Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from Illini win over Minnesota
By Collin Allen
3. Ayo Dosunmu got the help he missed vs. Missouri
It is no secret that the Illini would have gotten blown off the court in their previous outing at Missouri if it wasn’t for Ayo Dosunmu’s phenomenal performance.
Dosunmu accounted for nearly half of the Illini’s total points versus the Tigers, as he scored 36 of the team’s 79 points. This included 11 of the team’s final 18 points during their late come-from-behind rally, which fell short.
Unlike the game against the Tigers, Dosunmu got the much-needed help against Minnesota. This help came primarily from Kofi Cockburn, who played lights out. Cockburn finished the night as the team’s highest scorer with 33 points.
Freshman guard Andre Curbelo — who has been an exceptional presence coming off the bench — continued to produce versus the Gophers. He finished the night with a solid stat line of 9 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds.
Senior guards Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams also had solid contributions in the Big Ten opener. Frazier finished the game with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Williams only scored two points but played stellar defense all night and hauled in eight total rebounds. Williams also recorded three assists in the win.