NJIT Basketball: In-depth look at junior Highlanders guard Zach Cooks

Why you should know Cooks?

As was mentioned above, Cooks is one of the best players that no one knows about. If he continues to play the way he has his first two years in Newark the country is going to know who he is, and quickly. When the guard has finished his career, his name is going to be scattered all over the record book.

The 34 points that he scored against Quinnipiac in the opening round of the CIT tournament a year ago, tied the school record for most points in a game. His 17.5 points per game last year was a nine-point improvement over his freshman year. That point per game average was also the third highest in Highlander history.

The guard is also a great defender and a rebounder for his size. The junior stands at only 5’9” tall and averaged about five rebounds per game. The underrated part of Cooks game are his quick hands he had the most steals in the ASun and finished in the top-10 nationally with 88 steals. If you are not taking care of the ball on offense Cooks will take it from you.

The rising junior is a star in the league and gets his recognition on the offensive end, as evidenced by his 15 games with over 20 points and the great three-point shooting at 35%. The junior guard is deadly from beyond the arc and will make you pay on the defensive end. It is no wonder coach Kennedy barely ever takes Cooks of the floor.