JUCO forward visits Mizzou

Connors State (OK) forward Arlando Cook spent the day Monday back in his former he state. Cook, who played high school basketball at Madison Prep in St. Louis, took an unofficial visit to Missouri.

"I kind of expected something different," Cook said. "The visit went better than I thought."

Cook arrived on campus around 11 o'clock with his cousin and his brother. He spent most of the day in Columbia.

"I talked to the academic counselor, after that had lunch with coach Anderson, took a tour around the campus, and then I got to play pickup with some of the guys," he said. "Seeing the guys competing every play, even though it's just pickup, that was good."

Cook is a 6-foot-8 power forward who averaged 11.4 points and 9.3 rebounds a game as a freshman at Connors State. But he's athletic enough to provide some versatility on the floor and said that is one of the things Anderson likes about his game.

"They just basically saying that I'm a four man that can do more than a lot of fours can do. I can pick and pop, guard multiple positions and run up and down the court," he said. "They said they're trying to form a new offense with guys that can get up and down the court and that I would fit good."

At this time, Cook does not have an offer from Mizzou, but does claim offers from Houston, Kansas State, Tulsa and LSU. Other schools he said were showing interest at this point are Arkansas, Iowa State, East Carolina and Memphis. Cook plans to attend the Jerry Mullens camp in late July which features much of the top junior college talent in the country.

"I'm just kind of taking everything in right now," he said.