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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He will offer information on Brad Underwood’s team every morning:
Andy Katz pulled out his Top 25 returning college basketball players for the 2021-22 season a few days ago. That’s a pretty sizable list of ten players with six in the top 17. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the fact that UCLA’s Johnny Juzang is in the top spot. Gonzaga’s Drew Timme is pretty much the favorite for this honor, but I like the choice of Juzang. If he plays this coming season like he did in the Final Four, I’ll be brilliant (spoiler alert) to have UCLA as the No.1 preseason team.
Kofi Cockburn, of course, made the list. He’s the highest-ranked Big Ten player at No.3, and the Illinois center is expected to be a preseason All-American. I will vote for him.
Here is what was written about Illini’s big man: “Kofi Cockburn has had a busy offseason watching the NBA and entering the transfer portal. However, he returns to Illinois where he looks like he’s having another season. Outstanding. Cockburn was a consensus second team. All-American, having made 16 doubles-doubles this season. Katz believes Cockburn’s steadfast presence can lead Illinois further into the NCAA tournament and possibly be towards a Big Ten title. “
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