Illinois Basketball: 3 predictions for the Illini heading into the NBA Draft

The NBA Draft is quickly approaching, and there are some former Illinois basketball players who have their name in the mix.

I would venture to say the odds of an Illini player getting picked are low. It is improbable as all of the mock drafts are leaving Illinois off the board.

With that being said, there are a few names to keep an eye on for the draft and for after the draft when teams are looking to get a good deal.

Here are three predictions for the Illinois basketball team heading into the NBA Draft.

1. Kofi Cockburn will get selected in the NBA Draft

I know, I know, there are going to be people who read this first line and think that I am crazy. Well, I am kind of crazy. The first prediction I have for the Illinois basketball team is Kofi Cockburn getting selected in the NBA Draft.

Exactly zero mock drafts have Kofi getting picked. At one point, there were a couple of mock drafts that had him going late in the second round, but the most updated ones have Kofi nowhere in sight.

There are a couple of reasons why I think Kofi could potentially get picked in the NBA Draft. The first reason is the fact there are 58 picks in this year’s draft, and ESPN has Kofi ranked as the No. 65 player eligible. What that means to me is that Kofi is a bubble player when it comes to getting selected.

Another reason I believe there is potential for Kofi to get picked is that he had five NBA teams bring him in for a workout. I realize there are a lot of players who do workouts, but having five teams interested in the big man means they are eyeing him.

One of the teams that worked out Kofi was the Washington Wizards. They have pick No. 54 in the NBA Draft. That is where I expect Kofi to be selected. I think he could sneak into the second round, and Washington seems like a logical landing spot.