AAC Basketball: 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

13. Jalen Cook

Cook is a 6’0 point guard originally from Walker, Louisiana. He began his collegiate career at LSU, riding the bench before transferring to Tulane in the AAC. He was Ron Hunter’s best weapon these last two seasons for the Green Wave, though Cook has recently transferred back to LSU for his senior season. What he accomplished in the AAC is worthy of plenty of praise, especially for this Tulane program.

Cook wasn’t much of an offensive weapon at LSU but was dynamic at Tulane, averaging 18.0 points per game in his first season with the Green Wave. This past year was even better, with Cook averaging 19.9 points and 4.9 assists per game, helping lead Tulane to their first 20-win season in over two decades. Among his standout efforts were a pair of 30-point outings late in conference play during this past season, though the Green Wave couldn’t get over the hump in a tough AAC Tournament.

One of the most electric point guards in the nation these past two seasons, Cook was named First Team All-AAC for each campaign. He was among the conference’s leaders in many offensive metrics and categories. He’s headed back to LSU in hopes of standing out more on the nation stage with the Tigers, but he did plenty of good for a Tulane program that has been historically quite bleak. The Green Wave really needed him and he came through for them, helping the program to trend upwards for the first time this century.