Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
14. Ayo Dosunmu
Dosunmu, a 6’5 guard from Chicago, was the big pull of Brad Underwood’s initial recruiting class at Illinois. A Top 40 prospect in the class of 2018, he’d become an impressive backcourt weapon for the Fighting Illini, helping Illinois’s program with quite the turnaround across the next three seasons.
Inserted in the starting lineup from day one, Dosunmu had solid numbers as a freshman and took a few steps forward in the subsequent seasons. He averaged nearly 17 points a game in his sophomore year, the season shortened by the pandemic. His junior year was another breakout performance, with Dosunmu averaging 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He’d drop a career-high 36 points on Missouri and led the Illini to the Big Ten Tournament title, securing a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, though that wouldn’t end well.
Dosunmu was a First Team All-American for that junior year, a season where he also took home the Bob Cousy Award and Big Ten Tournament MVP. For Dosunmu, it wasn’t just about the impressive numbers. He helped lead the Illini back into relevance and played a major leadership role in the program during that time. He was certainly one of the best guards in the Big Ten at the tail end of his career, though it’s a bit disappointing how Illinois was upended in his one chance at the Big Dance.