Fansided

Illinois basketball: Kofi Cockburn dunked so hard he (probably) caused an earthquake in Indy (Video)

By Patrick Schmidt

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) grabs a rebound against the Drexel Dragons during the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) grabs a rebound against the Drexel Dragons during the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Illinois basketball had no trouble putting away Drexel in the NCAA Tournament.

Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn and the Illinois Fighting Illini barely needed to break a sweat to put away 16-seed Drexel in the NCAA Tournament.

The All-American Dosunmu had a double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and added six assists and three steals in the 78-49 win.

Illinois got a game-high 18 points from Cockburn, a second-team All-American, who threw down some ferocious dunks that probably registered as tiny little earthquakes in Indianapolis on Friday afternoon.

Related Story. Blank printable March Madness bracket. light

Andre Curbelo went between the legs of a Drexel defender to set up Cockburn for one of his dunks that was something you’ll often see in a soccer game. The nutmeg was just one example of the disparity in talent from 1-seed Illinois and Drexel.

With the win, Illinois faces the winner of Georgia Tech and Loyola-Chicago. This sets the stage for a rare matchup between the two schools that rarely play each other. Loyola made a run to the Final Four a few years ago and now they’re potentially in the way of playing spoiler of Illinois making their first Final Four since 2005 when the Illini finished as the national runners-up.

Of course, it’s premature to think Loyola will get past Georgia Tech who won the ACC Tournament and are fully capable of winning that game. However, whoever the Illini face, they’ll be the prohibitive favorites as Brad Underwood’s team is the hottest team in the nation outside of Gonzaga.

It’s why the Illini are a popular pick to get to the national championship game. Gonzaga and Illinois are probably the most popular championship game in your March Madness bracket. It’s easy to see why with the way the “Masked Mamba,” Cockburn and the Illini have played all season, but especially down the stretch.

Next. 20 biggest upsets in the history of March Madness. dark

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.

Home/March Madness