If anyone on this year’s Gonzaga squad embodied sacrifice, it was Aaron Cook. During his preseason media rounds, Mark Few made it a point to highlight the addition of Cook to the team. The grad transfer guard was tabbed for a big role, and would have been right to expect one after proving his bona fides at Southern Illinois where he made 70 starts and averaged 15 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3 rpg, and 3.2 spg through the first six games of his senior season in 2019-20 before breaking his hand and missing the rest of the campaign.
Cook (and Dominick Harris), were affected most by the unexpected eligibility granted to Andrew Nembhard at the start of the season, and that big role alongside Jalen Suggs and Joel Ayayi on the nation’s number one team never fully materialized.