Libertyville's athletes too much for Grayslake Central

He's neither a point guard nor quarterback, but Brendan Cook showed off the athleticism during the final game of Wheeling's Hardwood Classic Wednesday night that made him part of North Dakota State University's football recruiting class.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Cook, recruited by NDSU as a defensive lineman, fired a no-look jump pass from the top of the key to Libertyville teammate Drew Peterson under the basket. Peterson finished with a two-handed dunk, part of his 20-point first half and a 10-0 run by the Wildcats late in the first half. Libertyville went on to beat Grayslake Central 70-42, capping Day 1 in the 40th annual tournament.

"I'm always looking for Drew," Cook said. "Drew can make everything happen."

"He says he's a football player," Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said with a smile of Cook. "But we're sticking with right now that he's also a basketball player."

Peterson finished with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists - and also had a no-look dish himself, to Brian Wilterdink for a layup - and Libertyville (6-4) advanced to Thursday's 8:45 p.m. game against Fremd. Grayslake Central (5-5) will play host Wheeling at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Libertyville bolted to a 10-0 lead, with Peterson and Chase Eyre knocking down 3-pointers to start the game. The lead swelled to 16-2 late in the opening quarter and by halftime the Wildcats were up 34-14, as they held the Rams to 5-of-18 shooting from the floor.

"The thing we really focused on was high intensity at the defensive end, because we've struggled in first quarters," Zyrkowski said. "Tonight we came out and showed up in the first quarter. We talk about how defense will generate offense, and tonight it did."

Cook, who finished with 2 points and 4 rebounds, didn't go out for basketball until his junior year. He's been starting this season at center and has carved out an important role.

Mind you, he had planned not to play this season, until his North Dakota State's coaches talked to him.

"I was completely against it (playing basketball) until probably the end of football season," Cook said. "(North Dakota State) told me they wanted me to play. I was like, 'Might as well if they want me to,' let me condition and wait to get big there."

Eyre (10 points, two 3-pointers) was Libertyville's only other player to score in double figures. Brandon Simberg's 6 points came on two 3-pointers.

Grayslake Central got 13 points from Antonio Crews and 11 from Jack Spalding.