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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team:
Brad Underwood changed everything about his approach to basketball — on both ends of the court — to better suit Kofi Cockburn. To better utilize the dominant physical force that was the 7-foot, 295-pound center who ultimately became an All-American.
There have been few big men that big on Illinois' recruiting board since. Underwood shifted into a "get as many long, athletic wings" as possible mode both in attempt to move the Illini toward a position-less way of basketball life and because there aren't that many centers as big and as skilled as Cockburn.
The jury is still out on the skill level of Marcis Ponder — namely because's a freshman in high school — but the Class of 2026 prospect certainly has the size at 7-foot and 250 pounds. The Miami (Fla.) Norland center picked up an Illinois offer Monday. It's a short, mixed list of entities involved in his recruitment at this point, with other offers from Alabama, Chicago State and Overtime Elite.
Illinois Offered 🟠🔵 pic.twitter.com/JLyngntxuk
— Marcis Ponder (@Marcis_P2026) May 15, 2023
Ponder played a rotation role for Ponder in 2022-23. The Vikings' 7-footer averaged 4.5 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench and shot 60 percent from the field and 49 percent at the free throw line. Ponder went 21-8 for the season and bowed out in the region finals of the Class 5A state tournament (the quarterfinals) to eventual champions Belen Jesuit.
The offer to Ponder makes for five total from Illinois in the Class of 2026. The Illini have also targeted Lutheran East (Ohio) forward TJ Crumble, C.E. Jordan (N.C.) forward Rivers Knight, Bergen Catholic (N.J.) guard Chidi Nwigwe and Bishop O'Connell (Va.) guard Adam Oumiddoch.
