Tyus Jones' arrival brought out best in Duke's Quinn Cook
HOUSTON — Duke's Quinn Cook had an interesting reaction when he heard the preseason doubts in the media and among fans over whether the senior could coexist with ballyhooed freshman point guard Tyus Jones.
Cook was amused.
He knew that outsiders who feasted on the notion that Jones was taking Cook's job had little sense of the strength of his relationship with the McDonald's All-American from Minnesota. They didn't know that Cook not only had met Jones at the Chris Paul camp the summer before Cook's junior season, but that he urged Jones to come to Duke so they could play together.
"It would have been easy for me to have a little resentment for Tyus," Cook said. "But that's not my personality; that's not his personality. Everyone speculating made us even closer."
After an uneven first three years at Duke, Cook's maturity, leadership and acceptance of his new role this year has been integral to the success of top-seeded Duke, which will play fifth-seeded Utah in the South Regional semifinals Friday night. In fact, even with the stellar play of freshman Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Jones, coach Mike Krzyzewski says the key component this season has been Cook's leadership.
"Quinn has been amazing for this team," teammate Amile Jefferson said. "To watch how he has grown and progressed, it's been really cool to see how he has blossomed and become a leader. He has been like a rock for our group."
The tenor for Cook's senior season was set last spring, when he, his mom and Krzyzewski met following the Blue Devils' first-round loss to Mercer. He said he had no choice but to "look himself in the mirror" and change for the better.
In the past, there had been too much erratic play and reluctance to take accountability for that up-and-down play. Growing up in the Washington, D.C., area, Cook had been told he was the next phenom since middle school days, Duke assistant Nate James said. Then he arrived at Duke and a lot rode on his decision making.
"He struggled and did what most kids do," James said. "They point the finger and don't want to accept the criticism and the blame … Anytime you have a kid who wasn't always the first one to say, 'Hey, it was my fault,' you never know how it will go. To his credit, the has changed all around."
Cook spent the summer grappling with regret over not speaking up more as a junior. He says he used the fact that he wasn't a captain as an excuse. And as a sophomore, he says, he was a leader sometimes when he was playing well but "when stuff hit the fan" he didn't lead.
He realized how fast college careers go, and he had only one year left. He wasn't going to hold back any longer. Jefferson says that Cook now gives constructive criticism to teammates that sometimes they may not want to hear.
"Guys listen to me," Cook said. "If I see something, I say it. There's a lot about last year that I regret — not being a leader."
And he has done what many senior floor leaders may not have been able to do: Accept a freshman to arrive and change Cook's role. James acknowledged that challenge but said the staff made it known to Cook and Jones that both could play together.
The staff emphasized the success that UConn had last season with guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright. The Huskies won the national title. And it helped that Jones arrived with the understanding that he was not going to "step on Quinn's shoes," James said.
Though both can certainly handle the ball effectively, James said, Jones is the primary ball handler who runs the offense. Cook plays off the ball and is the emotional leader. And Cook accepted Jones from the first day of practice, which players and coaches say set the tone for the season.
"Quinn has been a great leader since day one," Jones said. "He has been a leader of this team. But as a leader, he told us coming in that everybody on the team can be a leader, everyone can get on somebody. As the leader and captain of our team, for him to say that it just gives you confidence and he made that known since day one."
Winslow said one thing that makes it a unique relationship is that, while Cook is the leader, "if Q's not doing something right, then Tyus is going to get on him. It's about trusting, believing in each other."
Jefferson said Cook and Jones have "gelled in a way you wouldn't normally see and wouldn't expect to see … Quinn's leadership has been his biggest step forward. He has been an emotional, physical and mental leader for our group the entire season."
On the court, Cook has been equally strong. He matched Okafor's average of 16.8 points per game in ACC play. He led the team in three-point field-goal percentage and led the ACC in three-pointers per game. He improved his shooting in every category.
Then there are the intangibles, such as the snarl-like facial expression he makes on the court at times that helps to motivate his teammates. Jefferson called it contagious bravado.
In the second round against San Diego State, Cook swished a deep three, looked into the stands and pretended to re-holster guns to each hip. Then he yelled loud enough to be heard a block away — "Boom!"
"I just watch too much Russell Westbrook," Cook said. "He is one of my favorite players. I just try to emulate him too much. … That emotion, it thrived through the whole team."
The strength of Cook's relationship with Jones also helps the whole team thrive. As Cook knew all along, preseason speculation of his demise was greatly exaggerated.
"It has been a fabulous dynamic," Krzyzewski said of the Jones-Cook relationship. "They have a great relationship … [Cook] has led us to a fabulous season."