CHAMPAIGN — Penn State didn’t shy away from sending Kofi Cockburn to the free-throw line Tuesday night. It wasn’t necessarily a bad plan.
The Illinois sophomore center entered the game shooting 54.1 percent at the line for the season and was fresh off a 1-of-5 showing three days prior against Ohio State. Cockburn wasn’t that far removed from an 0-fer against Purdue either.
A little extra time in the gym with coach Brad Underwood was a difference maker. Cockburn made 9 of 13 free throws against the Nittany Lions as part of his game-high 21 points in the 79-65 victory for the No. 22 Illini.
“I felt like at the start of the season — starting out missing — got to me,” Cockburn said. “I started pausing my shot and started doing all different kinds of stuff with my shot.”
Underwood didn’t let up in telling Cockburn know that his free-throw shooting wasn’t up to par. But there was an undercurrent of encouragement, too.
“He said I’m really good when I’m making free throws because guys have to foul me to stop me,” Cockburn said of Underwood’s message. “It’s extra hours in the gym putting up 300 makes a day with Coach and just making sure I step up to the line with confidence and knock the shot down.”
Underwood spent about 40 minutes with Cockburn in a one-on-one session a couple days ago. Two minor tweaks to the 7-footer’s shooting mechanics and plenty of reps later, Cockburn’s shot was looking better.
“He was standing up there and would make 13 in a row and miss one,” Underwood said. “He’d reset and then it would be 14 in a row and he’d miss one. All of a sudden, when you start adding it up, he’s 87 out of 100 with a lot of streaks there. Kofi’s got great touch. He’s got really big hands, so sometimes it gets a little more challenging for him, but when he’s making free throws he’s a heck of a weapon.”
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Illinois (10-5, 6-3 Big Ten) isn’t currently scheduled to play again until Jan. 29 — at home against Iowa — after Saturday’s game at Michigan State was postponed earlier this week. Underwood also wasn’t counting on the Big Ten making any moves to shift the conference schedule around and get the Illini a replacement game this weekend.
“Every time you make a move, it affects two other teams and right on down the line,” Underwood said. “Next thing you know you’ve got kind of a snowball affect.”
So that leaves Illinois with the less-desirable option. The Illini can add a nonconference opponent to their schedule, with a slot open following the UT Martin cancelation. While Underwood isn’t thrilled with the idea — mostly because non-Big Ten teams wouldn’t be on the same COVID-19 protocols — that’s the path Illinois is pursuing.
That many low- and mid-major teams are playing their own conference games on weekends makes it even more difficult to find an opponent, though.
“We are aggressively trying to find a nonconference opponent that will met some of our testing protocols to slide in there,” Underwood said. “You’re looking at a time slot where a lot of teams are playing. We’ll see how that pans out right now. It’s unique. We’re in the middle of January, and we don’t know who our next opponent is in terms of before the Iowa game. We’ll have to wait and see, and I’d like to find a game if we could.”
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Cockburn pulled Andre Curbelo aside for a brief moment Tuesday night after the freshman guard was subbed out and returned to the bench.
Curbelo was better against Penn State than he had been the three previous games. The 6-foot-1 guard finished with six points and four assists, but it was the three turnovers and four fouls that had him frustrated.
“Andre Curbelo is in the position where I used to be,” Cockburn said. “He’s one of the best freshmen I’ve seen in a long, long time. I went through that same thing last year with just my confidence. When I had a bad game or made a bad play and came out of the game I’d hold my head down.”
Cockburn sees a successful Illinois career in Curbelo’s future. That was the message he tried to get across to his teammate.
“I feel like I’m in a position to help him more than Coach would be because I’m experienced in that,” Cockburn said. “I told him things are going to be better. … Basketball is a really forgetful game. You can’t dwell on the past. You have to look forward. That’s how you help your team and help yourself. I just made sure to give him that message and told him he’s going to be great.”
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Illinois was whistled for two technical fouls Tuesday against the Nittany Lions. Da’Monte Williams got the first after getting in a verbal spat with Penn State’s D.J. Gordon, who was on the other end of the double technical. Izaiah Brockington picked up another for the Nittany Lions after a lengthy review of the situation by the officials.
“I thought (the officials) did a great job of understanding they were put in a tough spot because it was a timeout, so people were kind of leaving the bench scene,” Underwood said. “It was a heated game and kids playing hard, and some of that happens. There’s going to be some emotion. I was glad to see nobody on their side or our side was penalized too heavily.”
Freshman forward Coleman Hawkins received Illinois’ second technical after a bit of taunting following one of his three blocked shots. Underwood got after Hawkins after immediately subbing him out — while his teammates high-fived him — but took a different tone after the game.
“I really liked that, (and) I say that in about a half-serious way,” said Underwood, who admitted he was kind of trash talker himself in his playing days. “He made a heck of a play. Now, he’s got to learn you can’t do that in front of an official or you can’t be that demonstrative. The game had a little pitch to it. They were going to call that, but I love that emotion.”
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