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Illinois Basketball: 3 effects of the Illini cracking the top 25

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: Illinois Fighting Illini graduate assistant Kwa Jones high fives Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) during player introductions before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: Illinois Fighting Illini graduate assistant Kwa Jones high fives Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) during player introductions before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 11: Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) shoots a free throw during a college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 11: Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) shoots a free throw during a college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. National notoriety is coming

With winning comes national notoriety. The national notoriety of being in the top 25 is fun for fans, but there will be other forms of media looking at the Illinois basketball team. One form is people who look at the NBA Draft.

I know some of you don’t want to hear this, but the better the team is performing means the more NBA media will be looking at the stars on the team. I am mainly talking about Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.

Ayo was already a player who had NBA aspirations within his first two seasons with the team. There were rumblings about him maybe coming out last year, but I think this might be his final season in Champaign. If we continue winning, the likelihood of him going pro becomes even greater.

Kofi is a player who I thought had the most NBA potential on the team right now. From his first week with the team, I thought there was a great chance he was going to be a one-and-done. His dominating performances so far this season, mixed in with the team winning, will probably result in Kofi declaring for the NBA after his freshman campaign.

Next. 3 observations from the Illini win over Rutgers. dark

It is extremely fun being ranked for the first time in a long time. There are some things that come with being ranked. One is our best players being in the spotlight of the NBA.

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