Illinois’ star duo returns, what’s next?

By
Aarman Sethi
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Illinois fans have always felt snake bitten when it comes to their college basketball program. During the 2013 NCAA Tournament, Illinois fans felt as though a questionable call against the Miami Hurricanes robbed the team of a Sweet-16 spot. To this day, that moment is one of great frustration for all Illini fans. This past season, the coronavirus halted this Illinois team from possibly going on a deep run in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. It seems as though every time Illinois has a chance to do something special, the chance is snatched away from them. However, there is reason to believe that brighter days are on the horizon for the Illini.

Illinois fans received some great news over the last 72 hours with both Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn electing to return to Illinois for another year. This was massive news. Without the dynamic duo, Illinois would be set for another middle of the pack season. Now, there is a buzz around Champaign that hasn’t been seen since 2005. What are some reasonable expectations for this group? I caught up with ESPN’s National Director of Recruiting, Paul Biancardi to get his thoughts on what could be in store for the Illini.

What to Expect From Illinois Next Season

Last year, Ayo Dosunmu earned his name “The Closer” because of his ability to finish off games night after night. In fact, it is fair to say that he single handily won games for the Illini because of his leadership down the stretch. With that being said, opposing teams will have him at the top of his scouting report if he wasn’t already. And then opposing teams have to worry about Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Kofi Cockburn. The big man was also an integral part of the team’s success this past year. So the question is, what kind of impact should we expect Dosunmu and Cockburn to have this season? Paul Biancardi addressed his thoughts on this subject.

“Psychologically, he can have a huge impact.” Biancardi states. “Your best player and leader of the team is coming back. This creates a huge level of hope and excitement for this season. If you’re Brad Underwood, you have your go to guy. That makes is easier to scheme and he is a great piece to have as a coach. As for Kofi, there aren’t many bigs like him. I’m so impressed by his ability to transform his body and that is also a credit to the Illinois strength and conditioning staff. When he got to Illinois, he was not in great physical shape. But, then he got dedicated to conditioning and it has paid off. It made him even more of a major league presence in the paint, on the glass, and with the ability to block shots.”

It is no surprise that Biancardi has been impressed by the two Illini stars. Both players had stellar seasons, but there is always a chance that one or both could have a let down season. Biancardi addressed how the two could avoid that fate this season.

“For Ayo, there’s a larger target on him.” Biancardi states. “Last year he averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. When you’re one of the best players in your conference and puts his name in the NBA Draft who then decides to comeback, the target gets bigger. Now, teams are going to scheme their defense against him even more. So the question is, can he adjust and respond to everything that is thrown at him? And for both of them, they can’t let any of this affect their passion, mentality, leadership, and defense because those are things you can control.”

Is Illinois Worthy of the Hype?

On May 27th I released my “Way-To-Early Top-25 Rankings” and included Illinois at the No.12 spot. Since their announcements, it seems as though others are joining in on the orange and blue hype train. Biancardi also stated that Illinois would be in his Top-10 if he were to release his Top-25 rankings today. He also offered his thoughts on what expectations Illini fans should have ahead of the season.

“This team has all the pieces. They return four starters from a 21-win team. Then they add two ESPN100 players in Adam Miller and Andre Curbelo. So when you look at all that, I think Illinois is a legitimate Elite-8 maybe even Final-4 contender.” Biancardi also made his pick regarding which Illini freshman would establish a prominent role of the bench this year.

“I would have to say Adam Miller as a scoring machine off the bench. He won’t have the spotlight on him this year from an opposing team’s perspective. So I think he’ll have the freedom to have some really good games this year.”

For more Illinois basketball news and updates follow me on Twitter @asethi03

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