By ADAM ZAGORIA
Illinois got a double dose of good news this weekend.
Freshman big man Kofi Cockburn and sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu are both withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning to school.
The 7-foot Cockburn said Saturday he would return to school for a second year after averaging 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds as a freshman.
“I came back because I saw that we have the opportunity to do something big and ultimately win a national championship, especially with Ayo retuning that increased our chances,” Cockburn told ZAGSBLOG.
“I’m just ready to keep working on my game and getting better and take it step-by-step.”
‘’He’s coming back to improve on all aspects of his game,’’ his mentor Karriem Memminger said. ‘’He feels like there’s so much more he wants to show to the next level (NBA). He’s never satisfied.
‘’’He wants to win an a Big Ten championship followed by a national championship. And he wants to be selected to first team all-conference. Plus he loves the coaching staff and Illinois fans, who he feels are the best fans in college basketball. His dream is to become an NBA player and an NBA All-Star.’’
Breaking: Good news for Illinois fans
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) August 1, 2020
@kxng_alpha is coming back pic.twitter.com/hzeK6GD3fg
Dosunmu announced Friday he will return to campus for his junior season after averaging 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season. He had received an invite to the NBA Combine.
NewHashtag pic.twitter.com/UtwDba25sK
— Mr WhyNotMe (@AyoDos_11) August 1, 2020
The deadline for withdrawal from the NBA Draft is Aug. 3.
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