Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Basketball: 4 big questions for the Illini vs Maryland

By Rees Woodcock

Jan 17, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood applauds during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood applauds during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 17: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots the ball against Zach Edey #15 of the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center on January 17, 2022 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 17: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini shoots the ball against Zach Edey #15 of the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center on January 17, 2022 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

2. Is Kofi going to have a rebound game?

Update: Kofi has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game against Maryland, per Jeff Goodman.

I don’t think anyone would dispute that Kofi Cockburn is fun to watch and is a dominant big man who can get his way in the paint, most of the time.

But there is an occasional game where Kofi struggles. He runs into a tough matchup or someone who just happens to be 7-foot-4 and pretty athletic. That is what happened on Monday. Kofi just had a bad game and couldn’t get anything going, partially due to refs and their whistles.

Kofi would end the Purdue game on Monday with just 10 points in 22 minutes of action. This is the 10th lowest scoring game of his career. And it shows you how much Kofi actually means to the Illini. In his career, when the big man scores 10 or fewer points, Illinois is just 3-9.

On Friday night, one of the big questions for me is; will Kofi have a rebound game against Maryland? That is a big question considering we just saw him struggling greatly against Purdue. And, if he doesn’t have a good game, Illinois has shown in the past they tend to lose when Kofi struggles.

Illinois can’t afford back-to-back losses, especially against a below-average Maryland squad. Thankfully, Kofi has seen great success against the Terrapins over the past couple of seasons. In the last two matchups, he has averaged 22 points and 14 rebounds. So, there is a track record of him performing well against Maryland.

I think Kofi needs a big rebound game. I think Illinois needs him to have a big rebound game. I also believe the fan base needs to see Kofi dominate again. Friday night is going to be big. Kofi can set the tone for the rest of the season.

Home/Illinois Basketball