Author: staff

Kofi Cockburn knew he entered the NBA draft combine this week in Chicago with plenty to prove.After using the event as a growth experience last year, the former Illinois center is set on entering the NBA next season. And despite second-round projections and questions about his perimeter abilities, Cockburn believes he can carve out a place as a professional.Advertisement“A lot of people doubt my ability to adapt to the NBA,” Cockburn said. “You can put me in any situation and I can definitely contribute. … The NBA is a whole different ballgame. They have no idea what I’m capable of so they’ll always have doubt.”Cockburn declared for the draft after his third season at Illinois after averaging 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds and being named an All-American for the second straight year. AdvertisementMeasuring 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Cockburn’s size was his most obvious advantage at the combine. With other top center prospect such as Chet Holmgren opting out of scrimmages to avoid injury, Cockburn towered over his opposition Thursday and Friday.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 34Scotty Pippen Jr., right, of Team Curry defends Marcus Sasser of Team Weaver during a scrimmage at the NBA draft combine on May 19, 2022, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Cockburn idolized Shaquille O’Neal as a young player learning the game in Jamaica, and that hard-nosed physicality in the post dominates his style of play.“A lot of people tell me if it was the 1990s, I’d be drafted in the top 10,” Cockburn said with a laugh.But the center role has changed dramatically since O’Neal’s era, piling new expectations on big men.Cockburn isn’t a strong perimeter shooter, missing the only 3-pointer he attempted at Illinois. His agility also was a key emphasis for improvement throughout his collegiate career, seeing major improvement in his junior season. He still needs to develop that area of his game to succeed in the NBA, in which big men such as Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid regularly knock down 3s to stretch the court.Cockburn is still a top-15 center with second-round projections, but his stock could be limited by how the position has evolved.Wednesday’s workouts highlighted expected strengths and weaknesses for Cockburn. Despite going 14-for-25 in midrange shooting — tying for first in the drill — he went 14-for-25 (36th overall) in spot shooting. He also was one of the slowest players in the shuttle run (fourth-worst at 3.31 seconds) and lane-agility test (third-worst at 12.11 seconds).The two days of scrimmaging allowed Cockburn to showcase his abilities in the paint. He logged 11 points and 13 rebounds Thursday, then recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds Friday.AdvertisementAlthough Cockburn said he wasn’t satisfied with the number of touches he received in the scrimmages, he emphasized the importance of showing teams he can outrebound any opponent.“I figured these guys are going to shoot, I’m going to rebound,” Cockburn said. “No team is going to put me in the star play. I’m going to have to find my role playing defense, talking, bringing positive energy and rebounding.”Illinois center Kofi Cockburn waits for the game against Ohio State to resume on Feb. 24, 2022, at the State Farm Center. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)Cockburn brought a boisterous presence to the court during scrimmages, hollering support at teammates from the sideline and slinging an arm around opponents with a grin after fouls. When he smashed a two-handed dunk through the rim in the second half of Friday’s scrimmage, Cockburn’s excited shout reverberated at Wintrust Arena.His success at the combine continued a week of good news for the Illinois program. Former Illinois teammate and Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, a Morgan Park product, earned a spot on the All-Rookie second team Wednesday, capping a breakout season.Despite falling into the second round in last year’s draft, Dosunmu thrived after the Bulls selected him with the 38th pick. He carried the mantle of starting point guard for most of the final third of the season as injuries plagued the starting lineup, averaging 8.8 points and 3.3 assists.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 75Ayo Dosunmu tries to block the shot of Atlanta guard Trae Young in the second half of a game at the United Center on Feb. 24, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 12An emotional Ayo Dosunmu celebrates Thursday during a watch party at Bracket Room in Chicago after the Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the NBA draft. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Although the Bulls need to bulk up their interior to support center Nikola Vučević, Cockburn is unlikely to land in Chicago. The Bulls still haven’t been able to develop 2020 draft pick Marko Simonović, a 6-foot-11 Serbian forward who spent most of the season with the Windy City roster. This offseason, they’re in search of more developed talent to improve their size, while Cockburn will require more long-term development.AdvertisementBut Cockburn said he still counts on Dosunmu to put in a good word with the Bulls front office ahead of the draft. The two still talk every day, a relationship Cockburn doesn’t expect to change even if they become opponents next season. During the Bulls season, he called Dosunmu ahead of every game for a pep talk. Dosunmu did the same ahead of the combine.“It’s him being that brother to me,” Cockburn said. “He always looks out for me.”The combine was a familiar experience for Cockburn, who underwent the process last year. At the time, Cockburn said it was a difficult decision to return to college. This year, that choice was easier — even with the potential of guaranteed NIL deals awaiting him in Champaign.After taking 19 interviews at last year’s combine, Cockburn said he didn’t interview with any new teams this week, although his agent is coordinating meetings with several teams.Cockburn’s next steps will be decided June 23 at the NBA in New York.

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When Fergie Jenkins attended the statue dedication ceremonies for his former Chicago Cubs teammates at Wrigley Field, the thought had to cross his mind.Will the Cubs one day honor me?AdvertisementIt took longer than necessary, but that day finally arrived Friday at Gallagher Way.The sculpture of Jenkins in his windup brought back memories of his duels with Bob Gibson at Wrigley Field during an era when starters took the ball and wouldn’t give it up until it was pried from their hands. Standing in front of his statue after the ceremony Friday afternoon, Jenkins turned around to take a long look, then smiled at the familiar pose.Advertisement“It’s me,” he said. “It looks like me. I think that was (from) an afternoon ballgame, a (TV) ‘Game of the Week.’ They used it on a Sports Illustrated cover. That was the pose because they wanted to show the Cubs logo on the chest and the cap.”Cubs pitching great Fergie Jenkins speaks during the unveiling of his statue Friday outside Wrigley Field. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)When you think of Jenkins in a Cubs uniform, you think about the 284 career wins, the 3,192 strikeouts, the 267 complete games, and, of course, that fateful 1969 season. He waited a long time to join Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo as statue-worthy Cubs, but it was worth the wait.“Fergie deserved this a long time ago,” Williams said. “But better late than never.”Jenkins never grumbled over the wait, even as he admitted Friday he “had the numbers” to merit the honor.“But the organization has to do it,” Jenkins said. “Just like retiring my number (31). They waited for (Greg) Maddux to retire, and we retired (the number) together (in 2009).“I was here for Ernie’s (ceremony). I was here for Billy’s and Ronnie’s. Believe me, it was an honor to see them being humble, because the fact was they were Chicago Cubs players. To me, my career was in Chicago. My second home was playing right here in Wrigley Field.”Jenkins’s speech was short and sweet, and just like his pitching days at Wrigley, he was forced to battle a 25-mph wind to keep his notes from blowing away. He thanked everyone from the Rickettses to former Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley, from manager Leo Durocher to the Bleacher Bums. Jenkins told a humorous story of the day Durocher let Frank Sinatra manage a couple of innings of a spring training game in Palm Springs, Calif., in 1968.But it was Banks, Jenkins said, who “taught me to respect the game and be professional all the time.” That was a lesson Jenkins never forgot.Advertisement“Fergie is very unassuming, and you wondered whether he’d be able to get the accolades that he really deserves,” former Cubs batterymate Randy Hundley said. “He’s beginning to get it, and I’m glad for him.”[ Fergie Jenkins’ statue will be unveiled Friday at Wrigley Field. His former teammates reflect on the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer’s career. ]Williams, Hundley and the rest of Jenkins’ friends seemed as happy for him as he was for himself. The Cubs community turned out for the ceremony, including Jenkins’ former teammates Williams, Hundley, Byron Browne, Lee Smith and Steve Trout and former players including Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood.Former Blackhawks goaltender Ed Belfour also was among the guests on a warm day with the kind of wind blowing out to right that forced Jenkins to hit his spots or watch the ball fly, as it did for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who hit seven home runs Friday in a 10-6 win.“He didn’t worry about no danged wind,” Williams said of Jenkins. “If the wind was blowing at him, it was in his favor because he had a good slider, and he knew that.”The statues of Jenkins, Banks, Williams and Santo serve as reminders of a season that lives in infamy — that epic 1969 collapse to the New York Mets. That those players, and that team, remain beloved in Chicago despite the tragic ending is a testament to the joy they brought Cubs fans year in and year out.“It’s too bad the Mets — I hate to say it — the Mets won,” Williams said. “But I was here in 2016.”AdvertisementHistory tends to celebrate the winners, and Cubs fans finally got that chance in 2016. But Chicagoans also have celebrated athletes with character and a strong work ethic, whether they had won a ring or not.Jenkins was what we all aspire to be — someone who worked at his craft and never wanted to leave a job unfinished. Someone who was confident in his ability but never too cocky. Someone who hated losing and did everything he could to help his team win.“As a pitcher, I learned to win,” he said in his speech. “Losing never entered my mind.”Billy Williams speaks about Fergie Jenkins before the unveiling of the Cubs pitching great’s statue on May 20, 2022, outside Wrigley Field. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)Williams reminded writers that Jenkins went out to the mound every four games in an era of the four-man rotation.“Now you’ve got pitchers going out there every five days,” Williams said.Or every six days, Williams was reminded.AdvertisementWilliams then listed the names of Jenkins, Gibson, Don Drysdale and Juan Marichal, old-school starters who didn’t believe they did their jobs unless the catcher handed them the ball at the end of a complete game. Last season the only teams with more than three complete games were the Philadelphia Phillies (five) and Chicago White Sox (four). During his Cy Young-winning season with the Cubs in 1971, Jenkins had six complete games in both May and July and a league-leading 30 overall.Jenkins laughed Fridasy when asked about modern-day starters throwing five innings or less.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“That’s way too bad,” he said. “They don’t give them the opportunity to show what their ability is all about. These guys train to do a certain thing. To pitch 2 ⅔ innings, you haven’t even touched a part of their ability. You don’t really get into a ballgame until the fifth or the sixth”Cubs starter Drew Smyly lasted 4 ⅓ innings Wednesday, while Marcus Stroman threw five innings Thursday. Both were satisfied with their outings afterward. The baseball axiom “five and dive” was once an insult thrown at starters who couldn’t pitch past the fifth. Now starters are rewarded with high-fives for going five innings.Jenkins can only be thankful he pitched in a differnt era.“I ran a lot, I stayed in shape,” Jenkins said. “My dad was a chef. He told me what to eat, what not to eat. But the biggest thing is what you put in your body that’s going to make you perform well. I tried to understand that being out there playing, I had to have stamina. I never had a sore arm. I pitched 21 seasons and never had a sore arm. That’s probably genetics.”AdvertisementThe journey from growing up in Chatham, Ontario, to the Baseball Hall of Fame to Friday’s statue dedication was a long and hard one. When Jenkins was 14, his father, who had played in the Negro Leagues, took him to his first game at old Tigers Stadium in Detroit. After watching Larry Doby hit two home runs, Fergie told his dad he wanted to be a ballplayer.“Little did I know it was going to work out so good,” he said.The day was complete, just the way we remembered whenever Jenkins took the mound.

Chicago Fire goalkeeper and Addison native Gabriel Slonina has picked his international future — at least for the time being.Slonina on Friday announced on social media he is committing to the U.S. men’s national team for international soccer. The highly touted goalkeeper was eligible to play for Poland, which earlier this week called him up to its camp.Advertisement“I love everything about my heritage, from the people to the food to the cities,” Slonina, 18, said in the announcement. “I am also extremely grateful for being given the possibility to play for Poland.“With that being said, my heart is American. This country has given me and my family all the opportunities I could ask for. … I understand the privilege of wearing the badge, and the only time I’ll put my head down is to kiss it. America is home and that’s who I’m going to represent.”AdvertisementSlonina told the Tribune last year that choosing between the countries would be a difficult choice — one that most dual-nationals grip with.“I have a lot of family in Poland but I also grew up my whole life in the USA,” said Slonina, whose parents emigrated from Tarnów. “It’s going to be a tough one but it’s going to have to be made.”While the news might be exciting to American soccer fans, it’s worth noting that Slonina’s commitment to the U.S. is not set in stone.Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina (1) reacts after an Orlando City goal was overturned after a review in the second half of the Fire’s home opener at Soldier Field, March 5, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Per FIFA eligibility rules, Slonina can still switch to Poland as long as he does not make more than three appearances for the U.S. before he turns 21. Appearing even once in a World Cup or CONCACAF final competition would make him ineligible to switch, but playing in a tournament qualifier would not.Slonina, whom some believe to be U.S. goalkeeper of the future, was not included in coach Gregg Berhalter’s squad for June matches.The announcement Friday came after a tough run of games for Slonina, who recently committed a handful of costly errors for the Fire, winless in their last eight Major League Soccer matches. Against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday, Slonina let a shot slip through his hands for a goal. At Soldier Field on Saturday, a giveaway led to FC Cincinnati’s game-winning goal.Slonina on Thursday acknowledged the errors, posting on social media that is was “awful feeling like (you’re) letting everyone down.”Last couple games have not been my best. costing vital points does not push us to our goals. it’s awful feeling like your letting everyone down, but that’s the side of sports that is rarely talked about. I promise I’m going to keep doing everything I can to bounce back and pic.twitter.com/HDcrm07elH— GAGA (@GabrielSlonina) May 19, 2022

Fire coach Ezra Hendrickson was quick to point out that mistakes are part of the game, especially for a young goalkeeper, and that club still strongly believes in Slonina.Advertisement“He’s an 18-year-old kid,” Hendrickson told reporters Wednesday night. “He’s a bit inexperienced. But he’s a mentally tough kid, and he’s made a couple mistakes now in the past couple games but he’s still our No. 1.“As far as what we need to do, we just need to put our arms around him, let him know we’re still confident in him because he’s our goalkeeper and he’s a very good goalkeeper at that. It’s just sometimes players go through situations like this and he’s just got to find his way out of it and especially in that position. … We’ll help him as a group to get past this game and to get past these couple blunders. But he’s our goalkeeper, he’s our No. 1. There’s no doubt about that.”

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NEW YORK — Wes Helms was placed on “indefinite leave” as the manager of the Chicago White Sox Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte, the team announced Friday.The Sox did not provide additional information, calling it a “personnel issue.”Advertisement2022 marked Helms’ fourth season in the Sox system and his second as Knights manager. He was a coach at Double-A Birmingham in 2019.Helms, 46, played for the Atlanta Braves (1998, 2000-02), Milwaukee Brewers (2003-05), Florida (now Miami) Marlins (2006, ‘08-11) and Philadelphia Phillies (2007), hitting .256 with 75 home runs and 374 RBIs in 1,212 career major-league games.AdvertisementAccording to reports, Julio Mosquera will serve as Charlotte’s acting manager.The Knights confirm reports.“The Chicago White Sox announced today that Julio Mosquera will serve as acting manager with the Charlotte Knights as Wes Helms has been placed on indefinite leave. The Knights will have no further comments at this time due to a personnel matter.”— Hannah Oliveto (@HannahOliveto) May 20, 2022

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