Illinois Basketball: Illini MVP in the win against Wisconsin

After beating the Wisconsin Badgers 80-67 and taking over first place in the Big Ten, Illinois basketball is on a roll.

Beating the Badgers was a team effort as multiple Illini had impactful nights. Jacob Grandison had 14 points, Andre Curbelo, Da’monte Williams, and Trent Frazier all had 7 points, and Alfonso Plummer had 6 points.

Williams and Frazier’s defense had Wisconsin star Johnny Davis at bay all night. Davis ended the night with 22 points but shot 5-of-19 from the field, and most of his points came from the free-throw line.

While all those performances were important, none were as important as Kofi Cockburn’s performance. This is why Kofi is getting the MVP of this game.

Wisconsin simply had no answer for Kofi. In the first half, Kofi had 20 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 10-of-12 from the field. He ended the night with 37 points, 12 rebounds, and a block. Additionally, he shot 16-of-19 from the field and 5-of-9 from the free throw line.

With this performance, Kofi continues to add to his resume to be on the National Player of the Year award watchlist. He now has 12 double-doubles on the season while being the best player on the team with the best record in the Big Ten.

Next for this Illinois basketball team is the Indiana Hoosiers led by head coach Mike Woodsen and star player Trayce Jackson-Davis. Indiana will be another good test for the Illini as the Hoosiers are sitting at a record of 16-5 overall and 7-4 in Big Ten play.