Ayo, Kofi named to All-Big Ten First Team

It’s Big Ten awards day, and the Illini have two of the conference’s best.

Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu and sophomore center Kofi Cockburn were both named All-Big Ten First Team by the Coaches and Media on Tuesday. Dosunmu, as well as Iowa’s Luka Garza, were unanimous selections on both.

Dosunmu had a historic season in his return to Champaign, finishing as the first NCAA player over the last 11 years to average more than 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in a season. He also had three double-doubles and two triple-doubles.

Meanwhile, Cockburn took major strides in his second season with Illinois. He averaged more than 18 points and 10 rebounds per game in Big Ten play, becoming one of only two high-major players with 15/10 in conference games. The nation’s leader in dunks, Cockburn also has the fourth-most double-doubles in the nation over the past two seasons.

Earlier Tuesday, Dosunmu was named Illinois first Sporting News First-Team All-American since Dee Brown in 2005, while Cockburn was named to the Second-Team All-American list.

Both Dosunmu and Cockburn have also been named finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding college basketball player. Illinois is one of three programs with multiple players on the national ballot, joining national powers Gonzaga and Villanova.