Oregon basketball adds elite talent in 5-star Mookie Cook to 2023 class

Oregon Basketball has landed a top prospect in the 2023 class in Mookie Cook. It was previously rumored that he may reclassify to the class of 2022.

Mookie Cook has a family connection to the Ducks as his sister Chaquinn ran track and field for Oregon in 2017 and 2018. She was a two-time All-American. He is the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2023 class.

Dana Altman now has two recruits in his Oregon career that were ranked in the top five before they arrived in Eugene. The other was Bol Bol who spent one season with the Ducks and had an injury-plagued season.

The 6-foot-7 Cook will add some height to the lineup and I expect that Altman will look to utilize his size for possibly more than one position on the floor as he has shown with players in the past.

Altman has been able to find success in his time with the Ducks. For the most part, his teams have been competitive and have found a way to put together some key team chemistry at the right time in January in February to make a run in March.

While the pandemic took away crowds in 2020 and part of 2021, Altman did his best to build a roster with leaders and transfers, including fourth-year starter Will Richardson, which is a rare feat anymore. However, it was clear from the start of the year, that the team would only go as far as Richardson could carry them in most games.

As a result, the team struggled in the Pac-12 Tournament without Richardson who was out of the lineup and not traveling with the team. Oregon missed out on the NCAA Tournament and landed a spot in the NIT. The Ducks won their first road game against Utah State but lost to eventual runner-up Texas A&M in the second round.

The commitment of Cook should get the program back on track but the Ducks will have to wait until 2023 to get him onto campus.