Illinois Basketball: 5 biggest storylines for 2020-21 season

2. Is this the final run for Dosunmu and Cockburn?

For many, the news of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn both returning to Illinois for one more year was a shocking yet heartwarming thing. Dosunmu was not expected to stay and Cockburn was expected to stay in the draft even more as the summer wore on. Luckily for the Illini, they both came back.

Although both stars returned for this season, not many expect either to stay for another year. If this truly is the final run for these two stars then the Illini must make it a good one. It has been a long time since Illinois has had two of the best three players in the Big Ten and they must take advantage of having a well-rounded team to go alongside these two.

Many believe that another strong season from Dosunmu will land him a sure spot in the NBA Draft although it may not be until the late first or early second round. For Cockburn, many were surprised by his decision to enter his name into the NBA Draft but almost everyone found it a good idea for him to return to school to increase his draft odds.

Some analysts and scouts still believe that Cockburn must improve on many areas of his game if he hopes to get drafted. This could possibly lead to him staying through his junior campaign in an Illini uniform.

Both Cockburn and Dosunmu made it clear that the reason they returned for another year was to win a Big Ten and national championship. Obviously, that is every team’s ultimate goal, but for the Illini, this year is a very real possibility for both.

While it would be nice for players to utilize all four years of their college eligibility, the odds that either of them will are slim to none. This means one thing, if the Illini are going to win big, this year must be the start.