He debuted on the EYBL’s 17U level in the spring and started opening eyes. Dosunmu didn’t have much time to heal up after high school season — he was invited to try out for USA Basketball’s U18 team in the FIBA Americas Championship, made the team, and flew to Ontario for the competition. He led the team in scoring, but his efficiency — 43.5 percent from the field, 69.5 percent from the foul line — left a lot to be desired. Cockburn provided a much needed infusion of talent as the No. Now nearing 6’5 as a point guard, Dosunmu was becoming a takeover scorer who thrived going to the basket and was starting to make progress with an awkward-looking jump shot. USC, Xavier, NC State, and Wake Forest were all-in. Dosunmu made that last shot while wearing a black mask after suffering a broken nose at the end of a close loss against Michigan State. “Five to 10 years from now, the legacy I leave at my home school will mean more than anywhere else.”. He hit a bomb to beat Indiana and a mid-range shot to down Iowa. “We’re a family of planners,” Quam said. Dosunmu made the surprising decision to announce his return to school without even testing the draft process. Suddenly, Dosunmu was crowned the next big thing in the city. He would have led Illinois to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2013 as a sophomore last season before Covid-19 stopped daily life as we know it. He changed his Twitter avatar to a blank black box, and so did the rest of his large, supportive family that had been visible throughout the recruiting process. Illinois was swept out of the 2018 Maui Invitational. “It’s going to come down to you closing out games and closing out teams. His father Quam and his brother Kube worked to remake a three-point shot that bottomed out as a sophomore. The Illini lost close games to Maryland, Miami (FL), and Missouri to start the season, but things fully started to click in the heart of conference season. Anything less will ultimately be a disappointment. Ayo Dosunmu is the star Illini basketball always needed - SB Nation - … Illinois rattled off seven straight wins against Big Ten opponents during one stretch, and they closed the regular season as winners of five of six. His junior year, he won us a lot of games late.”. His first scholarship offer came from Illinois-Chicago and assistant coach Ron ‘Chin’ Coleman. Covid-19 changed life as we know it for everyone, but it felt particularly devastating for a 20-year-old on the precipice of accomplishing what he had worked so hard for. . Illinois coach Brad Underwood reportedly didn’t know Dosunmu’s intentions when the lights went off in the Jordan Brand store and a short video played thanking everyone who helped the point guard get to this point. Threw so many balls all over the gym to get to the point where I got to now.”. This is the impact Illinois basketball was always waiting for when it pinned its hopes and dreams on high schoolers who ultimately decided they’d rather play college basketball somewhere else. “Talking to my family, they really helped me make the best decision for myself and for my long-term future. . 83 in the country. The late game heroics have, of course, been there again. 2020-21 Game Log for Ayo Dosunmu. . Dosunmu himself also said it was a difficult question to answer: “I pretty much took it one year at a time,” Dosunmu said. Still, Dosunmu wanted to compete for state championships and knew he needed a bigger stage for that. Fletcher also overhauled Dosunmu’s diet and took it upon himself to see that the point guard was eating enough even when he didn’t have the appetite for it. Masked man Ayo Dosunmu has Illinois playing with a chip on its shoulder and as well as any team in the nation Dosunmu's return to the court Saturday led to yet another late-game Illinois win.