Illinois Basketball: Ayo Dosunmu has a message for Illini fans

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 22: Illinois Fighting Illini cheerleaders perform during the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Michigan State Spartans on January 22, 2018 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 22: Illinois Fighting Illini cheerleaders perform during the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Michigan State Spartans on January 22, 2018 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Illinois basketball team isn’t good this season and the record shows that fact.

I was hoping to see something better out of this team, but they have now lost their third straight game and are sitting with a 12-14 record overall and are only 2-11 in the Big Ten. This Illini team is competing with the record of the 1998-1999 Illinois squad that finished with an 11-17 record in the regular season.

There are many reasons why this Illinois team is failing to win games right now. One of the main reasons is because the talent is just not there. In the last game – Sunday night against Penn State – Illinois only played three players who were top 100 recruits. Trent Frazier barely cracked the top 100, Leron Black was a solid top 60 guy and Mark Smith skyrocketed to a top 70 performer. But, beyond those three, the roster is comprised of low four-stars, three-stars or a grad transfer from low-level DI program.

Penn State ended up beating down the Illini by 22 points at the State Farm Center.  This was one of the more embarrassing losses in recent memory. I also didn’t think I would see a day where the Nittany Lions would have arguably more talent on their roster than Illinois would have on theirs. You can make a case for that right now. Tony Carr and Lamar Stevens were both top 100 players and four-star recruits. They also have Josh Reaves and Mike Watkins who were just outside the top 100 but were also four-star recruits.

Illinois had a few key transfers before Brad Underwood entered his first full season as the Illini head coach. This hurt the program for sure. The way the roster is right now, though, calls for an overhaul. New talent needs to come into this program and give the team a shot in the arm.

This is where Ayo Dosunmu comes into play. Yes, I realize there needs to be more than just him coming in, but Illinois has taken a step in the right direction landing a player of his caliber from the Chicago area.

Dosunmu will be coming into the Illinois basketball program for next season. He is a five-star guard who is the No. 26 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois. This kid will be paired up with Trent Frazier in the backcourt. Illini fans need to be excited about that combination.

I know times are tough right now for Illini fans. Dosunmu sees that as well. But, I asked him what he would say to Illini fans about the current situation last night and this is what he had to say.

“All great teams have growing pains. We will be fine. I trust and believe in the process.”

Next: 5 takeaways from the Illini loss to Penn State

If you are reading this article, just listen to what Dosunmu has to say. He is the future of this team and he believes in the process. Just sit back, remember what you are going through right now and appreciate what you are about to watch next season and possibly the season after. The Illini will rise.