The reason the Illinois basketball team is No. 2 in the Big Ten and a top 25 program is the fact we have a talented roster.
From bottom to top, the Illini are loaded with talent who could play for numerous teams across the country. In the Purdue game alone, Coleman Hawkins received just five minutes but was still able to put up 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block against a Big Ten team in the Boilermakers.
Illinois’ talent level continues to rise from Hawkins. As you go up the roster, you will see this team is poised to go deep into March and even, just maybe, play in early April.
At the top of the roster, you will get to two familiar names in Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu. These two talented players were known by every Illini fan last season but have jumped onto the national scene with great play in 2020-21.
Ayo leads the way for the Orange and Blue with his 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game while hitting 42.1-percent of his three-point shots. These are some of the best numbers in Illinois program history.
Kobe had his Shaq. LeBron had his Davis. MJ had his Pippen. And Ayo has his Kofi.
Kofi has been a one-two punch with Ayo the last two seasons and has taken it to another level. To go alongside Ayo’s fantastic numbers, Kofi is averaging 16.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The man is a menace in the paint.
With these two Illini players dominating on the court at the college level, the next level is sure to be calling. In fact, Kofi and Ayo are both getting being eyed as potential NBA Draft picks.
In the latest NBA mock draft by NBADraft.net, they layout the landscape of what the 2021 draft could look like come, most likely, August.
They have the usual names at the top. Jalen Suggs going No. 1 out of Gonzaga. G-Leaguer Jonathan Kuminga is the No. 2 pick. If you scroll down, you will actually find Ayo in the first round. NBADraft.net has the talented Illini guard heading to the Phoenix Suns at pick No. 27.
You don’t have to scroll very much further to find Kofi’s name. With the ninth pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select Kofi Cockburn.
That is right, NBADraft.net has the Grizzlies taking Kofi with pick No. 39 in the draft. This would give Illinois two picks in the top 40 of an NBA Draft. This would be something new for many Illinois basketball fans.
The last time the Illini had a player selected in the NBA Draft was back in 2012 when Meyers Leonard was picked No. 11 by the Portland Trail Blazers. The last time Illinois had two players picked in the NBA Draft was 2006 when James Augustine went No. 41 and Dee Brown went No. 46.
So, while you are watching the Illini tear through the Big Ten this season, just enjoy what you are watching. Two NBA Draft picks in the same year is rare for the Orange and Blue. Let’s appreciate what we are seeing, and cheer this team on to a national title.