Missouri State University head basketball coach Barry Hinson continues to put together one of the top recruiting classes in the Missouri Valley Conference with the spring commitment by two junior college performers to join a trio of high school standouts already in the fold for the Bears’ 2007-08 roster.
   Guard-forward Chris Cooks of Idabel, Okla., and forward-center Wade Knapp of WaKeeney, Kan., have committed to attend Missouri State and play for the Bears next season. They join an incoming freshman group which includes guard Lamont Austin and forward Kyle Weems of Topeka, Kan., and forward David Cline of Springdale, Ark.
   Cooks is a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder, who has spent the past two seasons playing at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla., while the 6-8, 215-pound Knapp has played for the past two seasons at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College. Both players will be juniors in eligibility at Missouri State next season.
   Playing for coach Jeff Coleman at Idabel High, Cooks was a four-year starter and led the Warriors to 27 wins in 29 games and an Oklahoma class 4A state championship at a prep senior in 2004-05. It is Idabel’s only state title in basketball. Cooks was the 4A player of the year in Oklahoma as he had led his team with season averages of 18.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 blocked shots a game. He was the MVP of the state tournament as he averaged 27.3 points for the three games Idabel played in the state meet. Cooks was also an all-county receiver for Idabel in football.
    Moving to Redlands where his coach was former long-time Wichita prep coach Steve Eck, Cooks averaged 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals a game while shooting 65 percent from the the field and the foul line as a freshman. Cooks collected juco All-America honorable mention selection his sophomore season as he scored 10 points and averaged 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 steals a game while shooting 66 percent from the floor.
   "We’re excited about Chris Cooks stepping into our situation and we think he’ll fit very well," said coach Hinson. "He’ll be a very similar-type player to Tyler Chaney in that Chris can play at a wing and he’s big and strong and quick enough and physical enough that he can go inside and cause mismatches with a backcourt guy and still hold his own with bigger people on the block. He can score in lots of different ways and also rebound and play defense so we see him helping us in a number of different roles."
    Wade Knapp played for two straight Jayhawk West Conference championship teams at Dodge City for coach Brian Haberecht as the Conquistadors were 23-10 in 2005-06 with an 11-5 league mark and then posted a 26-6 record and 12-4 conference log in 2006-07. Knapp averaged 11.9 points and 5.0 rebounds as a sophomore, hitting .572 from the field.
   At Trego Community High in WaKeeney, Knapp averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds a game as a junior as Trego was 19-4. His senior season, he averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks a game to take his team to a 22-1 record and a league title. He repeated his all-conference and all-area honors and moved from second team to first team all-state.
   "Wade Knapp gives us another quality big man," Hinson continues. "He can play with his back to the basket as well as facing it and he can score in several different ways. For his size, he’s extremely athletic and he will challenge our players and our opponents on a daily basis. I see him playing either a four or a five for us and he’s going to make us better wherever we use him."
