Illinois Basketball: Ayo Dosunmu will break Illini McDAAG dry spell
It has been a while since the Illinois basketball team had a recruit playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game.
The possibility is very real now, though. The lone recruit for the Illini in the class of 2018 – Ayo Dosunmu – is now nominated as a candidate to be in the McDonald’s All-American Game coming up in 2018. The final cuts will be made on January 16 when the rosters are announced. The roster will consist of 24 players this season and the game will be played on March 28.
Having a recruit nominated isn’t a big surprise to the Illini, but having a legit shot at having a recruit make the team actually is. The pool of Illinois basketball recruits playing in the game has really dried up over the last decade and a half. There haven’t been nearly enough future Illini players in the game.
The last Illinois recruit to play in the game was Jereme Richmond back in 2010. That experiment didn’t work out the way Illini fans had hoped it would have. Dee Brown was the next to most recent player for the Illini to play in the game. That was back in 2002. Really, the late 1990’s and early 2000’s was a big resurgence for the Illinois program.
Before Brown, Brian Cook made the team in 1999, Frank Williams in 1998, Marcus Griffin in 1997, Richard Keene in 1992, Deon Thomas in 1989, Marcus Liberty in 1987, Nick Anderson in 1986, Lowell Hamilton in 1985, Efrem Winters in 1982, Bruce Douglas in 1982 and Derek Harper in 1980.
That is the history of Illini in the McDonald’s All-American Game. The past decade and a half has been rough for Illinois basketball recruiting. The top talent hasn’t joined the program and I blame that on coaching. The past two coaches have really hurt where this program should be, but it seems like things are turning around.
Next: Illini McDonald’s All-American History
Dosunmu is a five-star guard who is the No. 26 player in the class of 2018. There are only 24 players that make the team, but I have a hard time believing he will be left off the roster. There are only four guards who play the same role ranked ahead of Dosunmu. So, come Tuesday, I have no doubt that he will make the team and the Illini will break the dry spell.