Kofi Cockburn returning to Illinois
Since I posted his going into the portal, feels only fair to add this. Felt like the Kentucky momentum/stories started to ebb earlier this week, and this started to feel inevitable.
https://twitter.com/kxng_alpha/status/1416157500840325122?s=21
I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe now they'll finish a disappointing second, once again.
Weird flex since they smoked us.
A lot of folks will have them pegged as conference favorites. Basically same team as last year without ayo, and they beat us and Wisconsin last year without him. Purdue also will get picked a lot as conference favorites…crazy that we may be preseason #3 in big ten but still top 10. Big ten will be very top heavy next year.
They picked up Plummer as transfer as well
I don't see anyone picking Illinois as a conference favorite period. I don't even see them finishing anything above 4th in the conference. Kofi came back because he would not have been drafted, has limited upside that does not translate well to the next level, and he basically needs to work on that if he has any chance for a payday.
What? I've been seeing snippets all year how they are done and everyone is leaving.
I'm sure some people will pick them to win but they are a dramatically different team than last year without Ayo and Miller. They'll be competitive but you don't lose an AA and a top recruit (with an unremarkable class coming in) and bounce back.
It feels only fair that I tell you that not only was this already discussed on the MGoBoard two days ago, but that although it wasn't yet official, it did appear to be a certainty:
https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/ot-kofi-cockburn-announcing-friday-now-likely-return-illinois .
Only fair that you reminded us of z I'm being honest.
Crap.
Dickinson vs Cockburn
In this phallus-themed battle, may the best basketball player lead his team to victories and championships.
Michael Penix wants in on this.
Waiting on Dick Dastardly to join the chat.
Dick Trickle says: hold my beer
luther head wants some
It doesn't sound like Kentucky was ever all that interested (other than the assistants who left Illinois)
I read that Calipri never even spoke to him. Then FSU was suggested as a possibility. Some drama and a lot of Illini fans fretting, but it seems he put all his eggs in the NBA basket and Illinois was the only realistic fallback he explored.
Omar Payne won’t be able to throw as many elbows next year. Guy transfers to Illinois for probably 10 min a game…
And yet he and his team have dominated Howard three times.
"dominated"
Illinois winning on a Ayo Dosunmu buzzer beater is dominating?
Is Howard 0-3 against Illinois? Yes. Hopefully, that will be change this season. But shit happens.
At least Howard knows what the second weekend in the tournament feels like.
Damn, I realize this is a homer opinion but I was hoping he was gone.
Keith Jackson looks forward to announcing his homecoming game.
I am glad he is returning, as I enjoy his competitive spirit.
No hard feelings, I'm sure.
It's pretty bad for you as a player when the NBA AND a bunch of other college teams basically pass on you after you made a big show of saying you wanted to move on from Illinois.
First another COVID outbreak and now cockburn in Illinois.