February 3, 2004

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Guard Omar Cook to a 10-day contract. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard will join the team for practice today and will be in uniform tomorrow night when the Blazers visit the Phoenix Suns at 6pm (PST). He will wear number ten.

Cook had been playing this season with the Fayetteville Patriots of the National Basketball Development League. He appeared in 24 games, averaging 10.2 ppg and leading the NBDL in assists, 9.0 apg, and steals, 2.6 spg.

On January 31, Cook dished out a league season-high 14 assists against Roanoke and recorded 10 or more assists in a game 12 times this season. His 215 assists through 24 games put him on pace to shatter the NBDL single-season record for assists, 306.

After a stellar prep career at Christ The King H.S. in Queens, NY, Cook attended St. John’s University. He averaged 15.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 8.7 apg and was named Third Team All-Big East Conference as a freshman. Cook’s 252 assists set a St. John’s freshman record and ranked second on the school’s all-time single-season assist chart.

Cook left college after one season and was selected by the Orlando Magic in the second round (32nd pick overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft. Cook's rights were then traded by Orlando to the Denver Nuggets to fulfill a previous trade obligation,. He was waived by Denver prior to the start of the 2001-02 season and was signed by the Dallas Mavericks.

Cook spent a month with Dallas, but did not see any game action. He has participated in summer mini-camp or training camp with the Boston Celtics (2002), Orlando Magic (2002) and Indiana Pacers (2003).

The 22-year-old has spent the past three seasons with Fayetteville. Cook was All-NBDL Honorable Mention last season after being on the All-NBDL Second Team and NBDL All-Rookie Team in 2001-02.

The Blazers have two games remaining on a three-game road trip. Portland returns home to face the Seattle Supersonics on Sunday, February 8 in the Rose Garden at Noon.