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Illinois hoops star Kofi Cockburn remains in NBA Draft (for now) but hits transfer portal
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Illinois star Kofi Cockburn has made an interesting decision.
Andrew Slater of The Athletic reported on Thursday at Cockburn has decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal while still keeping his name in the NBA Draft — at least for now. The 7-foot center is considering all of his options before making a decision on his future.
Cockburn was a critical part of Illinois’ team during the 2020-21 season, averaging 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He helped lead the Illini to a 16-4 record in the B1G and a conference tournament title.
Illinois also earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
7’ Kofi Cockburn, who was a 2nd-team All-American & 1st-team All-Big 10, will enter the transfer portal, while keeping his name in the NBA Draft. @kxng_alpha , who averaged 17.7 points & 9.5 rebounds this season, is exploring all options. He can instantly elevate any program.🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/a9VYNiWPlp
— 𝒜𝓃𝒹𝓇ℯ𝓌 𝒮𝓁𝒶𝓉ℯ𝓇 (@Andrew__Slater) July 1, 2021
Cockburn decided to test the waters of the NBA Draft following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season. If he didn’t declare for the draft, the thought was that he’d return to Illinois without a second thought.
That might still be the case. Players who enter their name into the NCAA transfer portal still can return to their previous institution if it’s in their best interest. But this will allow Cockburn to speak with other coaches around college basketball before making a final decision.
There’s a lot on Cockburn’s plate right now. It’ll be interesting to see what decision he makes.
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