Cooke reminisces on career as a Gamecock
Malik Cooke doesn’t know what his reaction will be tonight, as he takes the court for the last time at Colonial Life Arena.
“Senior Night for me was a long time ago back in high school,” Cooke said. “I’m sure I’ll think back on it, but it probably won’t hit me until after the game.”
Though the memories haven’t been all good for South Carolina’s lone senior, who transferred in 2008 from Nevada, he’ll look to win his last home game, as the Gamecocks take on Mississippi State.
Cooke had to sit out his first season because of NCAA transfer rules, but his two seasons playing for the Gamecocks have been up-and-down. No game sticks out in particular for Cooke, as he’ll remember both the good and the bad.
“I hope I don’t have any regrets when I look back,” Cooke said. “I hope I did everything I could to try to be the best I could everyday.”
Cooke said he enjoyed his time at South Carolina and that it was ultimately a good decision to transfer from Nevada and return closer to his Charlotte home, though Nevada was a good experience.
For USC coach Darrin Horn, having Cooke has added consistency to a team that has been largely inconsistent. Cooke said that the thing that he hopes teammates learn from him is that with hard work, they can help their team because they have ability that can be developed.
“We’ve been in every game, played well in spots, but that’s the difference between maturity and immaturity — that consistency,” Horn said. “As a fifth-year senior, he has that. His approach or his play or being very vocal in his leadership qualities, he’s been very consistent in that, like you’d expect from a veteran.”
Though Cooke said it would mean a lot for him to get the win, as does any win in a season where they’ve been few and far between, Horn said that finishing the season with two wins would do a lot to satisfy critics and frustrated fans, though the focus still remains on the team.
Despite not getting the number of wins he had hoped for, Horn attributes the competitive nature of the team to Cooke’s maturity, as they’ve been able to stay close in games.
“I think that’s one of the reasons you see a team that’s got two wins in league play come out and continue to play hard and compete,” Horn said. “We put ourselves in opportunities where we have opportunities to be in games. That’s a rare thing given our situation. Malik is a big part of that because of his consistency and his leadership.”
Horn emphasized players not listening to outside influence, whether they’re successful or unsuccessful. Cooke mirrored that, saying that Horn’s job has not been on the team’s mind as they play their final two regular season games before heading to the SEC Tournament in New Orleans.
“He hasn’t said anything like that to us,” Cooke said. “He just wants us to go out and play for each other and play together and just give it our best — that’s all he’s asked this whole season. That’s what we’re really trying to do.”
For Horn, who suffered the worst loss in his coaching career earlier this season against Kentucky, the struggles haven’t been easy, as fans have been outspoken in their displeasure with the team’s record. With a coaching evaluation upcoming at the end of the season with Athletics Director Eric Hyman, it won’t be getting any easier.
“It’s been really hard,” Horn said. “It’s been hard because it’s not something that I’m used to, by any stretch. It’s also hard because I think our team has come out and continued to work hard. They’ve continued to work hard and be in games with an opportunity to have a chance to get it done. Not closing it out has been frustrating and difficult personally, but more than that, I’m frustrated for our guys. They continue to put in the work, but have just not made the plays.”