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Cook enjoys last day of camp

Oden makes an appearance; Fizdale breaks down some of Cook’s workouts.

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By Kamari Stevens, Staff Writer Updated 2:36 AM Wednesday, June 24, 2009

DAYTON — Dunbar High School graduate Daequan Cook wrapped up his two-day basketball camp at his alma mater on Tuesday, June 23. Among the players who showed up was Cook’s former Ohio State teammate Greg Oden.

Other observations:

Goofing around: Cook spent a lot of time interacting with the campers, in more ways than one. Whether it was doing shooting drills or participating in some of the 5-on-5 scrimmages, Cook was there. He definitely had a great time, spending most of the time with a smile on his face.

“It feels real good just getting an opportunity to interact with a lot of the kids,” Cook said.

Celebrity sighting: Oden visited Cook’s camp and the Portland Trail Blazers center interacted well with the campers. But when he was asked to speak to the crowded bleachers of kids from grades 8-12, he was very brief.

High school stars: The gym was packed with aspiring athletes, including some familiar names such as Jefferson’s Adreian Payne, Thurgood Marshall’s Greg Gainey and Dunbar’s Geron Johnson.

Day in the life: Miami Heat assistant coach David Fizdale gave the campers an inside look at some of the workouts Cook does to maintain his spot in the NBA. Fizdale said that he and Cook plan on working to develop his skills at getting to the basket on the NBA level this summer.

“Everybody obviously knows that he can shoot the basketball, but we want to get back to getting him playing off the dribble,” Fizdale said. “All summer is going to be spent on his game off the dribble and being able to attack the basket and get to the free-throw line.”

Earlier in the afternoon, he mentioned to a few people that Cook had an affinity for Skittles and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.”

Staying grounded: A lot of the volunteers, including Dunbar assistant coach Albert Powell, who says he’s known Cook since the age of 7, were directly connected to Cook’s camp. Throughout the day, Cook spent time joking, laughing, taking pictures and hugging familiar faces who wore his “Daequan Shooting Camp” T-shirt.

Cook on his 3-point title: “I have to defend it. And I’m looking forward at trying to win it back-to-back.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2033 or kstevens@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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