Illinois Basketball: Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn stuck in limbo

It is a weird time we live in right now, and it is a struggle on a sports level for some Illinois basketball players.

The 2019-2020 campaign was one for the ages. Illinois saw a much-needed resurgence on the heels of a 12-win season. This Illini program won 21 games and earned a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. They were going to be a top seven seed in the NCAA tournament as well. That was all until the Coronavirus struck.

Illinois’ season ended abruptly. The chance to win the Big Ten Tournament was over. The possibility of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament vanished. Fans were left wondering what is next. But there are a couple of Illini players stuck in limbo thanks to everything that is going on.

Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn were the two leaders of the Illinois basketball team this past season. Without these two talented superstars, the Illini wouldn’t have achieved the level of success we were starting to get used to on the basketball court. With these two being so talented and winning on the court, the thought of fulfilling their NBA dreams started to become more of a reality.

If everything was normal, and there wasn’t a thing called the Coronavirus wreaking havoc throughout the world, I would suggest Ayo and Kofi both declare for the NBA Draft. I realize Illinois fans are going to hate what I just said, but it would have been the smartest move for them.

I would suggest both players put their names into the draft mix and then get evaluated by NBA scouts. They can always take their name out and come back to Illinois. But this would have been a good way to get some feedback about what they need to work on to improve.

I am not sure where all of this stands now, though. The NBA Draft is usually held in mid-to-late June. That date is now possibly getting pushed back to July or August. That means the evaluation period will get pushed back as well. This would put college coaches, like Brad Underwood, in a bind considering they need to fill out their rosters.

So, it seems like undergraduate players, who are entering the draft, have to stay there or they just come back without being evaluated. This is a raw deal for Ayo and Kofi. I think they both could have used some tips from NBA scouts. They both could have seen what it would take to get to the next level, and then they could have come back and worked on those things.

Hopefully, we can see everything get back to normal and the curve to flatten relatively soon. I would love for Ayo and Kofi to get a chance to show off in front of NBA scouts. But, sadly, I think they are going to be stuck in a Coronavirus limbo.