Kofi Cockburn has a bucket.
Kofi Cockburn will enter the NBA draft and not return to college.
I am closing one of the most amazing chapters of my life. I'm excited to rise to the occasion and try and prove people wrong now that it is a scary challenge.
Three years ago when I entered college, people would be amazed to see the progress I made in becoming a two-time All-American. I plan on pushing my game to new heights in my professional career.
According to league rules, Cockburn cannot withdraw his name from consideration for a third time, making him ineligible to return from an NCAA standpoint.
Cockburn said that he was not going back to college. I'm signing with an agent. I'm 100% dedicated to going all the way, I've tested the waters enough.
The only player in college basketball to average over 20 points and 10 boards per game this past season was Cockburn. The Fighting Illini shared a Big Ten championship with Wisconsin. Illinois won a regular-season championship for the first time in a decade.
If you watched us play, you would see a lot of ups and downs. We had to adjust. People are going to be asking themselves what it was like to play college basketball during the Pandemic.
It was difficult to be an All-American for two years in a row. We proved to be winners. In the last three years, we had the most wins in the Big Ten. People will always remember that. NBA teams know I am a winner. I like to have fun, but I am a competitor. It was not about my individual goals. The priority was always winning. That speaks for itself.
For the second year in a row, Cockburn was named first-team All-Big Ten. He was a finalist for several player of the year awards, including the Wooden and Naismith as well as the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award, presented to the nation's best center.
I want to be one of the best players in the NBA, especially from Jamaica. This is for the people of my country.
The most imposing player in the college game the past three years has been Cockburn, with his 7-foot-4 wingspan, 9-foot-3 standing reach and 285-pound frame. He scored 341 points with his back to the basket, which was second in college basketball.
He said that he would have to be a different player in the NBA than he was in college. It will not be about being a low-post scorer. I am excited about not seeing double teams anymore. My dedication to being the most fit athlete is going to be the focus from now on. I look at the league and am inspired by the level of conditioning. I need to get there. I have no fat on my body, but I can lean out and get faster.
The NBA values players like Steven Adams, who set great screens, know the pick and roll game, how to slip and seal, and be a physical defender and rebounder who blocks shots. My size can make a difference in the NBA. I don't need the ball to be happy.
With Cockburn leaving for the pro ranks, Illinois will need to replace five of its top seven scorers from its Big Ten championship team, with Alfonso Plummer, Trent Frazier, Da&Monte Williams and others out of eligibility after five years in college. Senior Jacob Grandison is undecided about returning for his fifth season of eligibility, while sophomore Andre Curbelo elected to transfer to St. John's.
Illinois is bringing in a strong recruiting class with three top-100 prospects in Skyy Clark, Ty Rodgers and Jayden Epps, and is expected to be aggressive in pursuing veterans in the transfer portal. Coleman Hawkins is a sophomore power forward who looks poised for a big season, and freshman small forward RJ Melendez is a freshman who was highly regarded coming into college.
The NBA draft combine will be in Chicago in May and the draft will be in New York in June.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA Draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.
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