We hear outside opinions from family members and coaches, but at the end of the day, we sit down as a family and make a decision. EM: You mentioned that Ayo’s recruitment was ran as if it were a business. Messages were sent. Through social media, people had direct access to him. It was trial and error. Then we started to look for places where there were open spots at the point guard position. EM: Did things get crazy at times? Over the summer when we did tournaments, we wanted him to have as normal a life as any 16-, 17-year-old kid. 3 Illinois vs. No. Dosunmu also mentioned he has not hired an agent, which would make him eligible to return to Illinois for a junior season if he decides to withdraw … We spoke about everything from the family’s business-like approach when speaking to coaches, visiting campuses, the amount of media access to her son, and why she made a bold statement on social media to keep the haters at bay. Dosunmu had a historic season in his return to Champaign, finishing as the first NCAA player over the last 11 years to average more than 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in a season. It’s a good problem to have. "Ayo is eager to play," Underwood said. My older son Yakub’s recruitment was handled differently than Ayo’s. Recruiting Activity; Scouting Report; Player News; Scouting Report. You do what best fits for you and your family. He’s a true student of the game. They’ve been recruiting him for over a year. What’s the thought process in getting the list down to one school? The access was troubling. MORE: Class of 2018 Rivals150 In his first year on the job, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood faced a big test on the recruiting trail. His father and I are in total control of his recruitment. Messages were sent. Someone had put a tweet about his announcement that had gotten access to him. 6-4, 160 | Class of 2018 . Those were schools that were no longer interested. EM: Is there any advice you can offer to anyone out there who may have a son or daughter going through the recruitment process? It was trial and error. Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu (11) puts up a jump shot as Minnesota's Michael Hurt (42) tries to get in place earlier this season. We want to make sure he knows this is a blessing and it’s something he has to deal with. No one else. That’s not his responsibility. No. Dosunmu… Even if Ayo Dosunmu leaves for the NBA draft, the Illini will still be in good hands come the 2020-21 college basketball season. 1 ranked player in Illinois, according to ESPN 100 and the seventh-ranked point guard nationally. I’ve raised strong children, so we’re not a family that is easily swayed or intimidated. The access to him, you guys as reporters, coaches, and fans. It’s not any exaggeration to say that Ayo Dosunmu is the biggest piece of this year’s Illinois Basketball recruiting class. (Top photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via AP Images). But we’re keeping him in a positive frame of mind because a lot of athletes would love to be in the position he is in. Ayo Dosunmu is a 6-3, 160-pound Shooting Guard from Chicago, IL. The Illinois basketball team received the best news in the world when Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn both decided to come back for another year. Did you have any conversations with Ayo if he picked a school other than Illinois? It comes with the territory. Dosunmu: Someone had put a tweet about his announcement that had gotten access to him. He averaged more than 18 points and 10 rebounds per game in Big Ten play, becoming one of only two high-major players with 15/10 in conference games. We decided what’s the best for Ayo, and what’s best for our family. It was something about us making a visit knowing the school wasn’t going to be in our top seven. For every family, it’s different. We hear outside opinions from family members and coaches, but at the end of the day, we sit down as a family and make a decision. For instance, when we visited USC, we took a week off. Dosunmu: Me and my daughter had access to his social media to see who’s been messaging him. His father and I are in total control of his recruitment. That was what I was the most uncomfortable with, the direct access. (247) combo guard from Morgan Park High School in Chicago, Illinois, and is ranked as the 30 th player overall in the class of ’18. And then, we stepped back and did a recap of the things we liked. There was backlash when we cut the list down from 35 to 11. He’s sheltered most of his life. That was what I was the most uncomfortable with, the direct access. We visited Wake Forest and the next week, we visited another school. We’ve gotten to know coach [Brad] Underwood. We made sure we kept business hours. Is this something I’d like to do all the time? That’s not his responsibility. He is the first big get of Illinois coach Brad Underwood’s tenure and will join 2017 Illinois Mr. Basketball Mark Smith in Champaign. Through social media, people had direct access to him. In two weeks, they will move on to another recruit. Illinois is one of three programs with multiple players on the national ballot, joining national powers Gonzaga and Villanova. So it went from 35 to 11. It was based on relationships. Dosunmu suffered the injury at Michigan State. Me and my daughter had access to his social media to see who’s been messaging him. By the time it got down to seven, later in the game, we started looking how he would fit in. It was based on relationships. The recruitment of Morgan Park High School point guard Ayo Dosunmu is over. Looking a place where you can make an impact and support would be available. He can play basketball, but he is still a 17-year-old kid. He ended up with 35. It comes with the territory. Ayo Dosunmu put on an all black outfit when he woke up to go to school on October 19, 2017. Dosunmmu began his high school career at Chicago's Westinghouse College Prep, where he helped lead the Warriors to a 2015 conference championship against Al Raby High School and scored a season-high 40 points against Crane High School as a freshman, earning Chicago Sun-TimesAll-City Accolades. He’s the baby of the family and he’s not an introvert, but he keeps to himself. When I spoke with him ahead of last season’s Proviso West Holiday Tournament, the then-junior guard had 18 scholarship offers. Ayo Dosunmu is an elite student-athlete in the class of 2018 currently attending Morgan Park in Chicago, Illinois. He is the No. Hometown Chicago, Ill. School Morgan Park High School; Position Point Guard; Status Signed Illinois 10/19/2017 Scout Grade. It was something about us making a visit knowing the school wasn’t going to be in our top seven. One year later, Dosunmu’s business could be completed. Krysten Peek chats with the top 30 player in the 2018 class Ayo Dosunmu. Things often comes up even when the best plans are made? It’s a part of the business. Ayo Dosunmu might have won two state titles at Morgan Park, but he wasn’t quite on the national short list of mega-talented, mega-hyped recruits. Dosunmu announced via his Twitter Wednesday that he is declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. The Illini’s current roster would have allowed them to be OK if they missed out on the high scoring and physical Dosunmu. So one way may not work for one person and it works for another. That got a little scary when there’s was a situation with another reporter. Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) reacts to scoring a three point shot in a NCAA basketball game at State Farm Center … Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu and sophomore center Kofi Cockburn were both named All-Big Ten First Team by the Coaches and Media on Tuesday. Ayo Dosunmu. For every family, it’s different. We didn’t have conversations on if he didn’t pick Illinois that he was letting the state and the city down. The 6-foot-4 Dosunmu is the latest in a long line of Chicago point guards. In two weeks, they will move on to another recruit. The nation’s leader in dunks, Cockburn also has the fourth-most double-doubles in the nation over the past two seasons. When we would set up interviews, we set it up for certain times so it wouldn’t get too crazy and get out of control. There was backlash when we cut the list down from 35 to 11. It was new to all of us. He’s a city kid but he doesn’t take public transportation. There wasn’t anything we didn’t like. We didn’t have conversations on if he didn’t pick Illinois that he was letting the state and the city down. The negative situation with the reporter was about a house visit. He changed his Twitter avatar to a blank black box, and …