The only player in college basketball to average 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds this season will not be returning to the State Farm Center next year, but Illinois will be fine without Kofi Cockburn.
On Wednesday, the All-American announced that he would forgo a fourth year in Urbana-Champaign to pursue an NBA career. I truly do not think I am foolish to think Illinois basketball will be just fine.
It is hard to be angry at Cockburn for leaving; he gave a lot to the program and stuck around longer than expected. We saw Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky stick around for another season, but the NIL money must not have been worth more than the NBA dream.
Not only is Illinois without Cockburn, but their backup big Omar Payne transferred as well. So, Illinois is without a dominant center? No. It’s time Illinois fans get to know the name Dain Dainja.
Welcome to the Dainja Zone.
Dainja is a 6-foot-9-inch, 270-pound big man with a 7-foot-7-inch wingspan and a former top-100 recruit. He’s a transfer from Baylor who began classes at UIUC this spring and having a semester head start to practice with the team and get accustomed to the Illini playing style puts him in a great spot for next season.
Dainja is more of a power forward but can post defenders up or beat them off the dribble. As a redshirt on the 2021 Baylor national championship team and spending this spring studying Cockburn, Dainja is someone fans should be excited about.
Granted, Illinois has a 7-foot center in Brandon Lieb as an option as well, but with only playing 2.4 minutes a game last year, a lot is unknown about him.
I am more saddened by the loss of Andre Curbelo than Cockburn, but once again, Illinois will be okay. As Curbelo rode the bench in the second half against Houston in the NCAA Tournament, his departure seemed inevitable, but it still hurts. He had his fair share of mistakes, but at the same time, he made some of the most exciting plays I have ever seen in person.
With super-senior Jacob Grandison still questioning a return for his sixth year, Illinois is in jeopardy of losing its top six players in terms of minutes per game. The Everyday Guys will look a little different next year.
A look at the future
Illinois fans have been blessed as of late seeing a lot of victories on the court, but next season might be a little different. A Big Ten Tournament championship like in 2021 might not be expected, nor will a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, but a trip to March Madness will happen.
According to 247Sports, Illinois has the ninth-best recruiting class going into the 2022-2023 season. With head coach Brad Underwood under contract through the 2027 season, Illinois has turned into a basketball powerhouse that is appealing to freshmen and transfers.
The future “big three” of Illinois basketball is coming in as freshmen looking to contribute immediately. Skyy Clark comes in as the ESPN No. 25 ranked recruit, while his future teammates Ty Rodgers (No. 52) and Jayden Epps (No. 83) look to have big roles as well. Clark, nicknamed “Afroman” is the future of Illinois and the future is now.
Now, let’s get into my projected starting five for next season.
Starting at point guard will be Skyy Clark. Not only do he and I have a very similar name, but he is also a stud who averaged 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals a game in high school.
Because of the Brandin Podziemski transfer, I think Illinois will start RJ Melendez at shooting guard. As one of the few returning players Illinois has, he played 20 minutes against Houston in their postseason defeat. Melendez sparked the Illini, scoring nine points and showing his potential.
Playing at one of the forward positions will be another returning player Luke Goode. Similar to Melendez, Goode provided a spark off the bench against Houston and hit two three-point shots in the game. Expect big jumps from these two sophomores.
Another newcomer will enter the starting lineup playing forward, and that is Cockburn’s replacement Dainja, who brings much anticipation with him.
Filling up the starting five will likely be junior Coleman Hawkins, the lone starter returning for Illinois. With Hawkins being 6-foot-10, the Illini are a little smaller in the paint this year, but there are not many college players with the build of Cockburn anyways and Illinois will still be a fairly good-sized team.
The Illini’s lineup has shooting, playmaking and length. Underwood will instill the Illinois mindset into the new players’ heads and it should not take them long to adjust.
Good things take time and fans of the Illini know that, but after being spoiled for a couple of seasons with players like Ayo Dosunmu, Trent Frazier and Kofi Cockburn, it is time to sit back and trust the young guys.
This next season may not be the year of the Illini, but they will still compete and every young player will get better. With the departure of star big man Cockburn, Illinois looks a lot different, but they are in good hands thanks to stellar recruiting from the coaching staff of the Fighting Illini.
