Star transfer guard Jalen Cook officially made his season debut for LSU when he checked into the Tigers’ game against No. 19 Texas with 15:12 left in the first half with the score at 15-5 in favor of the Longhorns.
Cook came off the bench for his first game but is expected to be a key contributor going forward.
His return comes as a result of recent legal developments with an ongoing case involving the NCAA. He’ll provide a big boost for a struggling LSU squad, starting with the important match against the Longhorns.
The Tigers so far have a record of 6-4, and while the team has had promising moments, it’s been sorely missing an offensive leader. Cook will provide that with his scoring and facilitating.
While at Tulane for the last two seasons, Cook was twice named to the All-AAC first team and averaged 19 points and 4.2 assists per game. Before that, he started his career at LSU, but played sparsely as a freshman before transferring to the Green Wave.
Furthermore, Cook will be available for the rest of the season for LSU.
Cook and many other athletes in similar situations around the country had been barred from playing this year under the NCAA’s current rules, which require two-time transfers to sit out a year before competing.
Before the season, Cook applied for a waiver to receive immediate eligibility, but on Nov. 1, LSU announced that his waiver was denied and that he would appeal the decision.
The program had been waiting for a ruling on the appeal, with Cook continuing to practice with the team but unable to participate in games.
However, a U.S. district court judge issued a temporary restraining order on Wednesday that suspends the NCAA’s ability to enforce its transfer rules. That means that two-time transfers who’d been ruled ineligible are now immediately eligible, including Cook.
Head coach Matt McMahon said after the Tigers’ Wednesday match with Alabama State that, because of the legal development, the team anticipated having Cook available on Saturday.
There were some worries that two-time transfers who competed during the two-week restraining order period might face punishments, like loss of eligibility.
However, the NCAA agreed to terms Friday to extend that temporary restraining order to a preliminary injunction that applies through the season for all spring sports without penalty, allowing Cook to return for the remainder of the year.
Without Cook, LSU has turned to freshman guard Mike Williams III at point guard. Williams has had a learning curve, but he’s begun to find more offensive consistency to go with his reliable defense.
The lawsuit that allowed Cook to return, the State of Ohio vs NCAA, was brought by several states on the grounds that the NCAA’s transfer rules violate federal antitrust laws and prevent student-athletes from marketing their labor and controlling their education.
While the NCAA’s agreement will allow two-time transfers to play for the rest of the spring season, the fate of that rule going forward remains undecided as the case progresses.
