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Kofi Cockburn to return to Illinois in 2021-22
Field Level Media
17 Jul 2021, 09:55 GMT+10
After testing the NBA draft pool and entering the NCAA transfer portal, Illinois center Kofi Cockburn announced Friday he will return to the Fighting Illini for the 2021-22 basketball season.
Cockburn entered the portal July 1 and withdrew from the draft July 6. In a social media post earlier this week, he listed Illinois, Kentucky and Florida State as his final three options.
CBS Sports ranked Cockburn the No. 1 player available in the portal. Cockburn averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds last season as the Fighting Illini earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before being upset by Loyola Chicago in the second round.
Kofi Cockburn returning to Illinois for junior season
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Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Kofi Cockburn will be back in Champaign this fall, and he’ll have a chance to be the country’s best player.
The rising junior center announced on Friday that he intends to play for Illinois during the 2021-22 season. His decision follows months of doubt about whether he would ever play for the Illini again, after putting his name in the NBA Draft and later entering the transfer portal.
Nonetheless, Cockburn chose to return to Illinois rather than head to Kentucky which now has two of Illinois’ formers assistants or Florida State, a powerhouse for building big men.
Illinois Kofi Cockburn returning to team
By The Athletic Staff
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Big man Kofi Cockburn will return to Illinois despite entering his name in the transfer portal 15 days ago, he announced on Friday.
Cockburn averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 65.4 percent from the field as a sophomore at Illinois this past season. The Fighting Illini were the Midwest region s No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament but were knocked out in the second round by eighth-seeded Loyola Chicago.
The 7-foot, 285-pound center put his name in the portal on July 1 ahead of the midnight deadline for players to be eligible for next season. At the time, he also kept his name in the NBA Draft but later withdrew it on July 6. In an interview with ESPN, he confirmed that his name was still in the portal, saying there s a possibility I return to Illinois and a possibility I don t.