Future bright for Iowa City West's Logan Cook

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Iowa City West head girls’ basketball coach BJ Mayer meets with players individually after each season. It’s a time to review the good and bad from the year, and set some goals for the next one.

Two summers ago, he met with Logan Cook, who’d just finished a full freshman season on varsity. She played in all 25 games and averaged a two points and 1.9 rebounds.

"I said, ‘What do you see yourself doing as a sophomore?’" Mayer remembers. "And she said, ‘If you want me to, I’ll average a double-double.’ And I’m like, ‘What coach wouldn’t tell you … ’"

He paused for a second. Like he was reliving the moment.

"That’s the kind of kid she is," he continued. "If I ask her to do something, she’s going to do it – ‘Yes coach, I’ve got it. I’ll do what I can to get it done.’ And she’ll try to find a way to do that."

RELATED: Girls' state basketball tournament schedule

Alas, Cook didn’t average a double-double her sophomore year. But she did lead the team with 139 rebounds and was third with nine points per contest.

And now, one short year later, Cook has exploded out of the woodwork as one of the best up-and-coming forwards in Iowa. She leads the third-ranked Women of Troy (20-3) into the Class 5A state tournament with 15 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

"Over the summer, Logan has increased her game ten-fold," said Rachel Saunders, who’s second to Cook with 12.8 points per game. "Her shot percentage has increased dramatically. Her shot selection has become so much more diverse. And I don't think we’d be in the state tournament if Logan weren’t on our team."

Probably the most intriguing aspect of Cook’s game is just how little we’ve seen of it at the ultra-competitive level.

This is her breakout season for high school. In terms of club hoops, she only started playing with the Iowa Barnstormers last year — and she's already racked up three Division I offers from Creighton, North Dakota and Bradley.

"To me, she’s still just starting," Logan’s dad, Marv Cook, said. "She’s still learning the game. She’s still seeing new things every time she goes out and plays. And so she still has a lot way to go. So I’m excited to see her development over the next three, four, five years to be honest with you."

Cook’s midrange jump shot is already gorgeous. If she gets the ball a couple feet inside the 3-point line, chances are it’s going through the hoop in a couple seconds. Her form is textbook: high release, fully extended elbow, rainbow arc.

She’s shooting 48 percent this year (141-for-294). That number’s up from 43 percent last year and 33.3 percent her freshman season.

"I’ve tried to work on my shot off the dribble and just getting stronger," Logan Cook said. "Improving my leadership skills, too."

Cook mentioned it there — priority No. 1 this offseason will be her strength, both to improve her inside game and her 3-point shot. She’s 5-for-21 on long balls this year; 3-for-17 last year; 4-for-9 her freshman year.

"We feel that it’s going to come," Mayer said. "We see it in practice a lot. She just needs to get stronger, and from her freshman year to now is night-and-day difference in her strength. She and her family know that, ‘If I want to get to that next level, then I’ve got to keep getting stronger.’

"Her skills are there. Now it’s just, 'Can I get stronger and be able to finish inside and be able to shoot the 3 a little bit more consistently?'"

Added Marv Cook: "The one thing you can’t teach is effort, and she’ll always give you good effort. Right now she’s spending more time in the weight room, really trying to get stronger. That’s a part she knows she needs to get better at, but she’s willing to do all those things."

Cook scored 16 in West’s 60-54 win over No. 13 Southeast Polk to advance to the state tournament. She and the Women of Troy open against No. 6 Waukee (18-4) in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.

Matthew Bain covers preps, recruiting and the Hawkeyes for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Des Moines Register and HawkCentral. Contact him at mbain@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewBain_.