By Shawn Nowlin
When Jada Cook, 17, began her freshman year at Patrick Henry High School, she had one ultimate goal in mind: graduate with a Division-1 basketball scholarship in hand.
Earning a full scholarship is life-changing for the recipient, but it doesn’t happen without a lot of hard work, patience and sacrifices.
While family and close friends already knew, Cook, who stands 5’9, officially announced that she will be attending Murray State University in the fall during a school ceremony.
Guiding Cook as she navigated which college to attend were her parents, Eugene “Blue” and JoAnne. Both emphasized to their daughter growing up that hard work always beats talent when talent fails to work hard.
During an official visit to Murray State last summer, Cook’s parents arrived on campus with an open mind and left thoroughly impressed.
“We also visited North Carolina A&T, Sacred Heart University and Charleston Southern University, among others. The four of us – me, JoAnne, Jada and her older brother Jalen – all agreed that it should come down to the right fit and style of play. Coach Turner and her staff made Jada a recruiting priority,” Blue said. “Murray State is a beautiful campus. You can tell that the head coach is a mother. Seeing how she interacted with her players left a lasting impression on our family.”
Certain people are just gifted. At an early age, Cook began to turn heads when she competed on the hardwood. By middle school, she was waking up daily at 6 a.m. in the summer to train with Eric Walker. Before their first session, he told her something that she never forgot, “If your parents have to set your alarm clock, you don’t want it bad enough.”
A four-year varsity letterman, Cook has won multiple awards over her high school career. She has participated in many prestigious camps as well as earned all-district, regional and state honors. Despite only playing in a handful of games as a freshman due to COVID-19, Cook is just 160 points away from eclipsing the 1,000-mark milestone. For the last three years, her father has been her head coach.
“He was my rec league coach when I was in kindergarten, so I am very used to it by now. We may occasionally butt heads, but I never lose sight of just how fortunate I am to have him in my life. He’s not just my dad. He is my coach and mentor too,” she said.
Cook plans to study either business or psychology at Murray State. Asked what her first-year college goals are, she replied, “I want to be an honor roll student, win a conference championship and earn the Missouri Valley Freshman of the Year award.”
There will be times next year when Murray State plays on national TV, including ESPN.
Cook has primarily played point guard in high school and on the AAU circuit. In college, her dad expects her to play more off the ball. “She can score at will, but for us to be successful, she has to be more of a facilitator and get her teammates involved. Nothing was ever given to Jada. She’s worked hard for everything. Moving forward, she is built to outwork the competition,” Blue said.
In her final months as a high school student, Cook is focused on leading her team to a state championship. On Nov. 28, Patrick Henry opens the season by hosting Lord Botetourt at home.
“I think we are going to shock a lot of people this year. We have heard what the doubters have said. Instead of responding verbally, we are going to let our play on the court do the talking,” Cook said. “High school has gone by so fast. I want to enjoy every step of the journey because when it is all said and done, I don’t want to have any regrets.”
