June 30, 1999
Texas A&M guard Clifton Cook, the 1999 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year, has been ruled academically ineligible, A&M coach Melvin Watkins said Wednesday.
"Not having Clifton back will be a set back for us, especially with so many new kids coming in," Watkins said. "But our main focus now is to help him continue his career and make sure something positive happens for him out of a negative situation."
Cook (Dunbar HS, Dayton, Ohio), a 6-1 point guard who would have been a senior next season, started all 27 games last year after transferring to A&M from Howard College in Big Spring. He led the team in scoring (15.6), assists (5.8) and steals (2.5) and ranked second in rebounding (5.4). He ranked second in the Big 12 in assists and steals and also ranked among the top three-point shooters in the league, averaging 1.8 per game.
Cook was named third-team All-Big 12 by the league's coaches and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the Austin American-Statesman.