Former University of Illinois basketball star Brian Cook worked his way from a tough, poor upbringing (often eating syrup sandwiches), having been raised by his loving mother and dealing with self-esteem and a lack of confidence. From that beginning he slowly built himself into a McDonald's All-American basketball player in high school and eventually into the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year with the Fighting Illini. As shown in Brian Cook: An Illini Legend, Cook resisted the temptation to leave college early, instead staying all four years during what he called "the best time of my life." He grew from a boy to a man while at college and maintained a tremendous relationship with his mother (his best friend) and his sisters. Now Cook, beginning his career in the NBA, looks forward to the day when he can use his money to buy something wonderful for his mother. In an era filled with players best described as "punks," Brian Cook: An Illini Legend tells the story of a man who is sweet, sensitive and caring.