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Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Evansville

By Rees Woodcock

MADISON, WI - JANUARY 19: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on January 19, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - JANUARY 19: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on January 19, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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BROOKLYN, NY – APRIL 08: Jordan Brand Classic Home Team guard Ayo Dosunmu (24) during the second half of the Jordan Brand Classic on April 8, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Ayo Dosunmu is the real deal

When Illinois snagged Ayo Dosunmu in the class of 2018, the entire Illini fan base was ecstatic. We finally landed a top 30 player in the nation and a five-star to boot. He has quickly shown this season why he was rated so high.

Listen, I was impressed with Dosunmu during the scrimmage against Illinois Wesleyan, but that wasn’t a DI program and his high school team probably could have competed in that game. Dosunmu stepped into the real deal on Thursday night for the first time. He competed against a DI program that has actual players. I was curious how he would perform in his first game.

Well, Dosunmu didn’t disappoint. This kid is everything he was advertised and more. He can do anything and everything on the basketball court. There was a point in the game where I said on Twitter that his shooting was still raw and after that, he dropped like three shots in a row. He shut me up pretty quick.

Dosunmu finished the game against Evansville with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. He was the second-leading scorer, third-leading rebounder, second-leading assist man and led the team in steals. He did all of this while shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point land.

If you had any doubts about any part of Dosunmu’s game, then I think he erased those already. He is a superstar right now and will be sensational for this program for however long he is here. Enjoy watching him while it lasts.

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