Prospect Spotlight: 2021 Joe Cookson (Seattle Academy)
Seattle Academy has steadily built up a reputation of being one of the top programs in the entire state. It can be difficult to get a lot of attention as a 1A school, but a program with a handful of…
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Continue ReadingSeattle Academy has steadily built up a reputation of being one of the top programs in the entire state. It can be difficult to get a lot of attention as a 1A school, but a program with a handful of legitimate college prospects for a variety of levels is always going to be on the radar. This group went head to head with some of the best 4A and 3A programs this summer and more than held their own. One of the key pieces to it all is junior Joe Cookson.
At 6’6 with a fine tuned offensive skill set, Joe has grown into his body and mental approach to the game this season. A couple of the knocks on Joe’s game have been his strength and all around aggression at times. Taking his game from showing flashes to being an all around force was a focus of his in the off season. “Over the off season I focused a lot on improving my strength and it has made everything on the court easier. I have also focused on being more aggressive and taking more shots, which has helped my team.” Seattle Academy has benefited from his aggressiveness as they are now 6-0 including multiple big wins on the road versus King’s Way Christian and Seton Catholic. Joe is averaging over 16 points per game to go along with 11 rebounds and 4.5 assists from the small forward position. His level of versatility is on full display when he is being aggressive as he has done this season.
Multiple colleges are aware Joe Cookson’s talents and he has heard from D1’s to D3’s as he is a high academic student. The jury remains out on what level he will ultimately play at in college, but whatever college gets him will be getting a player that continues to get better with time. With continued development, Joe could end up being a steal for a D3 or D2 school to get their hands on, but ultimately he said, “My main goal is to play basketball in college at the highest level where I can make a positive contribution to the team.” In the meantime, he will have to keep up this level of play for the Cardinals of Seattle Academy to win the 1A state championship. Joe added, “We have had some really good games but we need to focus on coming onto the court and taking care of business every time.”
Stay tuned for further updates on Joe Cookson and the Seattle Academy Cardinals!
Photo Credit: Sniper Kwam Media