RENO, Nev. Malik Cooke of Charlotte, N.C., and Armon Johnson of Reno, Nev., have signed national letters of intent to study and play basketball at the University of Nevada beginning in 2007-08, third-year head coach Mark Fox announced Friday.
“We are very excited to add these two young men to our program,” Fox said. “Both of them are terrific people who understand how to win.”
A 6-5, 190-pound forward, Cooke is an all-state and all-league selection at Christ School in Arden, N.C. He averaged 19 points and 9.5 rebounds last year, while as a sophomore in 2004-05, he helped lead his team to a state title. He earned team MVP honors in 2005-06 after leading the Greenies to an 18-14 record, a tie for second place in the conference and a berth in the North Carolina state tournament.
“Malik is a true small forward. He is a long, athletic player who can finish. He also has a real knack to get to the glass. I really wanted a true small forward, and he is a good one,” Fox said.
Johnson is a 6-3, 190-pound guard out of Hug High School in Reno. Last season, he was named the Northern 4A Region Co-Player of the Year. He led the Northern Region in scoring at 30.4 points per game to go along with 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. A first-team all-state selection, Johnson led the Hug Hawks to the Sierra League championship and the Class 4A state semifinals last season.
“Armon is a combo guard who really knows how to score. It is so pleasing to have a local player who wants to stay here and play. He will eventually play both backcourt positions,” Fox said.
