Illinois is the biggest appearance in ESPN’s “Way-Too-Early” Top-25 for the 2020-21 season. The Illini catapulted from outside the top-30 to the top-10 by the proceeds of the All-Big Ten Guard Ayo Dosunmu and reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Kofi Cockburn, who both withdrew their names from the NBA Draft earlier this month.
Illinois ranks No. 7 in the rankings, compiled by Jeff Borzello, and is one of three Big Ten teams in the top seven, behind Iowa (No. 5) and Wisconsin (No. 6). Also in the top 25 are Michigan State (No. 13) and Ohio State (No. 25).
On the Illini, Borzello wrote: “There might not have been another team that looked at the draft release date as a major impetus in pre-season expectations as Illinois, which got both Ayo Dosunmu en Kofi Cockburn back for next season. For much of the spring and early summer, it felt likely that Fighting Illini would lose at least one of the two – and potentially both players. Mar Brad Underwood now has its two stars back, and Illinois has the pieces to compete for a Big Ten championship. Dosunmu will deserve All-American attention pre-season, and Cockburn is a dominant big man low. Illinois brings back five players who started at least 22 games last season, and there will be competition due to the addition of ESPN 100 guards Adam Miller en Andre Curbelo. While Iowa needs to improve defensively, Illinois will need to be more consistent on the offensive end – especially shooting the ball out of the perimeter. The Fighting Illini made up just 29.3% of their 3s in the Big Ten game. ‘
Dosunmu is the lone protector of the All-Big Ten First and Second Teams to return to college, while Cockburn returns as one of the greatest interior forces in college basketball. The 7-foot, 285-pound center averaged 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds last season.
The Illini, who finished fourth in the Big Ten last season with a 21-10 overall record (13-7 Big Ten), lost two of their top-five scorers of last season: graduated guard Andres Feliz en Alan Griffin (which transferred to Syracuse). But the Illini give back five players with a very beginning experience, including Dosunmu, Cockburn, senior guard Trent Frazier (who already has 1,000 career points above), senior guard Da’Monte Williams and junior forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili. Add in top-50 freshmen guards Adam Miller en Andre Curbelo along with sit-out transfers Austin Hutchinson and Jacob Grandison, and the Illini appear to be one of the deepest, most talented teams in the Big Ten – and thus the country.
“When you take a job, you dream of getting it to this point where you have guys in Ayo’s status who are NBA boys, but they’re coming back,” coach Illinois said. Brad Underwood sei. ‘I’m excited for our fans and deep down, you know this is where you were looking when you took the job. This is where you know you can be, and I’m excited about it. ‘
