Duke basketball’s top 10 shooters of the past decade

Top 10 Duke basketball shooters of the past decade: No. 7 Quinn Cook

Next up we have one of the most under-appreciated players to ever come through the Duke basketball program. Guys like Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justice Winslow get a ton of credit for bringing home Duke’s fifth national championship, but Quinn Cook’s veteran leadership, playmaking, and outside shooting played a huge role in the success of that 2014-15 team.

What’s most remarkable about Quinn Cook is that he steadily improved as a shooter every single year. As a freshman, he shot just 25 percent from three, connecting on just 14 total. As a sophomore, he vastly improved his percentage to just below 40 percent and knocked down 55 in all. In his junior year, he hit a total of 65 threes, shooting 37 percent. Then came Cook’s senior year, and his shooting took off to another level as he made 102 threes, hitting just below 40 percent.

Cook’s improvement is a testament to his work ethic. He did not start out as a great shooter and a guy defenses had to respect from the outside. By the time he was a senior, though, Cook was one of the most respected and feared outside shooters in the ACC. He was a perfect complement to Jones, who could penetrate and create open shots for Cook. He was also perfect for Okafor, who demanded double-teams in the post, allowing Cook to consistently get open looks from three.

Cook led the ACC during the 2014-15 season in 3-point percentage and total makes. He also finished in the top five in the ACC in total points. Cook had an incredible senior year, yet he never got much praise or attention from the media. He only had two games the entire season where he didn’t knock down at least one three. He also made five in the first half in a game against UNC.

He was a pass-first point guard who developed into a knockdown shooter from the outside. Cook didn’t create a lot of shots for himself off the dribble until his senior year. He was proficient at catching and shooting and coming off dribble handoffs. One of my favorite Quinn Cook shots was when he pulled off a behind-the-back stepback against St. John’s during a furious comeback to give Mike Krzyzewski his 1,000th victory.

Now, Cook has used his outside shooting ability to carve out a role in the NBA and play for championship-caliber teams.