By ADAM ZAGORIA
Kofi Cockburn, the 6-foot-11 big man from the NY Rens and Oak Hill Academy (VA), is taking his first official visit to UConn on Sunday-Monday.
Cockburn is five-star prospect ranked No. 31 by ESPN.com and No. 31 by 247Sports.com.
Cockburn previously took an unofficial to UConn over the summer. New Huskies coach Dan Hurley knows Cockburn’s mentors, Steve Johnson and Karriem Memminger, from his stint at St. Benedict’s Prep, when he coached Samardo Samuels, who played at Louisville.
“They just talked to me about the four championships and he’s got experience as a coach,” Cockburn said this summer of Hurley. “They have a good coaching staff and a nice facility.”
2019 @ctkroyals big man Kofi Cockburn with the Fighting Danny Hurleys of @UConnMBB pic.twitter.com/7VVLdOTpLy
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 29, 2018
During his visit this summer, Cockburn also spoke with fellow Jamaican Kentan Facey, a former UConn player who was also mentored by Johnson and Memminger.
“Kentan talked to him a lot about the culture and about how Dan Hurley is a helluva coach,” Memminger said then. “He works out with them from time to time.”
St. John’s, Illinois, Pittsburgh and Kansas are among the other schools recruiting Cockburn, who hopes to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
Wherever he goes, he will be an “impact freshman,” Rens coach Andy Borman said.
“He’s an outstanding rebounder and finisher around the basket,” he said. “He shoots the ball well out to 15 feet. He’s a good teammate and he wants to win.”
UConn has already landed pledges from Class of 2019 point guard Jalen Gaffney and shooting guard James Bouknight. They remain in the mix for several other players, including forward Akok Akok and Tre Mitchell and big man Qudus Wahab, all of whom have recently taken official visits.
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