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Illinois Basketball: Why Dosunmu won’t pick UM, UNM, OK ST., CU & KU

By Rees Woodcock

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament between the Santa Clara Broncos and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 77-68. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament between the Santa Clara Broncos and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 77-68. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 06: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament between the Santa Clara Broncos and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 77-68. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Hopefully, the Illinois basketball team can land talented guard, Ayo Dosunmu.

Dosunmu cut his list to 11 programs he will be choosing from and the Illini were one of the selected few. The other 10 teams will have to fight Illinois for the honor of having Dosunmu play for their team at least one season.

Here is why Dosunmu won’t pick Memphis, New Mexico, Oklahoma State, Creighton and Kansas.

Memphis Tigers

The Memphis Tigers were a really good program in the 2000’s under John Calipari, and even when Josh Pastner was the coach they could snag recruits and make the NCAA tournament.

But, this program has fallen on hard times. They have missed the last three NCAA tournaments and they just aren’t a team that is trending upwards. Memphis also plays in the AAC but isn’t one of the top teams in that conference. I don’t see Dosunmu going to a middle of the pact AAC program.

The roster sets up for Dosunmu, though. But, the one downfall with him getting all the playing time he wants with the Tigers is that his teams won’t be good. There wouldn’t be talent around Dosunmu if he decides to pick Memphis.

Right now, Tubby Smith has built this Memphis program with transfers and a class of 2017 that wasn’t great. They had a four-star in Jamal Johnson, who is a guard, and three three-star recruits commit for this season. That isn’t the caliber of player to compete at the highest level.

Memphis used to be a destination for big recruits under Calipari and Pastner but that isn’t the case anymore. This is why Dosunmu won’t land with the Tigers.

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