Not a big matter but a curious one

This is really a trivial concern but something we thought still worth posting. Why did Utah State sign Dominique Cooks? (we're assuming he was on scholarship this past season). Cooks was a freshman guard out of Australia whose playing time was curtailed due to injury and solid play by those in front of him in the rotation.

Now it's been announced he isn't returning to Logan. We don't know if the departure was by mutual agreement or something different.

Our curiosity was piqued because most of the time foreign players are brought in because of high level talent or good potential or even sometimes as a package deal in order to land a blue-chipper type. We're not certain but it appears Cooks didn't necessarily fit into any of these categories.

For most schools, the tuition cost for a foreign student is prohibitive unless the player is really worth it -- say very good and ready to start or battle for a starting spot.

Utah State men's basketball is obviously the athletic money-maker in Logan so Coach Stew Morrill should and probably does have some leeway in who he signs. He must have seen something in Cooks which led to the initial signing.

But for whatever reasons, it wasn't meant to be.