Cockburn wins Big Ten Freshman of Year, Dosunmu earns First Team honors
Freshman-sophomore duo accomplish feats last achieved in 2010.
Peyton Wesner – Producer and Men’s Basketball Reporter
March 9, 2020
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One day after the No. 21 Fighting Illini (21-10, 13-7) vanquished Iowa, freshman center Kofi Cockburn wasted no time in starting the postseason off right by being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The seven-foot center is the first Illinois player since DJ Richardson in 2010 to win the award.
“He’s impacted our program in every aspect,” said head coach Brad Underwood of Cockburn on Sunday. “He’s had some unbelievable moments in the best league in the country.”
Cockburn concludes his first collegiate regular season averaging 13.3 points per game to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. The Kingston, Jamaica, native’s twelve double-doubles rank fifth among all freshmen in NCAA Division I basketball.
🏆 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR 🏆@kxng_alpha named the B1G's top rookie by both the coaches and media. He's the fourth #Illini FOY overall and the first since @djrich32 in 2010. pic.twitter.com/DBV4Qm5iE5
— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 9, 2020
Cockburn was not the only Fighting Illini to receive conference honors on Monday. Sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu became the first Illinois All-Big Ten First Team selection since Demetri McCamey, also, in 2010.
“Find anybody whose better. Find anybody who has made more game-winners and impacted a team,” said Underwood. “We were a shell of ourselves the game we played without him, and he’s been absolutely as good on both ends of the court.”
Dosunmu is leading his team in points and assists for a second consecutive season. The Morgan Park product scored double-figure points in 17 of his 19 conference games and has posted nearly 20 points per game since returning from injury on February 18.
And here's who made the all-@B1GMBBall first teams as voted by the media and the coaches.
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/PXGD0aoQU8
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 9, 2020
Illinois will begin its pursuit of a conference tournament title on Friday, March 13. Thanks to a double-bye, the Fighting Illini’s first game will be in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The last time Illinois won the conference tournament was 2005 — a year when they had a free pass to the quarterfinals as well.
A third matchup with Iowa could welcome Underwood’s group in Indianapolis.
“We don’t like each other. Simple as that,” said Dosunmu. “They want to kill us. We want to kill them.”