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Illinois Basketball: Moussa Cisse keeps the Illini in top 10

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: A basketball rolls off the court during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: A basketball rolls off the court during a timeout in the Big Ten Conference game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2017, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Illinois basketball team moved one step closer to landing a big-time recruit for the class of 2021.

Kofi Cockburn declaring for the NBA Draft a week ago really sent shockwaves through the Illini fanbase. I always knew he should declare, but his letter announcing it made it sound like he isn’t coming back to the program. So, now what do the Illini do with the No. 5 spot? Well, landing someone like Moussa Cisse would be the answer.

Cisse is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound center from Lausanne Collegiate School and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. He is rated as a five-star recruit who is the No. 8 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 3 power forward in the nation. He is also the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee.

On Sunday night, Cisse decided to cut the list of programs down to just 10 teams vying for his commitment. The graphic he posted on his Twitter account listed Georgia, LSU, Georgetown, USC, Tennessee, Florida State, Memphis, Alabama, Kentucky and Illinois. This is an impressive list and the fact the Illini are on it is exciting.


Some people might read this and question what I am talking about. If Kofi leaves the program after his freshman season and Cisse still commits, that would leave the 2020-2021 campaign without a big-time center. Well, that might not be the case.

Cisse is currently in the class of 2021, but the superstar big man is trying to reclassify to the class of 2020. That would put the Illini in a great position with their program considering the talent that would be coming in with Cisse.

It is going to be extremely difficult for Illinois to make the next cut, let alone come away with Cisse’s commitment. Memphis has a strong pull and Kentucky is always a destination for big-time recruits. But the Illini have pulled in some amazing talent the last couple of years. The development of Kofi has to be enticing for centers across the nation too.

Next. Projected Illini lineup without Kofi Cockburn. dark

Illinois needs to land another big man for the upcoming season. If Kofi doesn’t come back, then Cisse would be a great replacement. Hopefully, we can have one of these centers on the roster come November.

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