Cook teams up with new Blue Devils

Duke sophomore Quinn Cook showed the new guys the ropes Tuesday night.

In his team DreamWorks’ second game of the S.J.G. Greater NC Pro Am, the Blue Devil point guard teamed up with incoming freshmen Rasheed Sulaimon and Amile Jefferson—as well as Rodney Hood, a sophomore transfer from Mississippi State—nearly coming back from a thirteen-point deficit but ultimately losing to Team Navy 71-68 at McDougald-McLendon Gym.

“Quinn Cook definitely is a lot more seasoned than he was last year,” league P.A. announcer Bill Murphy said.

With teammates Seth Curry, Tyler Thornton, and Josh Hairston looking on from the end of the bench, Cook scored a game-high 19 points to lead the way for DreamWorks. With his team trailing by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter, the sophomore sparked a comeback attempt, knocking down two 3-pointers as part of his 12 fourth-quarter points.

He also had no trouble integrating his new Duke teammates into the offense, finding Hood and Jefferson for breakaway opportunities and open shots on multiple occasions. Like fellow Blue Devil Alex Murphy, the two wing men both stand 6-foot-8-inches tall, and that height advantage opened up a lot of perimeter shooting opportunities for DreamWorks.

“These [new] guys look athletic,” Murphy said.

In the game’s final minute, Cook drew the double team on the wing and found Hood alone in the corner for a trey that tied the game at 68. DreamWorks ended up losing to Team Navy after N.C. State guard Alex Johnson responded with a fade-away 3-pointer that left just 1.9 seconds on the clock, but the chemistry between the future Duke teammates certainly showed in their fourth-quarter run.

Together, the four combined for 47 points, and Hood and Jefferson both cracked double-digit point totals.