Honestly, I have never seen a player like Kofi Cockburn come through the program. He has done incredible things in the paint. His name will be cemented in the freshman record book. Illinois hasn’t been this competitive in the Big Ten in a long time either.
The Illini are currently in a tie with Michigan State for the No. 1 spot in the conference. It has been a long time since the Orange and Blue were in the top half of the Big Ten, let alone at the top. And tonight, against Minnesota, Illinois is attempting to do something that hasn’t happened in about a decade and a half.