By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer
March 8, 2022
(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- For the second straight season, Kofi Cockburn is a first-team, all-conference selection.
The Illinois junior center was named a unanimous selection by the league as conference awards were announced on the Big Ten Network Tuesday afternoon. Cockburn, who was one of two All-Big Ten first team selections from the Illinois program (along with Ayo Dosunmu) last season, is currently the only NCAA player averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds and the first high-major conference player since 2018 to average at least 21 points and 11 rebounds. The 7-foot, 290-pound Illini big is a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award that goes to the nation’s best center in college basketball and is the Illinois school record holder with 42 career double-doubles, which is second-most in NCAA over the last three years. Joining Cockburn on the list of finalists for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are Auburn’s Walker Kessler, Connecticut’s Adam Sanogo, Gonzaga’s Drew Timme and Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe.
Cockburn led the Illini (23-8, 15-5) to a co-regular season league championship with Wisconsin. Illinois will be the top seed in the upcoming 2022 Big Ten tournament and will play the winner of Indiana/Michigan on Friday morning (10:30 a.m. CST, BTN) in the quarterfinal round at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Cockburn currently ranks tied for 14th in UI history with 1,487 points and sixth all-time with 830 rebounds. He is the school record holder with 43 career double-doubles, and is on pace to become Illinois’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder among three-year players.
Cockburn was joined on the first-team All-Big Ten team by player of the year Johnny Davis of Wisconsin, Purdue wing Jaden Ivey, Ohio State forward EJ Liddell and Iowa forward Keegan Murray. After returning for his “super senior” season via the COVID-19 additional year of competition opportunity, Illinois guard Trent Frazier picked up his first career second-team all-conference selection. Frazier, a five-year starter and arguably one of the most accomplished players to ever wear an Illini jersey, ranks fifth on the U of I all-time scoring list with 1,773 points. He has played the most minutes in Illini history and is on pace to break the school record for career starts as well. Frazier has made 307 three-pointers, ranking second all-time at Illinois. He is averaging 12.5 points this season, scoring a season-high 29 in the win at Nebraska, and hit clutch threes to close out recent wins at Michigan State and Michigan.
Frazier was also named to the league’s all-defense team for the second straight year. Frazier was joined on the six-player Big Ten second-team with Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, Michigan center Hunter Dickinson, Purdue center Zach Edey, Rutgers wing Ron Harper Jr. and Wisconsin guard Brad Davison.
Illinois senior transfer guard Alfonso Plummer led the Big Ten third-team selections with Michigan State wing Gabe Brown, Nebraska guard Bryce McGowens, Ohio State wing Malaki Branham, Purdue forward Trevion Williams, and Rutgers guard Geo Baker.
Plummer, a grad transfer from Utah, led the Big Ten in 3-point field goals, making 91 which already ranks fourth on the Illini single-season list. Plummer is averaging 15.1 points this season, and he tied the school record for threes in a game, making eight against Ohio State on Feb. 24.
The awards are voted on by conference coaches and a select media panel. The complete list of All-Conference honorees and individual award winners is below.
2021-22 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team
As selected by Big Ten coaches
FIRST TEAM
KOFI COCKBURN, ILLINOIS
KEEGAN MURRAY, IOWA
E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Jaden Ivey, Purdue
JOHNNY DAVIS, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM*
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Zach Edey, Purdue
Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers
Brad Davison, Wisconsin
THIRD TEAM*
Alfonso Plummer, Illinois
Gabe Brown, Michigan State
Bryce McGowens, Nebraska
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Trevion Williams, Purdue
Geo Baker, Rutgers
HONORABLE MENTION
Jordan Bohannon, Iowa
Fatts Russell, Maryland
Malik Hall, Michigan State
Jamison Battle, Minnesota
Payton Willis, Minnesota
John Harrar, Penn State
Sasha Stefanovic, Purdue
Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Moussa Diabate, Michigan
Max Christie, Michigan State
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Bryce McGowens, Nebraska
Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Caleb McConnell, Rutgers
Eric Hunter Jr., Purdue
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Caleb McConnell, Rutgers
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR:
Trevion Williams, Purdue
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Greg Gard, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections IN ALL CAPS
*Additional honorees due to ties
2021-22 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team
As selected by Media Voting Panel
FIRST TEAM
KOFI COCKBURN, ILLINOIS
KEEGAN MURRAY, IOWA
E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Zach Edey, Purdue
Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers
THIRD TEAM
Alfonso Plummer, Illinois
Bryce McGowens, Nebraska
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Trevion Williams, Purdue
Brad Davison, Wisconsin
HONORABLE MENTION
Xavier Johnson, Indiana
Race Thompson, Indiana
Jordan Bohannon, Iowa
Fatts Russell, Maryland
Eric Ayala, Maryland
Eli Brooks, Michigan
Gabe Brown, Michigan State
Jamison Battle, Minnesota
Payton Willis, Minnesota
Pete Nance, Northwestern
John Harrar, Penn State
Sasha Stefanovic, Purdue
Geo Baker, Rutgers
Caleb McConnell, Rutgers
Paul Mulcahy, Rutgers
Clifford Omoruyi, Rutgers
Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Greg Gard, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections IN ALL CAPS
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