For opposing coaches in the Classic 8 Conference, the word is out: If you want to have a chance at beating Waukesha South in boys’ basketball this year, containing the one-two combination of Tyran Cook and Daniel Robinson is a must.
Cook, a 6’2″ senior, is the reigning conference POY and averaged 22.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a junior, leading his team in both categories. He is off to a torrid start and well on his way to repeating the league’s top honor this year after tallying a school-record 45 points in the Blackshirts’ conference opener on December 2, a 71-63 win at Kettle Moraine. He also added 20 rebounds for good measure to make for an unbelievable line in the box score.
Coach Has High Praise
Steve Pollnow, head coach at Mukwonago, has seen Cook up close and personal for three years now, and he is very much aware of the problems the all-state performer causes. “Tyran is definitely one of the most talented players in the state,” said Pollnow. “He is obviously someone that as an opposing coach, you wish you had a player like that. He is very athletic and has a very high basketball IQ, and he sees the next play before it happens.”
Robinson, Cook’s backcourt mate, recorded 13.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last year as a junior, garnering a berth on the Classic 8 2nd-team all-conference list and a wealth of Division I interest.
Both Cook and Robinson realize this year’s team is different than last year’s conference championship squad, and making up for the graduation losses of Marshawn Robinson, Brady Henes, and Tommy Glenn will not be easy. Experience, they say, is what will carry them. Said Cook, “We lost a lot of key players, but we’ve also been playing together since 8th grade and know each other well.” Robinson added, ” I feel like we are playing really good team defense this year, and we know who can score the ball and make the right pass.”
Leadership Is Key
As the team’s most tenured members, they are both quite aware of their leadership roles, ones they do not take lightly, and they realize the need to leave this program in good hands when their Blackshirt careers are over. “As leaders, we need to communicate more with the younger guys, because they will have to lead when we seniors are gone,” said Robinson. Cook echoed his teammate’s sentiment, saying, “I feel like I need to lead by example and show people how it is to be done.”
Cook and Robinson plan on leaving the program better than when they found it. However, the problem for opposing coaches this year is they have not left yet.
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