Fox/BTN Analyst Stephen Bardo On Kofi Cockburn's NBA Potential

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Stephen Bardo doesn’t sound like a man who is shocked to hear Illinois center Kofi Cockburn is investigating the pro draft after just one season of college basketball.

In December, Bardo declared in December on ‘The Drive with Lon Tay and Derek Piper' on ESPN Radio in Champaign that he expected Cockburn to be a first round pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft.

Bardo, who works as an analyst for Fox Sports, Big Ten Network and does several radio and television spots for Chicago-area stations, has backed off that lottery pick proclamation for the Illini big. However, after watching Cockburn received Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year honors by both the media and coaches after averaging 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 53.2 percent from the field for his alma mater, the former Flyin’ Illini guard still believes the 7-foot, 290-pound center has a game that can translate to the modern-day analytics-driven professional basketball style.

“I’ve seen Kofi shoot 18 and 19-foot jump shots in practice so he has a shooting touch believe me,” Bardo said in an exclusive interview with Illini Now/Sports Illustrated. “And I know he’ll work. So, yeah, he can eventually become a pick and pop guy that can be a rim runner because that’s unfortunately what the NBA game has become nowadays.”

Bardo believes Cockburn’s decision to investigate the draft process, despite knowing what that will look like due to the COVID-19 health epidemic pausing the 2019-20 NBA season and therefore, pushing back all the offseason plans, will be a good move for him whether he stays in the draft or returns for his sophomore season at Illinois.

“I doubt he’ll be featured obviously so he’s going to have to find a role (in the NBA) just like 99 percent of the current 450 players in the league,” Bardo said.

#Illini head coach Brad Underwood (@CoachUnderwood) has released a statement on Kofi Cockburn (@kxng_alpha) declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/OIWQ6EaOxC
— Matthew Stevens (@matthewcstevens) April 7, 2020

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood released a statement Tuesday night regarding Cockburn’s announcement to declare for the draft.

“We are in full support of Kofi’s decision,” Underwood’s statement reads. “We’re recruiting players to Illinois who have career aspirations of playing at the highest level. We will continue to help Kofi in every way possible as he goes through this process and with the information he receives from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee.”

Bardo also added that he has a lot of faith and expectations that Underwood will be able to reload the Illini roster following an more-than-encouraging third season where Illinois would’ve likely found themselves back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.

“I think Brad Underwood understands the realities of college basketball and to also lose Alan Griffin to transfer as well, but you’ll gain Adam Miller from Chicago, the young point guard from New York (Andre Curbelo) and so the Illini have outstanding talent coming in,” Bardo said. “To be able to pull players from New York, Chicago and different locations and get them excited about being Illini, that’s why you can hear the confidence and excitement in Brad Underwood’s voice. He knows what is coming in regardless of what is going out.”