Illinois Basketball: Illini big man Kofi Cockburn to stay in NBA Draft

It looks like the end of the road for one of the greatest Illinois basketball big men is coming shortly.

Back on April 18, Illini center Kofi Cockburn declared for the NBA Draft. This is the second time he has done so, the first being after his dominant freshman season. After getting evaluated last offseason, Kofi decided to return for his sophomore campaign. As the kids call it nowadays, Kofi ran it back.

Illinois fans might not be so lucky this time around, though. Illini Nation has waited to hear word on whether or not Kofi would return to the Illini, as there hasn’t been any news on him since he declared back in mid-April. Word is now starting to trickle in that the loved big man is not going to be coming back to Champaign.

On Thursday morning, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog published an article that Kofi has decided to remain in the NBA Draft. While this isn’t an official word and Zagoria is going off his sources, I tend to believe what he is reporting on Kofi.

This is some somber news for Illini fans. Everyone, including myself, wanted to see Kofi back in an Illinois uniform for one more season. The way things ended just a few months ago in the second round was not the way I wanted the big man to go out. But it looks like we might have seen him for the last time with the Orange and Blue.

Kofi’s legacy is cemented in Illinois basketball history.

While Kofi only lasted two seasons with the Illini, his legacy is one that will never be forgotten. He is one of the best, if not the best, centers the program has ever had come through those doors.

Kofi set just about every freshman record imaginable. He controlled the paint as we have never seen before. He is a player that doesn’t come around very often. His 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game are going to be extremely hard to replace.

But the thing that cements Kofi into Illini legend status is what he did for the program from an optics standpoint. His court accolades are impressive, but Kofi made Illinois basketball relevant again.

Kofi joined an Illini team that had 26 combined wins in a two-season stretch. That is a horrific run for any team, especially one with the history that Illinois has. The year before Kofi arrived, Illinois floundered to 12 total wins and a 7-13 Big Ten record. That all changed with the addition of the big man.

In the two seasons Kofi was in the paint for the Illini, the program had 45 victories. His presence was invaluable to this team. Illinois went from a bottom-of-the-barrel program to a respectable team that was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. A lot of this success had to do with the addition of Kofi.

So, for one final time, I want to say thank you, Kofi. Thank you for giving this Illini fan the privilege of watching such a talented player for two years. Thank you for being a great example on and off the court. And, lastly, thank you for bringing Illinois basketball back to prominence. You are a true legend.