NCAA Basketball: 5 biggest losers of the 2022 offseason (so far)

Illinois Fighting Illini

If Brad Underwood’s team is going to make another run next season, they’ll have to do so without some of the top talent from the school. Their best player went to the draft, while another key contributor left through the portal.

The biggest loss for the team was the departure of Kofi Cockburn, who really went to the draft a year after flirting with the possibility. Cockburn was a First Team All-American, averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He would’ve been a Player of the Year contender had he returned.

Andre Curbelo also left, transferring to St. John’s. That one doesn’t hurt as bad as he struggled during his sophomore season, essentially tethered to the bench during the team’s NCAA Tournament loss. But the guard showcased plenty of potential as a freshman, making the opportunity cost of his departure large.

The public departures drew the attention, but Alfonso Plummer, Trent Frazier, and Da’Monte Williams all exhausted their eligibility as well. Jacob Grandison is also flirting with the draft. That’s most of the team’s scoring output from a year ago.

It wasn’t all bad for Illinois, as RJ Melendez and Coleman Hawkins both returned. Additionally, landing top recruit Skyy Clark was a major move, as was landing Terrence Shannon Jr. in the transfer portal.

But it’s hard to envision Illinois being better than last year after losing so much. The team isn’t an obvious loser of the offseason, but a loser nonetheless.