Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn declares for NBA Draft | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Tuesday / March 19.
  • Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn declares for NBA Draft

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    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    When Kofi Cockburn picked Illinois over schools like UConn, St. John’s, Pittsburgh and Kansas a year ago, it was seen as a major recruiting coup for head coach Brad Underwood and his staff.

    Now it appears the 7-foot, 290-pound big man could have a short stay on campus.

    The native of Jamaica and former New York City high school star has declared for the NBA Draft, he announced on Instagram.

    The Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Cockburn averaged 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks this past season. He attempted one 3-pointer all season, so is not the prototypical NBA big man of the modern game, but more of an old-school, low-post banger.

    “Kofi’s dropped 11-12 pounds, he’s down to 290 since he checked in,” Underwood said earlier this season “He’s dropped 3 percent body fat down to 8 1/2-9 percent now. You combine 7 foot and a 7-6 1/2 wingspan and you’ve got a guy who’s playing himself into great shape and he’s really a physical specimen.”

    Underwood said Cockburn, who transferred to Oak Hill from New York power Christ the King before his senior season, has a “tremendous personality.”

    “He’s got a very keen sense of what goes on on the basketball court and he knows when to utilize that, when to play hard, when to bring toughness,” Underwood said.

    Illinois also lost wing Alan Griffin when he transferred to Syracuse. Griffin averaged 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds.

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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