Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn will enter NBA Draft

Kofi Cockburn will leave Illinois and enter the NBA Draft, the Illinois junior announced on social media.

“I’m closing one of the most amazing chapters of my life,” Cockburn told ESPN on Wednesday. “I’m proud of what we accomplished in college, but I am not sure it can get much better than that. It’s a scary challenge now and I’m excited to rise to the occasion and try and prove people wrong.

“Thinking back to where I was three years ago when I entered college — people would be amazed to see the progress I made in becoming a two-time All-American. I’m planning on doing the same exact thing in my professional career: pushing my game to new heights.”

Cockburn doesn’t buy into the presupposition that he’ll need to overhaul his game to make it in the NBA. 

“I don’t feel I need to,” he told the Sun-Times earlier this year. “I think when I get the chance — and I will — people will start realizing how important I am to the team I play for.”