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Illinois Basketball: NBA Draft stock rising for Illini G Ayo Dosunmu

By Rees Woodcock

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 26: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) in action during the Big Ten Super Saturday College Basketball game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 26, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 26: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) in action during the Big Ten Super Saturday College Basketball game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 26, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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It has been a while since the Illinois basketball team has had a player drafted into the NBA.

The last Illinois player to get selected in the NBA Draft was Meyers Leonard in 2012. He was picked by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 11 pick in the first round. Side note, Leonard and Trail Blazers have advanced to the Western Conference Finals, which is awesome. Please take down the Warriors.

While Leonard was the most recent Illini player to get drafted, he isn’t going to be the last. Actually, Illinois is pretty much guaranteed to have at least one player selected in the 2020 NBA Draft. That player looks to be Ayo Dosunmu.

Ayo was projected to be a second-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft but decided to come back to Illinois for one more season. This was music to the ears of the Orange and Blue faithful, but it also should help Ayo with his game. He has a few areas to work on this upcoming season and then he will enter his name into the NBA Draft and will hire an agent.

Where will Ayo end up getting picked? The most recent NBA mock draft by NBADraft.net has Ayo as the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. They have him getting selected by the Washington Wizards. This would be insane to have Ayo go that high in the draft. It would be great for him and would help Illinois with recruiting.

I have also seen Ayo going somewhere in the late first round for 2020 as well. These are all just projections right now. He has to prove he is worthy of a lottery pick in the NBA Draft this upcoming season. But at least he has some notoriety and is playing for a program with a national platform. This is his chance to really move up the draft rankings.

Updated Illini projected starting lineup for 2019-2020. dark. Next

People should keep an eye on Ayo. I believe he is going to get stronger, which will help him in the lane. His shot will improve from outside. He is also going to become a better floor general. This Illinois team is his. If he can get us dancing, I have no doubts he will be picked early in the first round of the NBA Draft.

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