Playing in Kofi Cockburn’s big shadow is something his Illinois teammates are accustomed to, and no one seems to mind.
Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu led the Illini to a Big Ten Tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year, and after Dosunmu left for the NBA it was no secret Illinois likely would live or die on the performance of their 7-foot All-America center.
But now there’s reason to believe the Illini can succeed without putting everything on Cockburn’s shoulders. Alfonso Plummer’s recent play suggests the rest of the Illini are more than just Kofi’s supporting cast.
