LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KTSM) – After lighting up the NCAA Division II level for three years at Northeastern State (OK), Christian Cook is making the leap to Division I at New Mexico State.
First-year head coach Jason Hooten announced the addition of Cook on Thursday, the 10th player the Aggies have inked since Hooten took over in late March.
A 6’2 junior guard from Oklahoma, Cook will have two years to play at NMSU. He led the RiverHawks in scoring at 16 points per game, while also dishing out 2.2 assists.
“We are really excited about the signing of Christian Cook. Christian played in one of the best Division II conferences in the country and had tremendous success there,” Hooten said in a statement on Thursday. “His scoring average and shooting percentages were terrific, and from our past experiences with DII players, we feel these numbers will translate on the mid-major DI level. Christian has the ability to make shots and the toughness to guard like we want to here at New Mexico State. His attitude and work ethic are traits we look for as we continue to build our culture.
During his third season with the RiverHawks, he earned All-MIAA Third Team honors after leading NSU in scoring on 10 different occasions, including posting a season-best mark of 28 points in an overtime win over Washburn on Nov. 28. In total, Cook finished the season with seven 20-plus point performances.
Cook also served as the RiverHawks’ best sharpshooter as he made a career-high 61 three-pointers while shooting at a 41.5% clip from beyond the arc. On the season, he also posted a 45.4 shooting percentage from the field and an 81.1% success rate from the charity stripe.
