NCAA Basketball: Takeaways from 2020 Jimmy V Classic participants

Illinois Fighting Illini – Too much reliance on Ayo Dosumnu

There are multiple ways to look at this game for Illinois. On one hand, they fought hard with the No. 2 team in the country Baylor for 30+ minutes before the Bears went off. But also, they could’ve been blown out if reserve big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili didn’t go off for 15 points off the bench in this game. He played a ton for Kofi Cockburn, who was saddled with foul trouble throughout.

What this game really showed for the Illini was how much they needed Dosunmu. That’s not a surprise but compared to Baylor having multiple guards that can put up big numbers in any night, it’s a potential issue for the team in the long run. Dosunmu went 6-18 from the field for 18 points while being heavily guarded by Baylor’s top defenders. None of the other starters reached double figures from the perimeter, with freshman Andre Curbelo scoring 11 off the bench.

It also is an issue that Cockburn isn’t a bigger part of the offense. He took just four shots in 18 minutes against the Bears and had similar issues in the close call versus Ohio. Cockburn’s lack of offense is a reason why the scouts weren’t as high on the big man to come out after his freshman campaign. So far, there hasn’t been the greatest improvement in his post-game. That forces Dosunmu to be even more of a focal point in the offense, with opposing defenses set to slow him down.

Both Curbelo and Adam Miller have played well in their first few games of college and that should give Illinois fans high levels of optimism throughout this season. Baylor was ready to compete for a title right now but Illinois needs more time and development. A couple of months from now, the Illini will be more than ready for a potential rematch.