NCAA Basketball: Pros and cons of transfer Kofi Cockburn’s final 3 options

Florida State Seminoles

Pros

After losing sophomore center Balša Koprivica to the pros, Florida State has been looking all offseason for an impact big man to replace him. While the team does have several capable centers already on the roster, none of them are the force that Cockburn is, especially on the offensive end.

The current roster features some solid perimeter players, including returning double-digit scorer Anthony Polite, Houston transfer guard Caleb Mills, and five-star freshman shooting guard prospect Matthew Cleveland. None of them are at the level of Dosunmu but it’ll be a solid core group. Cockburn would be the focal point of the offense next season and play in the ACC, where he could get multiple opportunities against Duke and North Carolina in high-profile matchups.

And lastly, the Seminoles have quietly been sending players to the NBA Draft in the past few years under head coach Leonard Hamilton. A year with him would be beneficial for Cockburn both short and long term.

Cons

No matter how good a player is for Florida State, it’s rare for them to play more than 25 mpg in a season. That’s because of the usual 11-12 man rotations the team plays, including using multiple big men in and out. Considering the high level of success over the past few years, it’s hard to complain.

So would Cockburn want to join a team and play fewer minutes? He was at 27 mpg this past season but with Tanor Ngom, Quincy Ballard, and Naheem McLeod already around, the Illinois center may be capped around 25 mpg and taken out at the first sign of foul trouble.

And unless freshman prospect Jalen Warley, or Mills emerges, there may be some issues at the point guard position, which would then have an effect on Cockburn. This all may end up being moot if Memphis transfer Moussa Cisse picks them first on Thursday.