Chicago Tribune

Paul Sullivan: Illinois, Loyola and ... Notre Dame? A look at which teams could make an extended run with March Madness just around the corner.

Playing in Kofi Cockburn’s big shadow is something his Illinois teammates are accustomed to, and no one seems to mind. Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu led the Illini to a Big Ten Tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year, and after Dosunmu left for the NBA it was no secret Illinois likely would live or die on the performance of their 7-foot All-America center. But now there’s ...
In this photo from February 05, 2022, Alfonso Plummer of the Illinois Fighting Illini against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Playing in Kofi Cockburn’s big shadow is something his Illinois teammates are accustomed to, and no one seems to mind.

Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu led the Illini to a Big Ten Tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year, and after Dosunmu left for the NBA it was no secret Illinois likely would live or die on the performance of their 7-foot All-America center.

But now there’s reason to believe the Illini can succeed without putting everything on Cockburn’s shoulders. Alfonso Plummer’s recent play suggests the rest of the Illini are more than just Kofi’s supporting cast.

Plummer hit six 3-pointers Sunday in

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