DePaul announced the signing of big man Levi Cook.
The 6-foot-10 Cook also considered Virginia Tech, Providence and others.
“The frontcourt was a major area of need for us in this class and Levi Cook was someone that we identified and made an absolute priority,” head coach Dave Leitao said. “We love the size and skill set that he brings to our team. He is a true low-post center that embraces playing on the block. He is a skilled back-to-the-basket scorer who sees the floor and can really pass the ball out of the post. He also has excellent touch for a player his size, showing the ability to step away from the basket and knock down mid-range jumpers.”
A native of Arnett, W. Va., Cook played at Elev8 Institute (Fla.) last season as a postgraduate student. Prior to Elev8, Cook attended Huntington Prep in his home state of West Virginia for two seasons. As a senior at Huntington, he averaged 6.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 blocks per game on a team that finished the season ranked sixth in the USA Today Super 25.
“Levi has done an incredible job with his body in the past year and the fact that he has played against top-level competition day in and day out throughout his prep career will help him as a he transitions to the Big East,” said Leitao. “I think our fans will love the winning mentality and high basketball IQ that Levi brings to our program. He has a great ability to connect with people and is a great teammate. We are thrilled to welcome him to the DePaul basketball family.”
His first two prep seasons saw Cook earn West Virginia Class AA first team All-State honors as a sophomore at Liberty High School. The center averaged 23.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game during his sophomore campaign.
ESPN ranks Cook as a four-star recruit and the 36th-best center prospect in the country. Scout.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com rate Cook as a three-star recruit with 247Sports placing him at No. 34 among the nation’s top centers.
In addition to signing Cook for next season, DePaul has granted permission for Oumar Barry, Develle Phillips and Frederick Scott to transfer All three players will remain at DePaul through the completion of the spring quarter.
Barry played in 12 games last season while Phillips saw action in 10 games. Scott played in four games during the 2015-16 season.
“We appreciate the efforts of these three individuals during last season and support their decision to pursue opportunities at other institutions,” said Leitao.
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