Illinois Basketball: Illini legend Kofi Cockburn wins Dike Eddleman award

Illinois basketball legend Kofi Cockburn earned the Male Athlete of the Year Award from the Illinois athletic department.

Cockburn can now add another accolade to close out his Illini career. Tuesday afternoon, it was revealed that Cockburn, Illinois’ three-year center and NBA hopeful with the Utah Jazz, earned the Dike Eddleman Award as the school’s best male athlete, as voted on by the DIA and University Board of Trustees.

"“Cockburn’s selection marks the third year in a row that a men’s basketball player has won the Eddleman award, following Ayo Dosunmu’s back-to-back selections in 2020 and 2021,” an Illinois Athletics release stated. “Cockburn is the 20th basketball recipient overall dating back to 1940, when Illinois began selecting its Athlete of the Year.”"

Cockburn enjoyed a tremendous career sporting the Orange and Blue, racking up several on-court accomplishments which include, but are not limited to — First Team All-American, the only player to average 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, and a Unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten Selection, among other noteworthy accomplishments.

How did the former Illinois basketball star Kofi Cockburn get recognized by his peers?

Cockburn was a key anchor of a team that won its first Big Ten regular-season title since 2005. This feat had its growing pains, however, as the team underwent COVID concerns, close home losses to Purdue and Arizona, plus a first-round exit in the Big Ten Tournament against Indiana.

Although Cockburn was not drafted by an NBA team, he did secure a post-draft Exhibit 10 deal with the Utah Jazz. If all goes well this summer, Cockburn should find himself on a league roster soon enough.

Cockburn is the first Illini basketball player since Ayo Dosunmu to receive the award, as he did so in 2020 and 2021 for his on-court accomplishments. Dosunmu is now with the Chicago Bulls, set to enter his second season as a professional.