NBA Draft 2021: A look at the 10 best Big Ten Basketball prospects
Ayo Dosunmu – Illinois – 6’5, 200 lbs – Junior – January 2000
Dosunmu is someone I’ve seen live since his high school days, and his continued growth as a player has been quite impressive. Dosunmu went from a potential NBA player to a bonafide one, after being arguably the most productive guard in college basketball last season.
Offensively, Dosunmu took a huge leap as a playmaker. He boosted his assist numbers from around three per game to five, and his assist rate also took a seven percentage point bump. Illinois’ pick-and-roll heavy offense allowed Dosunmu to show off his passing chops, and he excelled at throwing lobs and skips.
This might be Ayo Dosunmu's best pass of the season. A live dribble skip to a corner shooter off of a double-ball screen. Major growth as a passer. pic.twitter.com/w60w0HAOJz
— Brandon Simberg (@BrandonSimberg) February 6, 2021
Dosunmu also excelled in transition, using a plus stride length, and strength to finish. He struggled a bit more in the half-court given a lack of elite leaping ability but has good enough touch to overcome that deficiency.
The jumpshot is the biggest factor when determining his offensive ceiling. Dosunmu has completely reworked his catch-and-shoot jumper and while the footwork made progress this year, the shot itself still feels a bit clunky. He took a desired 10% jump as a three-point shooter, but the volume was low at only 82 attempts on the season. For context, Tre Mann took 112 threes, Jared Butler took 185 and Miles McBride took 111.
Defensively Dosunmu has the size to be a multi-positional defender but was seldom tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best guard. His 1.3 stocks (steals + blocks) per game are low when compared to other guards in his draft range. If the instincts improve, there’s optimism he can grade out as a plus defender.
Dosunmu’s role is also a bit of a question. Some of his half-court struggles against elite defenses like Baylor and Loyola suggest he may be better suited for an off-ball role. Playing alongside a true primary could allow him to attack gaps and get downhill. If he were to be a primary, spamming pick-and-roll would be beneficial.
Whatever team gets Dosunmu will be getting a high-character person, who’s known for his tireless work ethic. Given he’s a junior his upside isn’t as enticing as most freshmen, but betting against him to improve seems foolish. The feedback for Dosunmu is mid to late-first round right now and I think he’d be better suited for a good team in the late first that wants a guard ready to contribute.