Football recruiting got a lot of attention this weekend but the Florida Gators basketball staff brought in two official visitors this weekend with one of them being an uncommitted prospect.
Forward Tyler Cook (6-8, 240, St. Louis MO Chaminade) and his father Trent Cook made the visit to Gainesville and they were impressed by new Florida Gators basketball Coach Mike White according to Cook’s father.
“It was very good, Coach White and company did a great job of welcoming us and making us feel at home,” Cook’s father said. “They did a great job of sharing what all Gator Country has to offer Tyler. Quite honestly the visit exceeded our expectations. It really it’s a great group individuals there.”
White and his staff didn’t mix any words when talking to Cook about how much he’s needed in Gainesville.
“He basically said in the season that will be Tyler’s freshman year they have a significant need for a person with Tyler’s skill set at the 4,” Cook’s father said. “He said that they have two individuals that will be graduating so if they could get someone with Tyler’s ability it would afford them to look at bringing in a player to play the ‘3’ instead of bringing two guys to play the ‘4’.”
The plan that White laid out for Cook was a plan that Cook and his family feel comfortable with and they enjoyed hearing it from White himself.
“They thought Tyler was an excellent fit and certainly brought some match-ups challenges to the table,” Cook’s father said. “It was very good to hear that he thought that much of Tyler’s ability and current skill set.”
One of the big things the St. Louis prospect wanted to learn during the official visit was how White was going to run the Florida Gators basketball program and according to Cook’s father they liked what they heard.
“Coach White certainly wants to continue to build on the tradition that is already there,” Cook’s father said. “He wants to keep some things the same but he also wants to put his personal stamp on the program. It was very encouraging to hear everything.”
Like most prospects Cook had never met White or his staff but they heard a lot of great things about him and Cook’s father said that White was exactly what they thought he would be.
“It was our first opportunity to meet him and his staff and he confirmed a lot of the great things that we have heard about him and the staff,” Cook’s father said of White and his staff. “It was just good to get his [Coach White] vision of the program and to finally meet everyone. We have interacted mainly with Coach White and Coach [Dusty] May.”
Next up for Cook will be a trip to see the Iowa Hawkeyes but the power forward is also trying to set up an in-home visit with the Gators.
“We haven’t set an in-home yet but we are going to be conversing this week to see what the next step will be,” Cook’s father said. “Tyler has taken his list down to five and we are going to dive into each of them and we’re going to allow it to run’s its course. Tyler’s initial intent was to decide before the season but we will see how the next couple of visits go.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Cook visits Iowa on the 19th and also plans to visit Arkansas and Iowa State but no concrete plans have been made for those visits as of yet. I would say that right Iowa and Florida have a leg up but neither Cook or his father are ready to say that publicly. The Florida Gators basketball staff did a great job on the visit as Cook’s father was very happy about the time they spent in Gainesville.