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Illinois Basketball: Where does Kofi Cockburn rank among top 5 Illini center commits since 2000

By Rees Woodcock

MIDDLE VILLAGE, NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Dylan Cardwell #20 and Kofi Cockburn #21 of Oak Hill Academy celebrate against La Lumiere in the semifinal of the GEICO High School National Tournament at Christ the King High School on April 05, 2019 in Middle Village, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
MIDDLE VILLAGE, NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Dylan Cardwell #20 and Kofi Cockburn #21 of Oak Hill Academy celebrate against La Lumiere in the semifinal of the GEICO High School National Tournament at Christ the King High School on April 05, 2019 in Middle Village, New York. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 10: Meyers Leonard
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 10: Meyers Leonard /

1. Meyers Leonard – Class of 2010 (4-star, #30 overall, .9884 rating)

The best big man Illinois has been able to sign since 2000 comes in the form of Meyers Leonard. When Bruce Weber was able to get him to come to Champaign, I thought it was the resurgence of the program back to the glory days that were just six years prior.

Leonard was a 7-foot, 240-pound center from Robinson High School in Robinson, Illinois. He was rated as a four-star recruit who was the No. 30 player in the class of 2010 and the No. 6 center in the nation. He was also the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois and had a class rating of .9884.

I don’t put blame on Leonard about how things ended in Champaign. This kid had all the talent in the world, but I thought the coaching staff didn’t use him right at the time. He only saw 8.2 minutes of action per game during his freshman season. His sophomore campaign is where he was supposed to take the step to the next level.

Leonard ended up averaging 13.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his final season with the Illini. The team started off amazing that season going 15-3 right out of the gate. But, Illinois crumbled down the stretch only winning one two out of their last 13 games and missing the NCAA tournament. This led to the firing of Bruce Weber and Leonard declaring for the NBA Draft.

The legacy of Leonard could have been better if the Illini didn’t flop down the stretch. Leonard was, easily, one of the most athletically gifted players I have seen suit up for the Orange and Blue.

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