Having taken legitimate strides in his development dating back to as far as the start of this past high school season, Cook’s progression was reflected in his play, as he consistently displayed the traits of a physically dominant two way post presence. Cook showed improved balance and footwork on the interior— more reliable hands on entry passes from deep seals, and a greater ability to use his strength to establish deep position in the paint and finish efficiently around the rim. He’s also made a noticeable impact on the offensive glass, creating valuable second chance scoring opportunities. Defensively, Cook utilized his strong frame and physicality to make his presence felt. He excells at carving out space, protecting the rim with authoritative shot blocking, and controlling the boards as a rebounder.

While there is still room for continued refinement and consistency, his substantial jump in production points to a player trending in the right direction. With his development trajectory on the rise, Cook is certainly a prospect worth monitoring closely heading into the remainder of the summer.

Although still early in his development, Ahmad Cook Ahmad Cook 7'0" | C/PF West Side | 2028 State NJ has made noticeable gains in both his physical frame and on court skill set throughout the course of his sophomore campaign. Cook’s growth was evident in his play, showcasing more and more flashes of the intangibles of a physically imposing two way post player— improved balance and stronger footwork in the low post, softer hands on dump offs and entry passes, leverage his physical tools with the ability to fight for deep position in the paint and finish with control, and impact on the offensive glass creating second chance opportunities. Leveraging his stout and intimidating frame to also stand out defensively Cook impressed carving out space, protecting the rim with intimidating swats, and dominating the rebounding department. While there is still room for him to fully put it all together, his strong increase in his statistical production reflects a promising trajectory in his development and is definitely one to keep tabs on heading into the summer time.

Although still raw and in the early stages of his development, Ahmad Cook Ahmad Cook 7'0" | C/PF West Side | 2028 State NJ has done noticeable work to his physical frame while simultaneously having taken impressive strides in his on court skillset. Displaying the noticeable growth in his game, Cook exhibited some of the necessary intangibles and attributes that are reflective of a physically imposing two way impact post player— improvement in playing with balanced and stronger footwork in the low post, softer hands catching dump offs and entry passes, fighting for position for deep seals in the paint to turn and finish with control, and being impactful on the offensive glass for meaningful second chance opportunities. With the stout and intimidating physical tools he possesses, Cook also shined as defensive anchor— carving out space and leveraging his physical tools to not only be a rim protector, swatting shot attempts at the rim but also as a ferocious rebounder. With still ways to go in terms of putting it all together, Cook’s strong double double against Newark Tech was definitely a reflective of his onward trajectory at the moment.

Coming off an intriguing freshman season that saw him flash his long term upside, Ahmad Cook Ahmad Cook 7'0" | C/PF West Side | 2028 State NJ will look to showcase the strides he’s taken in his development as a physically imposing, two way impact post player. Cook is capable of not only being a force on the offensive glass, consistently generating extra possessions but also catching the ball in the low post and making a move to finish around the basket. A little further along defensively, Cook will look to continue to demonstrate his ability to protect the paint— using his length to alter and block shots at the rim while also cleaning up on the defensive boards

Although incredibly raw, Ahmad Cook Ahmad Cook 7'0" | C/PF West Side | 2028 State NJ showed flashes of being a force on the interior. Whether it was being able to be effective on the offensive glass or catch it in the low post and make a move, Cook showed a little bit of his potential as an inside big. Defensively, Cook showed he’s capable of being a paint protector, using his length to alter and block shots at the rim as well as grabrebounds on the defensive glass. Cook averaged 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5 blocks across 2 games in the Essex County Invitational.