THE RECRUITING GUY

UA has eye on Robertson’s son

Mike Anderson is recruiting the son of an Arkansas legend.

— Arkansas landed the No. 14 recruiting class in the nation according to ESPN, but Coach Mike Anderson and his men’s basketball staff are still actively recruiting for the 2013 class.

The Razorbacks are keeping tabs on junior college swingman Elgin Cook, the son of former Arkansas All-America guard and NBA All-Star Alvin Robertson.

Cook, 6-6, who plays at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla., signed with Iowa State in 2010 coming out of Milwaukee Hamilton High School, but he never enrolled at Ames. He chose to attend prep school for a semester at Trent International in Houston in the fall of 2011 before enrolling in junior college for the spring semester while not participating in basketball.

“Elgin is a really, really good player,” said Northwest Florida State Coach Steve Forbes, who played baseball at Southern Arkansas University. “He’s a very versatile player. He has unbelievable athleticism, he has a very high skill level and shoots a real high percentage.”

The Raiders are 6-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally in the latest NJCAA poll. Cook is averaging 19.7 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 66 percent from the field.

“Saturday night, he had 32 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in the game,” Forbes said. “It was as good as any floor game as any player I think I’ve ever coached. Maybe not the best, but very close. He was 14 out of 18 from the field, and that’s just his sixth college game.

“I think he has a really bright future.”

Forbes said Cook is drawing interest from Arkansas, West Virginia, TCU, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Mississippi State and others. Cook is set to graduate this summer and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

“Obviously he has a great interest in Arkansas,” Forbes said. “No. 1, they have a great program and Mike has a style of play that fits him. Probably most importantly is that he’s a legacy. His dad was a great player for the Hogs. He’s got some Pig Sooie in his blood.”

Arkansas assistant coaches T.J. Cleveland and Matt Zimmerman have visited the school to check out Cook, Forbes said. He said Robertson, who played at Arkansas in 1981-1984, has been an ideal parent to work with.

“I couldn’t ask for a better parent as far as supporting the coach,” Forbes said. “He completely supports me, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him. I’ve heard a lot of stories about him from Doc Sadler on down, guys telling me how tough he is and was. I think his son is cut out of the same mold.”

JUNIOR ALL-AMERICANS

CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming will announce his junior All-America team at 12:30 p.m. today on his show, The Lemming Report. Defensive linemen Bijhon Jackson of El Dorado and Josh Frazier of Springdale Har-Ber will be two of the 100 prospects on the team.

GET AN EARLY LOOK

Fans in central Arkansas will be able to see several Arkansas football commitments tonight and one highly coveted prospect still being sought by the Razorbacks.

Fayetteville plays at North Little Rock in the Class 7A semifinals at 7 p.m., and several Arkansas commitments will be on the field. Fayetteville features three players who have committed to the Razorbacks - quarterback Austin Allen, linebacker Brooks Ellis and safety Alex Brignoni - while North Little Rock features running back Altee Tenpenny, who is committed to Alabama but is still being pursued by the Razorbacks and plans to take an official visit to Fayetteville.

Pulaski Academy tight end Hunter Henry, another Arkansas commitment, will lead the Bruins against Batesville in the Class 5A semifinals.

E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

Sports, Pages 24 on 11/23/2012