For the first time in 15 years, two Illinois basketball players were named to the All-Big Ten First Team. Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn received the honors on Monday from both coaches and media with Dosunmu an unanimous First Team selection. Illinois senior guard Trent Frazier also earned All-Big Ten honorable mention from both coaches and media.
The last pair of Illini teammates to earn First Team all-conference honors were Dee Brown and James Augustine, who both were voted First Team by coaches in 2006. Only two other Illinois teams since 1966 have featured two All-Big Ten First Team members: the 1983-84 team (Bruce Douglas and Efrem Winters) that won the Big Ten and advanced to the Elite Eight and the 2004-05 team (Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head) that won the Big Ten and finished as NCAA Tournament runners-up.
Garza edges Dosunmu for B1G Player of the Year: Dosunmu, who was named a Sporting News First Team All-American on Tuesday, is averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists and is the only player during the last 11 seasons to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. The four previous players to do so were Evan Turner (2010 National Player of the Year), Ricky Menard and Penny Hardaway (1993 First Team All-American). The Illini junior is one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard, and one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year trophy.
Dosunmu also is known as one of college basketball’s best closer with his closing-time heroics helping Illinois win close, late games this season against Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern and Ohio State. Illinois coach Brad Underwood has given his junior star vociferous support as the Big Ten Player of the Year and National Player of the Year, though Iowa’s Luka Garza earned Big Ten Player of the Year.
“Damn, I don’t know who’s any better,” Underwood said last month. “I mean, literally, I know guys have more publicity and more marketing and more this and that, but the numbers don’t lie and the productivity doesn’t lie and the winning doesn’t lie. I don’t know who in the hell anybody thinks is any better than him right now.”
Cockburn’s year of improvement: Cockburn, who was named a Second Team All-American by Sporting News on Tuesday, improved his game drastically as a sophomore, averaging 17.3 points (No. 5 Big Ten) and 9.6 rebounds (No. 1 Big Ten) while shooting 66.5 percent from the field (No. 1 Big Ten). He is a finalist for the Kareem Abdul Jabbar Award, given to the nation’s top center, and is one of 15 semifinalists for the Wooden Award, given to the nation’s top player. A potential All-American as well, Cockburn is a key reason for the Illini’s turnaround during the last two seasons (29-11 Big Ten).
“Like I say, he’s the best big in the country,” Dosunmu said last month. “We really don’t get into (All-American talk). We’re focused on winning the national championship, winning the Big Ten championship/ But if you’re watching the game, of course, he’s the best big in the country. If there’s any big that’s on it, whatever list, or I don’t know, then definitely Kofi deserves consideration or he deserves to be there. But we’re not really worried about that. We’re worried about coming out and winning.”
