Juco prospect Arlando Cook impressed by Anderson, visit.
Forward Arlando Cook made an unofficial visit to Arkansas on Saturday, and he said he plans to return for an official visit.
“I haven’t actually set a date yet, but I will be setting a date real soon,” Cook said.
Cook, 6- 8, 205 pounds, of Connors State ( Okla.) Community College, has 18 scholarship offers, including ones from Arkansas, Missouri, LSU, Iowa State, Arizona State and Kansas State.
“It’s like a family atmosphere and a lot of good people,” Cook said of Arkansas. “It’s a college town. I wasn’t even committed and a lot of people were showing a lot of love to me. I mean, it was just an unofficial visit.”
Cook attended St. Louis Madison Prep prior to junior college and averaged 13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and shot 61 percent from the field as a senior. He’s communicating with Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson and assistant T. J. Cleveland.
“He was basically saying they don’t have a specific position,” Cook said of Anderson. “They play athletes and with me being an athlete, I’m there to play basketball not just be a block person. He mostly likes tough guys and he said I’m one of the tough guys. With me coming in from juco, he needs impact players and that’s what I have to be.”
Cook, who averaged 11.4 pints, 9.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game last season, said he plans to make an unofficial visit to Missouri this weekend.
His relationship with Anderson and Cleveland is big part of his interest in the Hogs, he said.
“They are close to me, and the second reason is I have a lot of interest in Arkansas,” Cook said. “I was just trying to show them.”
Cook, who also has plans to officially visit Iowa State, said he desires a school that will help him grow as a person and player.
“A school that can help me become a man off the court and on the court and, of course, graduate,” he said.
FROM NEW ORLEANS
Defensive lineman Stephon Taylor, 6- 5, 285, of New Orleans McDonogh 35, is considering taking an official visit to Fayetteville. If that doesn’t happen, he wants to attend a game on an unofficial visit.
“I’ve heard it’s a great a school and a great place to be,” Taylor said. “I’m going to come up there and check it out. I’ll probably come up and catch a game if I can.”
He said Razorbacks defensive line commitment Briston Guidry of Metairie ( La.) Rummel spoke well of Arkansas.
“He said it’s great place,” Taylor said. “He likes all of the staff, and he said I would fit great in their defense.”
Taylor reports having more than 40 scholarship offers, including ones from LSU, Texas, Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma and Nebraska. He said he plans to officially visit Oregon on Sept. 18- 20.
“I probably want to visit Texas, Arkansas and Nebraska,” he said. “I just want to go to places I haven’t been.”
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network rates Taylor as a four- star prospect. As expected, LSU will be a major player for Taylor.
“I’m not going to say they’re my favorite, but they’re one of my choices,” he said. “LSU will definitely be in my top three, that’s all I can say. I’m thinking about officially visiting them, but I’ve been there plenty of times.”
MORE MALIK
Guard Malik Monk of Bentonville will announce his top schools at 7 p. m. today on The Raw Report radio show on KAKS- FM, 99.5, in Northwest Arkansas.
Monk, 6- 4, 190, is rated the No. 1 shooting guard and No. 5 overall prospect in the nation by ESPN.
E- mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com