Overall, there was little doubt that the All-American would one day grace the courts of the NBA. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The positive for Illini fans is, you may get him back for a senior season. He averaged 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, both career-highs, along with one blocked shot in 30.7 minutes per game over 28 contests. Please play responsibly. Top prospects not selected in 2022 NBA Draft: Scotty Pippen Jr., Kofi Cockburn among notable snubs There were some well-known names that were not called during Thursday's NBA Draft By. As hes navigating the NBA circuit this week, Cockburn is going about it selflessly. All Rights Reserved. | 2022 NBA Draft Scouting Report No views May 27, 2022 0 Dislike Save The Field Of 68 14.1K subscribers Kofi Cockburn. He is a great college player, his game may not translate to the NBA. All Rights Reserved. at Illinois Football: 30 Greatest Players of All-Time, five NBA teams bring him in for a workout. Looking to put defenders in the rim with room to gather and catching some lobs, his weight loss afforded him some additional lift as a junior. The draft sequence was created using the standings entering Monday, Jan. 10. 2022 NBA Mock Draft. New Samsung. He was the only Division I player to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds and was the only player to rank in the top 20 in each category. Despite most, if not all, NBA mock drafts having Kofi not getting selected in the first or. Player Rankings updated 16 days ago | Draft Order updated after every game. section: | slug: top-prospects-not-selected-in-2022-nba-draft-scotty-pippen-jr-kofi-cockburn-among-notable-snubs | sport: basketball | route: article_single.us | He is not the most nimble big man, but has rare strength and a strong motor. There are certain matchup problems with his lack of mobility defending ball screens. May 23, 2022 5:47 pm ET Former Illinois center Kofi Cockburn was among the draft-eligible prospects to work out with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the team announced. Measured standing 70 in shoes with a powerfully built 293-pound frame and a 74.25 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Cockburn is one of the largest players in the sport even after shedding some weight over his three collegiate seasons. Former Illinois center Kofi Cockburn was among the draft-eligible prospects to work out with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the team announced. 10 with the Washington Wizards. A very good area rebounder who was nearly unmovable inside, his size is intimidating, but like most players his size, he is much more comfortable guarding on the interior than away from the rim. NBA players with a similar height and wingspan include, Nikola Vucevic, Damian Jones, Karl-Anthony Towns, Alex Len, Evan Mobley, Steven Adams, and Ivica Zubac. Full schedule, bracket for 2023 Big East Tournament, Full schedule, bracket for 2023 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, Full list of every automatic bid into 2023 NCAA Tournament, Full schedule, bracket for 2023 SEC Tournament. Participant List - 05/11/2022; 2022 NBA Draft: Early Entry List / Draft Ranges - 04/13/2022; Weve seen teams with quality point guards get wide open mid range looks as they come off the screen, lose their defender, and Kofi is far away from the action by the rim. I dont want it to be misconstrued when reading this next paragraph because Kofi has improved and has feel and touch around the basket. Illinois star big man Kofi Cockburn, a two-time consensus All-American with the Fighting Illini, announced Wednesday he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and is entering the 2022 NBA Draft. Allowing 0.79 points per post up possession [59th percentile], very few big men could move him off of spots on the low block. This is why I think his development may be better in the G League than in college. Jovic skipped his final exam to prepare for the NBA draft and still needs to take it. Tacko is 76. I have met him several times and he was a top notch person. However, hes been a fun player to watch and four years of Kofi Cockburn at Illinois would be really good for Illinois basketball. He looks like the kid who hit puberty early and dominates his classmates because they are all smaller than him. Kofi Cockburn entered his name in the draft for 2021 and participated in the G League Elite Camp measuring 6'11", 298 pounds, 7.2% body fat, 9'3" standing reach and 7'4" wingspan. MAIL. No team is going to put me as their star player. While a good portion of it can be due to his size and strength, if we created an exact human clone of Kofi and put him in a basketball game with no prior knowledge of basketball, that clone would not perform well. Void in ONT. Cockburn, a 7-foot center, declared for the draft after his junior season at Illinois. Rebounds. Cockburn initially declared for the NBA draft, only to remove his name and enter the transfer portal. Maybe more so a dream for Illini Fans, but the pair of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn would be an excellent source of advertising for the Bulls. Im always betting on myself, he said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Follow on Twitter @HoopInformatics The 2022 NBA Draft order has been set and the list of eligible players is officially locked in. We're still six months away from the 2022 NBA draft, but a new player has entered the conversation for the No. Players with a similar height and weight as Kofi include Jusuf Nurkic 290lb, Nikola Jokic 284lb, Brook and Robin Lopez 281lb, Joel Embiid 280lb, and Andre Drummond 279lb. He recently entered his name into the NBA draft and will be one of the most unique players on the board. Cockburn seems to be embarking on his professional career with the proper attitude one that former college stars could struggle with when jumping to the NBA. (LogOut/ Kofi was 5/15 from the field vs Koloko and 3/9 vs Edey. It always seemed like a question of when, and what his journey to the top would look like. Cockburn said he speaks with Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, a former teammate at Illinois, every day about how to maximize the combine process. My goal has been to go to the NBA for a very long time, he said. Many are the rim protector / rim runner types. THIS MONTH. Illinois junior Kofi Cockburn will enter the 2022 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility. Oh and there is this thing in the NBA called defensive three-seconds. Auburn's . The help defenders are more athletic. Like I said earlier, I wouldnt put a price on my dream. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories, at The big man has everything to work for this summer as he begins his journey through the world of the NBA. Kofi Cockburn has not shown the mobility to play an aggressive or even versatile pick and roll defense. Following a three-year career at Illinois, center Kofi Cockburn signed his first professional contract with the Utah Jazz early this morning after going undrafted Thursday night. The rule does not apply in the NCAA where Kofi can sit in the paint for the full defensive possession if he chooses to. Both NBA prospects in the 71, 230lb Christian Koloko and the 74, 285lb Zach Edey. (LogOut/ Lacking a degree of lift, Cockburn nonetheless showed some ability to protect the rim when the action came to him. Contact . PER. NBA Draft 2022. Thats my dream, and Im willing to chase it regardless.. But a snub is a snub and we must put them on wax to remember those who, despite pre-draft expectations, leave a post-draft world having been excluded from the 58 draft night announcements. SIM LOTTERY. Its also important, Cockburn said, for him to show his personality, his infectious ear-to-ear smile, his unwavering positivity and his penchant for taking charge. Try a week on us. Doing a nice job moving bodies before the catch and operating quickly once he got the ball, Cockburn showed the ability to make hooks over both shoulders and use drop steps to initiate contact, but did a lot of scoring off the way he could seal defenders out of plays. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nba | pageType: stories | Note that there are now 58 selections in this draft due to Milwaukee and Miami forfeiting their second-round picks.. Scoring. It may be detrimental to his development that he gets few real paint battles to improve his craft. But hes projected to be selected in the second round at best, with multiple mock drafts not forecasting him to be picked at all. A two-time consensus All-American, Cockburn proved to be a major presence in the paint during his three seasons in Champaign. The problem for Kofi is hes effective at what he does, why would Illinois mess with that by playing him in a way that may hinder team success. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. View all posts by Hoop Informatics, https://craftednba.com/player-traits/length. These teams should give a look at Kofi Cockburn in the 2022 NBA Draft. Its going to be difficult for him having to defend in space in the NBA against better talent. The center averaged 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in his freshman season, 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in his sophomore season and 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds in his junior season. Kofi is an old school big man who acts as an enforcer inside. With that being said, there are a few names to keep an eye on for the draft and for after the draft when teams are looking to get a good deal. 2022 marks the third time the big man had declared for the NBA Draft, as hed chosen to return to Illinois the previous two times. The combination of their shooters and Cockburn in the paint taking away at least one defender at all times is exactly what Steve Kerr likes to run. Tankathon. This season we have seen him struggle against two opponents. Kofi Cockburn starred at Illinois, earning two All-American nods with the Fighting Illini. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports The NBA Draft is. For Illinois, it's a crushing loss to a team that was already set to turn over quite a bit of its roster this offseason. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegebasketball | pageType: stories | Liddell and Duane Washington will have the opportunity to impress scouts at the NBA G League Elite Camp this weekend. I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Ill definitely contribute, whether thats rebounding, giving you extra possessions, setting good screens, rolling, stuff that I do at a high level. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about center Kofi Cockburn on ESPN. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 2022 NBA Draft Consensus Big Board While it is important to form one's own prospect evaluations, it is a valuable exercise to get a pulse on how the market values prospects that comprise a given draft class. He spent 12 years at The Oklahoman, where he handled the Thunder beat before moving into an editors role. NBA. Hard doubling the ball handler, showing a double but then getting back to the roller to slow down the ball handler, playing up near the screen to try to slow down the ball handler as they turn the corner to name a few, or as Kofi must do, drop coverage. And given the way the game at the NBA level has changed, defending in space may be a real threat to his pro prospects and others of his ilk who play a more traditional back-to-the-basket game as a big. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Darnell Mayberry is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Bulls. This is the short roll))) or shoot a mid range jumper out of the short roll while scoring around the rim, thats an NBA player. Kofi Cockburn is Breaking Out - Future150/Brian Flinn: . The concern is there. June 23, 2022. 2022. He should have stayed in school, the executive told The Athletic. So why cant Kofi be dominant in the NBA. While he does not fit extremely well in todays NBA, he could still be useful as a high-energy piece who will throw down thunderous dunks and use his massive body to back down any defender. 4 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In todays era, Cockburn must show he can guard smaller players against switches in pick-and-roll action, while his floor-spacing ability is a real concern. Kofi Cockburn entered his name in the draft for 2021 and participated in the G League Elite Camp measuring 611, 298 pounds, 7.2% body fat, 93 standing reach and 74 wingspan. With the 2022 NBA Draft officially in the books and all 58 of this year's selections made, there are many -- many! 2022 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Ranking the top 101 prospects before March Madness . 1. Every player is better. He knows what kind of guy I am, Cockburn said of Dosunmu. Cockburn needs a chance. 54 in the NBA Draft. The 7-footer is not projected to be selected by most mock drafts, but he was among the standouts at the draft combine, averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds in two scrimmage games. It has recently hosted several prospects for workouts ahead of the draft combine, including LSU forward Tari Eason and Villanova guard Collin Gillespie. A ferocious rebounder who looks to tear the rim off the backboard any chance he gets as a finisher, Cockburn scored a terrific. Cockburn, a dominant 7-footer, was one of only four players in college hoops last season to average a double-double in points and rebounds, with 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. So much for all those mock drafts. Its about long-term success, he said. Ultimately, this is just a checkpoint as they continue to chase their career -- and some, if not all, will have opportunities either on two-way deals or Exhibit 10 deals to showcase their talents for NBA teams.