Cook is a Renaissance man for the Wildcats

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Justin Cook of Renaissance Academy doesn’t receive nearly as much recognition as some of Southern California’s other talented guards such as Larry Drew, Jerime Anderson and Jrue Holiday. Then again, the hype machine never, at least it seems like never, stops generating news about those three.

Still, there’s no reason Cook shouldn’t be acknowledged from time to time. His numbers, remarkably enough, are comparable. The senior is averaging 21 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game for the Wildcats heading into Thursday’s game against Montclair Prep in a semifinal showdown of the Winter Slam Jam tournament.

Cook, a starter since he was a freshman, has guided Renaissance Academy to three consecutive appearances in a Southern Section title game, and his improvement and production during that span has not gone unnoticed. He’s been contacted by several NCAA Division I programs, most recently Matt Doherty coach at SMU. No official offers have been made.

Sure, Cook is not as well-known as some of his backcourt counterparts. That, however, hasn’t prevented him from creating his own identity, finding his own niche. And he did it underneath the radar, while others enjoyed the spotlight.

-- Sean Ceglinsky