POST-GAME VIDEO: Illinois 82, Iowa 71 - Illini Center Kofi Cockburn

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn spoke to national, local and statewide media via Zoom video on March 13 after the Illini defeated Iowa 82-71 in the semifinals of the 2021 Big Ten tournament.

In the 82-71 win over Iowa in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference Tournament in a domed football stadium on national television, Illinois sophomore center Kofi Cockburn took his game to a new level against arguably the nation’s most heralded college basketball player. 

For the first time in his career against Iowa, Cockburn left the playing floor as the most dominant big man following a performance that included a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds in just 24 minutes.

“I thought Kofi was just great,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said on Kofi Cockburn. “I thought the job he did in the first half, he was just dominant and not just because he had 18 points but because of his defense.”

On the defensive end, Cockburn forced Iowa center Luka Garza to attempt 21 shots to get to his total of 21 points.

“I wanted to make him score through me, always putting my body on him,” Cockburn said. “I wanted to limit his angles on me and if he was able to score over me or through me, then you nod your head and say congratulations.”

In his previous three matchups versus Iowa, Cockburn averaged just nine points and nine rebounds while Garza managed to produce at least 19 points in each of the three games. From the opening tip, Cockburn proved to be the most impressive player in the paint by scoring 18 of his 26 points in the first half. 

Saturday’s total for Cockburn marked the 7-foot Jamaican’s second-highest scoring total of the 2020-21 season, and ninth 20-point game this year. Cockburn, who is easily the biggest presence to roam the lane for the Illini program, ranks second in the nation with 16 double-doubles this season. He was coming off his first double-double since Feb. 16 in Friday night’s quarterfinal win over Rutgers, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds.