Checking In With Former Illini Kofi Cockburn: Where Is He Now?

Following up with the former Illini center and All-American three years after his departure

Mar 20, 2022; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) looks on against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

With Monday's tip-off of Illinois men's basketball’s 2024-2025 season, the Illini have now officially entered their third season without 7-foot center Kofi Cockburn.

During his storied career in Champaign, Cockburn was a two-time All-American selection who averaged 17.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks over three seasons. 

Happy 2️⃣5️⃣th, Kofi Cockburn 🥳

We're celebrating with 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 of the 2x 1st-team All-@bigten honoree's top @IlliniMBB dunks.#B1GMBBall x @kxng_alpha pic.twitter.com/SvPdPMEhfb

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) September 1, 2024

At Illinois, Cockburn was a dominant presence in the post throough whom coach Brad Underwood primarily ran his offensive schemes. On defense, Cockburn was a shot-eraser with help-side ability who allowed Illinois guards such as Andres Feliz and Trent Frazier to play with extra ball-hawking aggression and turn opponents over at an exceptional rate. 

During his sophomore year, Cockburn, alongside star guard Ayo Dosunmu, helped lead Illinois to its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 2005, while tacking on a Big Ten Tournament title in the process and finishing No. 2 in the final AP Poll.

As a junior, he was a consensus first-team All American who averaged a double-double (20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds). But after Illinois fell in the second round, Cockburn turned his sights to the NBA.

Although Cockburn went undrafted in 2022, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Utah Jazz – a deal that allowed him to receive a financial bonus if he signed with the Jazz’s G-League affiliate if he were to be released from the NBA squad.

When he was ultimately let go by Utah, Cockburn, wIth a back-to-the-basket game more suited for overseas, decided to go an alternate route – Japan. He played his first professional season there with Albirex Niigita, where he averaged 19.0 points and 12.2 rebounds – both figures good for second in the Japanese B1 League.

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Cockburn moved to the South Korean KBL (which has featured former NBA players such as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) and produced even bigger numbers – 23.6 points and 11.8 rebounds – for the Seoul Samsung Thunders.

As for the latest, Cockburn hasn’t missed a beat, averaging 22.1 points and 11.9 rebounds (second and fourth in the KBL) on over 60.7 percent shooting from the field through seven games with the Thunders this season.

Cockburn’s perimeter limitations and struggles as a pick-and-roll defender have prevented him from making a name for himself in the NBA, but as he told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2022, "Sometimes you have to take what life gives you." Cockburn, who in January joined former teammate Ayo Dosunmu in the Illinois Basketball Honored Jersey program, is doing exactly that.

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