“It’s either state championship or bust,” Irvin recalls telling Dosunmu. He powered Morgan Park through the Public League gauntlet and into the state semifinals, where he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the first five minutes of the game. Though the Illini have been successful on the recruiting trail, two top 2021 targets, Brandon Weston and David Jones, committed elsewhere. Jon Scheyer became a legend for his scoring outbursts at suburban Glenbrook North playing for the brother of Illinois coach Bruce Weber, but he still picked Duke over heading to Champaign. Cockburn provided a much needed infusion of talent as the No. His email is [email protected], and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey). How Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu left a lasting legacy at Illinois. Illinois captivated the country behind Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Luther Head, but it couldn’t turn an iconic team into future wins on the recruiting trail. Podziemski named Illinois as one of his five finalists Thursday along with Kentucky, Miami, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. It came a point where he would sit down at the table with me and watch me eat and make sure I digested it right.”. Low near 35F. Charles is ranked as high as No. Dosunmu was considered the top basketball player in the city and a borderline five-star prospect depending on which recruiting service you trusted. “Baked chicken, macaroni, mashed potatoes, salad,” Dosunmu recalls. He was exactly the type of recruit that had broken the spirit of Illini fans so many times before. 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. Mike Cagley's Heat Checks and Hail Marys Game Summary […] Read. Dosunmu was the right player at the right time to finally make it happen. Weekly podcasts with guests and updates. Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. Dosunmu played through another leg injury as a senior, but he wasn’t going to let it keep him off the floor. Luke Goode giving his verbal pledge was a great start and he was definitely the top target for Stephen Gentry. Morgan Park was upset in the super-sectional round of the state playoffs, but Dosunmu’s reputation was starting to take off. 72 in the Class of 2021 by 247Sports. When it came to fine-tuning his skill set, Dosunmu went back to the only trainer he’s had his entire life: his family. Illinois had hired a new head coach in Brad Underwood, and he hired a new assistant: Chin Coleman, the same coach who gave Dosunmu his first scholarship. 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. Dosunmu has been one of the very best players in the country from the start of the season. Scott Richey covers college basketball for The News-Gazette. Morgan Park would win a state championship without him. By Brandon Simberg, Staff Writer September 3, 2020. Morgan Park had a senior guard in Charlie Moore who was positioning himself as the top player in the city and a top 100 recruit nationally. Threw so many balls all over the gym to get to the point where I got to now.”. He’s pulled off the impressive feat of having his most efficient scoring season (57.1 percent true shooting) while posting his highest usage rate (30 percent) yet. It had the second-worst defense in the Big Ten and an offense that ranked No. 43 recruit in the RSCI while also filling Illinois’ biggest need. 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. Many have speculated on who the top priorities are right now for the Illinois basketball staff in the class of 2021. 1 seed next to their name, Dosunmu is thinking about the Final Four and the national championship. They held him to a high standard, not considering each drill complete until he made 80 percent of his shots. Good Morning, Illini Nation: Statue worthy? There, Dosunmu teamed with current NBA players Coby White, Cole Anthony, and Tyrese Maxey and finished sixth on the team in scoring as the Americans won the gold medal. Irvin found a player who hated being coddled and wanted to be pushed to the limit by his coach. “Illinois is our state program,” Dosunmu’s father told SB Nation. Merely an update on some Class of 2021 Illini recruits/targets that are hitting the court this winter: Luke Goode, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Still, Dosunmu wanted to compete for state championships and knew he needed a bigger stage for that. Illinois had lost two key players to transfer over the offseason in Mark Smith and Michael Finke, leaving a young team without much proven talent or depth in the front court. High 58F. “Five to 10 years from now, the legacy I leave at my home school will mean more than anywhere else.”. He debuted on the EYBL’s 17U level in the spring and started opening eyes. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard is ranked as high as No. basketball recruiting. Home Basketball Etienne is someone who would be the centerpiece to the class of 2021. We probably wouldn’t be doing an interview right now if not for the pandemic.”. Illinois added a very interesting preferred walk-on today in Lucas Althaus. Illini Recruiting Hot Board: Top LB Targets to Watch For Illinois’ 2021 Class. He used his size to bang home a 15-foot game-winner over Zavier Simpson and Michigan. Ayo Dosunmu is the star Illini basketball always needed, The reaction video of Illinois fans watching Alexander’s mishap, wearing an Illini jersey to school at nearby Peoria the day before picking Duke. If Irvin saw his long-term potential, Dosunmu knew it wasn’t his team just yet. The player he is today wouldn’t be possible without it. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Brad Underwood jogged through a sea of orange with outstretched hands to high-five members of the Orange Krush student section after his Illinois basketball … 1 seed. Illinois fans remembered Shaun Livingston wearing an Illini jersey to school at nearby Peoria the day before picking Duke. From the time he entered the program until now, Dosunmu says he put on at least 25 pounds of muscle. Football Basketball Recruiting Olympic Sports SI.com. Podziemski earned his third straight Midwest Classic Conference Player of the Year honor earlier this month after averaging 35.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 5.0 steals and 1.3 blocks for St. John's Northwestern Academies (Wis.), Top 5️⃣ #AGTG@PhenomUniverse @SJNAHoops @TiptonEdits pic.twitter.com/3R8lPHHZ3i. Almost every area of Dosunmu’s game has leveled up as a junior. Irvin had coached plenty of great players, but he quickly realized Dosunmu could be better than all of them. 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. Football Recruiting - Spotlight on 2021 TE Lucas Althaus . His 30 percent assist rate is a career-best, up from 21 percent. The 6-7, 205-pound Canadian forward is spending a post-grad season at IMG Academy (Fla.). We’re in a great financial situation. 145 in the Class of 2021 by 247Sports. 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 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. Dosunmu was the catalyst and was fully growing into his reputation as one of the best closers in the sport. He finished off Northwestern with a deep pull-up. Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman (right) and Illini head men's basketball coach Brad Underwood (left) talking during a media conference on the day of … Dosunmu himself also said it was a difficult question to answer: “I pretty much took it one year at a time,” Dosunmu said. Recruiting. Now he has Illinois lined up for a No. This was a young team and a bad team by any measure, but there were flashes of the player Dosunmu would eventually become. The late game heroics have, of course, been there again. If I was asked today, who I think a sleeper for 2021 Mr. basketball or Gatorade player of the year The latest information on Illini recruiting for all fans. “It’s going to come down to you closing out games and closing out teams. Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. Welcome to the Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread 2021 Illini Signees Luke Goode (2021 G) committed on April 17th 2020, signed on November 11th 2020 #2 Dec 31, 2020. logjam. Illinois has a top-10 offense and top-10 defense, one of only three teams in America that can say that. “He’d give me a big plate and say you gotta eat all of this. Illinois got a big boost going into the season with the commitment of Kofi Cockburn, a mammoth seven-foot, 290-pound center from Brooklyn by way of Jamaica. On February 15, 2021, the Illinois basketball team landed the commitment of RJ Melendez, a Kissimmee, Florida native and top 100 national recruit. Good Morning, Illini Nation: Underwood on the end of the regular season, Good Morning, Illini Nation: Defensive success, Good Morning, Illini Nation: Making national news, N-G top 10: Boys' basketball (March 12, 2021), Big Ten tournament preview: No. “The first day of practice, I knew he had the chance to become one of the best players to ever come out of Chicago,” Irvin told SB Nation. Along the way, he’s helped make the Illini one of the country’s very best teams. This is not a list of every prospect Illinois has a good shot with in 2021, but R ather a collection of targets the staff has invested a good amount of time with so far and have received a positive reception. Basketball 2020-21 Big Ten Basketball Preview November 6, 2020 85 Basketball Recruiting PODCAST: Illini Pulse Swami Scope Live- Bryce Hopkins….The IlliniPulse - Basketball Database The latest information on Illini recruiting for all fans.Illini Pulse delivers for every Orange and Blue fan - after all, you are the Illini Pulse.Weekly podcasts with guests and updates. Right now, Dosunmu is the only player in the country to average more than 20 points, five assists, and six rebounds while shooting better than 50 percent on two-pointers and 40 percent on three-pointers. Football Basketball Recruiting Olympic Sports Home. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Cloudy. Dosunmu was hailed as the Illini’s savior when he committed, but those around him sensed it wasn’t going to happen overnight. With Moore off to play college ball at Cal, Morgan Park would be his team. Sturdyfor30 - "Winners Win" Nebraska Postgame. The team appeared to be entering a rebuilding phase, but Dosunmu wouldn’t let that happen. He was back for his sophomore season with a goal of going from top prospect to top player. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Ayo to the rescue, saves the Illini from disaster in Nebraska. We’re a hard working family. The latest information on Illini recruiting for all fans.Illini Pulse delivers for every Orange and Blue fan - after all, you are the Illini Pulse.Weekly podcasts with guests and updates. With a likely No. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. “I just felt that playing for my home state and investing in my home state meant more than it would at another school,” Dosunmu told SB Nation. “It took so many long nights in the gym,” Dosunmu told SB Nation. My mom always told me you don’t have to save this family. Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. Kanye West’s “Homecoming” blared from the speakers as the lights came on and Dosunmu entered the room wearing a white Illini polo. He closed out a win against Michigan State with a pull-up three, and beat Ohio State with a catch-and-shoot triple from NBA range. He is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound center who now attends Brewster Academy. His junior year, he won us a lot of games late.”. Illinois was ranked in the 30s in efficiency on both ends of the floor and set to get its first NCAA tournament bid since 2013. 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. “But Covid had other plans. Charles cut his list to three Friday, including Illinois, Marquette and Tulsa as his finalists. To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Eric Gordon verbally committed to Illinois only to end up at Indiana. They had pegged Quentin Snider and Jeremiah Tilmon as saviors only to see each renege on their oral commitments and eventually go to Louisville and Missouri, respectively, instead. Underwood has spread the floor around the two-man game of Dosunmu and Cockburn with electric results. The final chapter just might be the best part yet. His father Quam and his brother Kube worked to remake a three-point shot that bottomed out as a sophomore. Illini basketball Class of 2021 recruiting board. Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread (January 2021) Status Not open for further replies. I think that allowed me to put in the work I needed.”. Illini Pulse delivers for every Orange and Blue fan - after all, you are the Illini Pulse. It started to feel like making the Illini your second choice was a rite of passage for top local recruits who were deciding where they would play college basketball. 2 overall prospect in America out of Chicago’s Curie High School, mistakenly picked up an Illinois hat for a moment before revealing that he’d spend his lone college season in Lawrence. He is rated as a five-star recruit who is the No. Writing Illini Illinois Basketball: Full scouting report on Illini commit RJ Melendez. Basketball; basketball recruiting; Featured; Football; Podcasts; Illini-Nebraska Post Game Heat Checks . Recruiting. Dosunmu had whittled down his college choice to Illinois and Wake Forest, and he wasn’t about to give any clues before he revealed his decision at the Jordan Brand store in the heart of downtown Chicago. Dosunmu made the surprising decision to announce his return to school without even testing the draft process. That legacy — one of the great players in the history of Illini basketball — has already been cemented. It would be helpful to get familiar with these guys moving, as their names will keep popping up. I believe these 5 will eventually be Illini in the near future. Dosunmu went back to the EYBL circuit months later and certified his borderline five-star status. He’s getting to the line more than ever — a 34 percent free throw rate, up from 25 percent each of his first two years — and he’s making the freebies when he gets there. Illinois Makes Kordell Charles’ Final Three. By Ricky O'Donnell Mar 11, 2021, 11:58am EST Illinois was swept out of the 2018 Maui Invitational. For as good as Dosunmu was last season, he knew only making 29 percent of his three-pointers wasn’t going to cut it. The success Dosunmu has experienced as a junior is the direct result of a hard-charging offseason meant to transform his body and his skill set. The Mustangs were led by Nick Irvin, the boisterous and affable head coach whose family also runs the city’s top grassroots program on Nike’s EYBL circuit, the Mac Irvin Fire. He hit a catch-and-shoot three to bury Indiana, a pull-up to beat Nebraska in overtime, an NBA-range three to finish off Northwestern, and a driving layup to defeat Ohio State. Ayo Dosunmu put on an all black outfit when he woke up to go to school on October 19, 2017. “We had a chance to win the Big Ten Tournament and I had a chance to improve my stock,” Donsumu said. 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. He owes the former to Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher. The Illini are finally back in the NCAA tournament, and they aren’t just happy to be there. Illinois Going Hard After 2021 Sharpshooter Brandin Podziemski. We like building things. He put up gaudy scoring numbers all season and led Westinghouse to a conference championship that put the school back to the Red division with the rest of the Public League powers. He's from Cambridge High School (enrollment 179) and though his HUDL video lists him at 6'5, 215 pounds, his recruiting profiles indicate that he's gained 20 pounds, and is now a sturdier 235 pounds. Dosunmu and his family didn’t want to let speculation over his college decision hang over his senior year. Illinois doubled the size of its 2021 recruiting class when it landed a commitment from four-star forward R.J. Melendez to go with four-star guard Luke Goode. The Daily Illini File Photo. It started 1-7 in Big Ten play and finished only above Nebraska and Northwestern in the conference. 72 player in the class of 2021 and the No. Mar 6, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) dives for a loose ball ahead of Ohio State Buckeyes forward Justin Ahrens (10) at Value City Arena. USC, Xavier, NC State, and Wake Forest were all-in. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Illinois was a perfect fit.”. 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. When asked why he broke the trend of hometown stars spurning the Illini, Dosunmu looked forward instead of backward. We believed we had the right pieces and could turn it around.”, “We like challenges. Anything less will ultimately be a disappointment. “There was too many uncertainness that came with draft process, with the G League during Covid. 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. I always told him people remember players that close games out like MJ and Kobe. He got together with his inner circle — his parents Jamarra and Quam, his sisters Joselynn and Khadijat, his brother Kube — and made a decision that felt natural for him. His email is [email protected], and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
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