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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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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 28: Leron Black
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 28: Leron Black /

Nnanna Egwu

There is no doubt one of the most fun players to watch since I have been alive was Nnanna Egwu. He had so much energy on the court and was a great get from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago.

Egwu drew a bunch of interest from other programs around the country. He was a four-star center who was ranked as the No. 97 player in the class of 2011. Some of the other programs who were vying for Egwu’s services were Northwestern, Oregon State, Purdue and Wisconsin. But, he picked Illinois over the rest of the teams.

In all four years Egwu spent with the Illinois program, he was a solid player. During his freshman season, Egwu averaged 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in the 9.8 minutes he played per game. He would be looked upon to have more production the next three seasons, though.

Egwu averaged 6.5 points, 6.9 points and 6.5 points in the next three seasons, respectively. He was a consistent player as far as scoring went. I would have liked for him to have developed a little more but the coaching situation was just not there.

The career of Egwu’s wasn’t about scoring, though. It was about the other stuff he could do. He averaged 1.5 blocks per game throughout his career. That is an impressive number and one of the reasons why Illinois was competitive during his time. He was a rim protector to its truest form.

Egwu will always be missed by the Orange and Blue faithful. He was a great player to have on the team.

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