Illinois basketball’s best player will be back.
In an unexpected move, Ayo Dosunmu announced Friday night that he’s withdrawing from the NBA draft and will return to Champaign for his junior season.
Dosunmu’s family had said after the season ended abruptly in March because of the coronavirus pandemic that he was nearly certain he would remain in the draft. His dad said Dosunmu had little left to prove at the college level after a successful sophomore season.
In a 11/2 minute video on Twitter posted Friday evening, Dosunmu said he would be back for “Year 3? despite his dream of playing in the NBA.
“First I need that national championship,” he said at the end of the dramatic video.
The Illini finished just one game out of first place in the Big Ten, shy of a goal Dosunmu had set. The media named him first-team All-Conference.
Averaging 16.6 points and shooting 48.4%, the 6-foot-5 guard shined throughout the season with clutch performances. After finishing 12-21 overall and 7-13 in the Big Ten in 2018-19, the Illini went 21-10 overall with a 13-7 conference mark.
He reportedly was invited to the NBA draft combine. Underclassmen had until Monday to withdraw their names.
Illinois is waiting to see if big man Kofi Cockburn also will withdraw from the draft. He is not listed on most mock draft boards.
Dosunmu was not a sure-shot draftee either, but he had said he thought he would prove himself in eventual workouts for teams.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, potential draftees dealt with unprecedented uncertainty and limited contact with NBA teams as workouts were prohibited and video interview times were limited. Dates continually shifted for the combine and draft, and colleges also were in limbo for weeks before teams decided when players could return to campus for workouts.
Dosunmu, a Morgan Park graduate, had been working out in his hometown of Chicago.
Since the day he committed to Illinois as a high school senior, Dosunmu has publicly stated his intentions of leaving Illinois before exhausting eligibility. He tested the NBA waters after his freshman season too.
Dosunmu quickly grew into a fan favorite in Champaign after so many others from Chicago had spurned them in recent years. His outspoken adoration of the school’s basketball tradition and his hard-nosed play only added to his legacy.
After Illinois beat Iowa 78-76 in the regular-season finale, Dosunmu remained on the State Farm Center court longer than any player as fans cheered. Many expected it to be his final moments as a player on that court.
But he now has a chance to make more memories.
