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Illinois Basketball: Ayo Dosunmu would rewrite Chicago recruiting history

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 7: Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer against the Indiana Hoosiers during the game at Assembly Hall on February 7, 2013 in Champaign, Illinois. Illinois defeated No. 1 ranked Indiana 74-72. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 7: Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer against the Indiana Hoosiers during the game at Assembly Hall on February 7, 2013 in Champaign, Illinois. Illinois defeated No. 1 ranked Indiana 74-72. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 25: Jaylon Tate
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 25: Jaylon Tate /

Jaylon Tate

Illinois struggled to get point guards into the program during the Groce era but one of the players he did end up snagging was Jaylon Tate.

Tate was a three-star point guard from Simeon High School in Chicago. He had some recruiting attention with offers from Northwestern, Providence and Xavier. But, Illinois ended up with a commitment from Tate. Almost immediately, he was thrown to the wolves due to injuries in front of him, though.

In year one with the Illinois program, Tate had a chance to play some solid minutes. He received 12.2 minutes per game and averaged 1.8 points and 1.9 assists. His progression was on a nice path but then the following two years, he ended up starting for the Illini.

Starting point guard, Tracy Abrams, went down with injuries in back-to-back seasons. This forced Groce to start Tate or play him an increased amount of minutes during his sophomore and junior seasons. I don’t think Tate was ready for the minutes and it showed on the court.

For much of Tate’s career, he struggled to get the Illinois program going. He was forced into a tough situation, and he had a coach who had a hard time developing players, so all fault doesn’t fall on his shoulders.

Last season, Tate had some help with the emergence of Te’Jon Lucas. Abrams also came back as healthy as he could as well. This enabled Tate to see fewer minutes and took some pressure off the kid. His career with the Illini was interesting, to say the least.

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