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Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn reportedly makes decision on NBA Draft
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The decision has reportedly been made by Illinois’ center Kofi Cockburn. He will withdraw from the 2021 NBA Draft and return to college for another season. But that still leave one question left to be answered.
Will Cockburn be returning to Illinois?
Andrew Slater of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Cockburn will withdraw from the NBA Draft but will still keep his name in the NCAA transfer portal. He put his name into the database last week to consider all of his options.
7’ Kofi Cockburn will withdraw from the NBA Draft. @kxng_alpha will explore his college options, including a potential return to Illinois. This season, Kofi was named a 2nd-team All-American & earned 1st-team All-Big 10 distinction. He can elevate a program to a National Title. pic.twitter.com/5A61W2qX5s
— 𝒜𝓃𝒹𝓇ℯ𝓌 𝒮𝓁𝒶𝓉ℯ𝓇 (@Andrew__Slater) July 6, 2021
Considering the success Cockburn enjoyed last season at Illinois, the decision to enter the transfer portal came as a big surprise. It’s important to remember, though, that he could still return to Champaign if that’s in his best interest.
Last season, Cockburn was named a second-team All-American and a first-team All-B1G player. He averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Illini. Over the course of two seasons, the center is averaging 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.
Illinois finished the B1G season with a 16-4 record in conference play, finishing second in the standings. The Fighting Illini went on to win the B1G Tournament and received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB