Big Ten Basketball: Illinois roster losses, Penn State commits among offseason updates
Illinois Exodus
Andre Curbelo
Despite being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman First Team and being named the 2020-21 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, the 6’1 point guard’s time in an Illinois uniform has been lackluster at best. Having been recruited as the No. 45 ranked freshman he played behind Adam Miller during the 2020-21 season while averaging nine points in over 21 minutes per game.
After Miller’s transfer, Curbelo became the clear-cut point guard but his minutes, points, and assists per game decreased in the 2021-22 season, and his turnovers per game increased. As Curbelo prepares to suit up for St. John’s, Head Coach Brad Underwood is hoping five-star recruit Skyy Clark will not be just the point guard of the future, but the point guard in the present for the Fightin’ Illini
Kofi Cockburn
After averaging over 13 points and almost nine rebounds per game while on his way to becoming the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, there was a thought that the 7’0 center would be a ‘one and done’, yet he was not.
The 2020-21 season saw him be named to the All-Big Ten Team and the All American Second Team while averaging almost 18 points and over nine rebounds per game, and yet again Kofi Cockburn would return to Illinois for another season. It took a scoring average of 21 points on almost 60 percent shooting and over 10 rebounds per game for Cockburn to forgo his college eligibility and declare for the NBA Draft.
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With Omar Payne already declaring for the Draft, Cockburn’s departure leaves the Fighting Illini short – literally and figuratively – at the center position. At 6’9, Baylor transfer Dain Dainja will have all the opportunities he did not have while averaging three minutes per game with Baylor.