Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
8. Kofi Cockburn
A 7’0 center from Jamaica, Cockburn spent part of his high school years in New York and Virginia before eventually deciding on Illinois for his collegiate career. He was a Top 50 recruit in the class of 2019 and another fantastic nab for Brad Underwood, who was only a few years into his tenure with the Fighting Illini. Cockburn would become a major talent in the middle for the Illini.
As a freshman, Cockburn averaged 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, helping lead Illinois to their best season in nearly a decade. The pandemic ceased things early, but things were different in his sophomore year, helping the Illini to the Big Ten Tournament title and a trip to the Big Dance. During his third and final season, Cockburn averaged 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, putting up monster numbers and getting the Illini to another NCAA Tournament appearance, a season that included a 37-point performance against Wisconsin and a lot of impressive rebounding games.
The Big Ten’s top rebounder in his final two seasons, Cockburn received First Team All-Big Ten honors for those two years, but that wasn’t it. He was named a First Team All-American as a junior and played a significant role in leading the Illini to consecutive NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade. He was a major weapon in the interior offense and defense and his role with the Fighting Illini was certainly significant for those three seasons.