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Illinois Basketball: Ayo Dosunmu most meaningful commitment of all-time

By Rees Woodcock

KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 09: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts from the bench during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the Iowa State Cyclones at the Sprint Center on March 9, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 09: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts from the bench during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the Iowa State Cyclones at the Sprint Center on March 9, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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The Illinois basketball fan base had a reason to rejoice last night. Five-star guard Ayo Dosunmu picked the Illini over Wake Forest in what was the most meaningful commitment in the history of the program.

This commitment could go down as the most meaningful get in Illini history not because of how highly rated Dosunmu was in the class of 2018 – Dee Brown was rated higher – but because of the impact his commitment will have on the current and future Illinois basketball teams.

Illinois had really dropped off the Chicago recruiting radar with the last two coaching hires. All of the top recruits were heading elsewhere and the Illini were left with scraps. That is why the team hasn’t had consistent success since the 2005-2006 season. With Dosunmu committing to Illinois, this helps change the perspective about the recruiting ability in the Chicago area. The Illini are back vying for the top Chicago recruits and they have actually snagged one of them.

Getting Dosunmu will also help with future recruits as well. There has been a stink to the program where some recruits felt like they couldn’t get to the NBA or they couldn’t win if they came to Champaign. That stink has now worn off because Dosunmu picked the Illini and let every current and future recruit know that Illinois is a destination. They are a landing spot for top recruits.

Dosunmu’s commitment will also impact the future of the basketball team on the court as well. He is going to start for at least one season, maybe two. Illinois will also have Mark Smith in the backcourt alongside Dosunmu. Most likely, the Illini will have two Illinois Mr. Basketball award winners starting in 2018 and 2019. That is an amazing feeling to have. These two will help the Illini get back to the NCAA tournament and possibly, the national championship.

Next: Ayo Dosunmu would rewrite Chicago recruiting history

The future was bright without Dosunmu on the team but now there is a real possibility this Illinois basketball team could reach the national championship once again. They have the talent, the coaching and the diehard fan base. Now let’s go out and get some wins.

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