currently getting is that he's not good enough for the NBA, another year or two isn't likely to change that, and that he could go right now and make six figures or better playing outside the US, I don't see how that is a terrible choice. I'm not saying that's what is in front of him, it's just a possibility. Of course all of that could be there 1 or 2 years from now too.

Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, the safety for the Packers, just got his degree from Alabama this spring after leaving early several years ago. There are other guys who finish their degrees too.
Actually, the numbers are quite small. While there are high profile exceptions, the graduation rates of athletes in general are lower than the general population of FULL TIME (The keyword is full time. The statistics most commonly cited include PT students. When only full time students are used the numbers flip.) college students. The number of athletes who go back to school and get a degree are quite small. An article from 2013 listed a total of 18 NBA, NFL and MLB players who had done so at that time. There are close to 200 underclassmen leaving for the pros in basketball alone this year.
 
A lot of assumptions there. He's never had academic or behavior issues at Iowa. It could be as simple as he's ready to earn money playing basketball, whether it's in the NBA or overseas if that isn't an option. Every player has a finite # of years they have to earn money playing hoops. I would prefer as a fan that he come back to Iowa and play more, but if the feedback he's currently getting is that he's not good enough for the NBA, another year or two isn't likely to change that, and that he could go right now and make six figures or better playing outside the US, I don't see how that is a terrible choice. I'm not saying that's what is in front of him, it's just a possibility. Of course all of that could be there 1 or 2 years from now too.

Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, the safety for the Packers, just got his degree from Alabama this spring after leaving early several years ago. There are other guys who finish their degrees too.

Not really any assumptions in his post. It has always been a rarity for a guy to go back and get his degree. Yes some do, and you hear about most of those because they are publicized. You don't hear about the majority that don't go back.
Also, reports have stated he does NOT want to go overseas. So, NBA draft, sign a 2 way deal with a team and go to G league, or return to Iowa. He isn't getting drafted. So will a team give him a 2 way deal and is the money good enough? If not, then leaving is a bad, bad decision.
Clinton Dix has the money to easily go back. I don't think guys that leave and fail have that luxury very often because (1) real life sets in, (2) the money isn't there, and perhaps most important (3) the desire usually isn't there.
 
Mere speculation, because only Tyler Cook knows what he is thinking (and whomever he's shared his thoughts with), but I agree with the poster who said Cook has little to gain returning to Iowa from a basketball standpoint. If he isn't good enough to get drafted now, another year or two at Iowa isn't likely to change that. I'm going to guess Tyler at some level is aware of that.

Who knows, though. Maybe he'll return to Iowa with a chip on his shoulder. If I had to wager money, though, I would put it on his days putting on a Hawkeye uniform being in the rearview.
 
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Mere speculation, because only Tyler Cook knows what he is thinking (and whomever he's shared his thoughts with), but I agree with the poster who said Cook has little to gain returning to Iowa from a basketball standpoint. If he isn't good enough to get drafted now, another year or two at Iowa isn't likely to change that. I'm going to guess Tyler at some level is aware of that.

Who knows, though. Maybe he'll return to Iowa with a chip on his shoulder. If I had to wager money, though, I would put it on his days putting on a Hawkeye uniform being in the rearview.
That's a huge question mark.

If he comes back does he make headway on the defensive end to have any chance in the NBA? Right now he's so far away it's hard to even picture it. Particularly at Iowa where there's been no sign at all on the court of interest in defense as a team, and very little from a few individuals.
His offensive game is limited to within a few feet of the basket. Would staying at Iowa help him develop a drive and perimeter shot that would carry forward to the NBA? Or, would they continue to use him in the relatively one dimensional way he has been so far? He could put up even better numbers at Iowa going forward, potentially. But if it's all about being an unstoppable bull in the low post against the competition he faces at this level, I'm not sure NBA evaluators will think that's enough.
 
Let's remember how difficult the 2 way deals are. Even if a guy signs a 2 way deal, the NBA team can cut them at any moment. The deals are not guaranteed to last the entire season. Teams regularly add/cut 2 way players multiple times a season.

To just assume Cook is going to get a 2 way deal from an NBA team next year if he stays in the draft would be considered likely the best case scenario.

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/7...-2017-summer-league-agents-worried-about-them


Not really any assumptions in his post. It has always been a rarity for a guy to go back and get his degree. Yes some do, and you hear about most of those because they are publicized. You don't hear about the majority that don't go back.
Also, reports have stated he does NOT want to go overseas. So, NBA draft, sign a 2 way deal with a team and go to G league, or return to Iowa. He isn't getting drafted. So will a team give him a 2 way deal and is the money good enough? If not, then leaving is a bad, bad decision.
Clinton Dix has the money to easily go back. I don't think guys that leave and fail have that luxury very often because (1) real life sets in, (2) the money isn't there, and perhaps most important (3) the desire usually isn't there.
 
A lot of assumptions there. He's never had academic or behavior issues at Iowa. It could be as simple as he's ready to earn money playing basketball, whether it's in the NBA or overseas if that isn't an option. Every player has a finite # of years they have to earn money playing hoops. I would prefer as a fan that he come back to Iowa and play more, but if the feedback he's currently getting is that he's not good enough for the NBA, another year or two isn't likely to change that, and that he could go right now and make six figures or better playing outside the US, I don't see how that is a terrible choice. I'm not saying that's what is in front of him, it's just a possibility. Of course all of that could be there 1 or 2 years from now too.

Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, the safety for the Packers, just got his degree from Alabama this spring after leaving early several years ago. There are other guys who finish their degrees too.

I never made assumptions at all other than if you leave school for what will likely only amount to a couple hundred k at most up front you probably dont enjoy school because long term not taking the free degree will cost you allot of money.

Sure theres guys that go back but its a low percentage.

Also Dix is a millionaire that only works half the year. That makes it allot easier.

Any way you look at it you are shooting yourself in the foot financially to leave for non nba money unless you get the degree after which most dont.

Because basketball is such a small window. You're not starting a job you can do the rest of youre life at that salary. Its only a few years.
 
The Tyler Cook situation is such an Iowa basketball thing to happen. They finally get a highly ranked guy with great basketball athleticism and...he leaves early with no shot at the NBA.

Made even more "Iowa" by the fact that we have "fans" that think he's making good decisions when it is so completely obvious he's throwing away his best shot, which is to improve and work on his weaknesses, perhaps show he can become All B1G and lead his team to something meaningful.
 
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... when it is so completely obvious he's throwing away his best shot, which is to improve and work on his weaknesses, perhaps show he can become All B1G and lead his team to something meaningful.

But it's not obvious what his "best shot" for making a career out of playing basketball is. There are several (mostly non-American) players that used playing in Europe as a means to getting to the NBA. There are claims that playing more games / having more practice time / not needing to worry about classes is a better way to improve as a player.

Are those claims true? I don't know. Hopefully Tyler can reach out to someone like Matt Gatens who ( I believe) played 3 years in Europe after graduating to get his opinion.
 
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Mere speculation, because only Tyler Cook knows what he is thinking (and whomever he's shared his thoughts with), but I agree with the poster who said Cook has little to gain returning to Iowa from a basketball standpoint. If he isn't good enough to get drafted now, another year or two at Iowa isn't likely to change that. I'm going to guess Tyler at some level is aware of that.

Who knows, though. Maybe he'll return to Iowa with a chip on his shoulder. If I had to wager money, though, I would put it on his days putting on a Hawkeye uniform being in the rearview.
Cook has a LOT to prove from a basketball standpoint. He can improve defensively. He can show an outside shot more. He can lead the team in improving. Leaving says he feels he needs no more education. Cue Pink Floyd.
 
Cook has a LOT to prove from a basketball standpoint. He can improve defensively. He can show an outside shot more. He can lead the team in improving. Leaving says he feels he needs no more education. Cue Pink Floyd.

I agree whole heartedly with you and the doc. I just don't think those things will matter at the end of the day. Tyler Cook is what he is: a phenomenal athlete who will probably always be viewed as an undersized PF. Europe and developmental leagues are full of guys like Tyler. It's not a knock on Tyler, it's just the fact the NBA isn't what it used to be when guys like Jeff Moe and JR Koch were 2nd Round picks.

Good news for Hawkeye fans, because if the article I just read is correct and Tyler Cook will return to school if the NBA isn't a viable option for him, we should be seeing him suit up donning the black and gold in 2018 -2019.
 
Cook will need to develop a three-point shot, play some defense, and show better BB IQ, if he wants to play in the NBA. I don't think it is impossible.
 
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... I agree with the poster who said Cook has little to gain returning to Iowa from a basketball standpoint. If he isn't good enough to get drafted now, another year or two at Iowa isn't likely to change that...

Who knows, though. Maybe he'll return to Iowa with a chip on his shoulder...
I agree with this. I'm hoping he returns with motivation. I have no reason to believe he will be ready to put in the effort needed to be a division 1 level defensive player.
 
From April 11.

First up, Tyler Cook, who released an update about his future on Hawkeye Sports today.

"Playing in the NBA is a dream of mine for as long as I can remember and I am taking full advantage of this opportunity to see where I stand so I can make an informed decision for my future," Cook said.

The power forward said that rumors of him already having one foot out the door for the NBA are simply not true...

"I have two great situations," Cook said. Whether I go to the NBA, I will be reaching a dream of mine or coming back for my junior year is not a bad option either. When I have all the information in front of me I will be able to make an informed decision."
 
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One thing for certain, we will know by May 30th one way or the other...
I definitely want him to stay. Develop a better outside shot, improve his defense, and increase his BB IQ. That and lead the Hawkeyes to an upper division finish!
 
With the added ball handlers to the team this year, the opportunity of Cook to shine offensively should be there. Increasing his understanding of the game and his effort on the defensive end is mostly up to him.
 
In the few games that he played, Connor showed that he can pass and run an offense at least as well as anyone else on the team. I am not sure if he is a better ballhandler than JBo, who is primarily an elite shooter, but he is clearly better than anyone who backed up JBo. JoeW is a 2/3, and I expect his ballhandling to be a significant step up from the 4s that Fran was trying to play at 3... Fredrick also seems to be more than just a shooter from the tapes I have seen. I still don't see the on-ball defender that we need, but these guys should definitely help on the offensive end. Defensively, JoeW should have the quickness to guard 3s, which the guys playing 3 last year lacked.
 
In the few games that he played, Connor showed that he can pass and run an offense at least as well as anyone else on the team. I am not sure if he is a better ballhandler than JBo, who is primarily an elite shooter, but he is clearly better than anyone who backed up JBo. JoeW is a 2/3, and I expect his ballhandling to be a significant step up from the 4s that Fran was trying to play at 3... Fredrick also seems to be more than just a shooter from the tapes I have seen. I still don't see the on-ball defender that we need, but these guys should definitely help on the offensive end. Defensively, JoeW should have the quickness to guard 3s, which the guys playing 3 last year lacked.

JBO is a pretty good ballhandler he just doesn't have the quickness or strength to get around anybody in the big ten.

Moss handles are really sloppy right now too so combine those two with three bigs on the floor at once and Iowa was easily the worst handling team in conference.

Connor at least has some size and strength to creat some space at times.

I assume Joe will be our best shot creator off the dribble regardless of what position hes at.

And Daily can handle alright for a 3 but not a 1, having him as a 3rd ballhandler on the court vs the primary will help too.

I just hope to god I never see 3 bigs on the floor at once again. Id much rather see 4 guards.
 
I think there is a hard date by which Cook needs to make his decision,.... Anybody know what that timeline is?...
 
Let's remember how difficult the 2 way deals are. Even if a guy signs a 2 way deal, the NBA team can cut them at any moment. The deals are not guaranteed to last the entire season. Teams regularly add/cut 2 way players multiple times a season.

To just assume Cook is going to get a 2 way deal from an NBA team next year if he stays in the draft would be considered likely the best case scenario.

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/7...-2017-summer-league-agents-worried-about-them
Thus my comment about will he get a 2 way deal and will it be good enough? You kind of make my point. He isn't NBA material, 2 ways are a crapshoot even if you get one, few players that leave early and don't make it ever go back to college. Which leaves Iowa as the only good option if one thinks about it logically.
 
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