Another young talent to look out for is the 38th pick of the second round 2021 NBA draft, Ayo Dosunmu, who would be starring as a point guard for Chicago Bulls next season. With a height of 6’4, an improved 200-pound frame and a 6’8 wingspan, he stands tall for a shooting guard. A flexible athlete with remarkable speed on open court.
Ayo was born in Chicago, USA, by Nigerian parents and he started playing basketball at Chicago’s Westinghouse College Prep. He led his team to the championship against Al Raby High School in 2015 and also made a statement by scoring a season high 40 points against Crane High School as a freshman. Dosunmu transferred after his freshman year to Morgan Park and during his junior year, he led his team to a state championship. In his senior year, Dosunmu led the team once again to a state championship, scoring 28 points and breaking an Illinois High School Association record for points scored in a championship game
During his senior season, Ayo averaged 25.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.7 steals, setting up Morgan Park to a second-straight IHSA Class 3A championship. He was also included in a Consensus first-team All-State selection by the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Champaign News-Gazette and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) after his senior season.
On October 19, 2017, Dosunmu committed to play college basketball for Illinois and made his debut on November 8, 2018, against Evansville, recording 18 points, with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. He averaged 13.8 points and 3.3 assists per game as a freshman. At the end of the regular season, Dosunmu was included in the First Team All-Big Ten by the media and Second Team by the coaches. As a sophomore, Dosunmu averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Following the season, Dosunmu declared for the 2020 NBA draft but he withdrew from the draft to return to Illinois for his junior season on July 31, 2020.
In his junior season debut on November 25, 2020, Dosunmu recorded 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 122–60 win against North Carolina A&T. On February 6, 2021, he also became the third player in program history to register a triple-double, with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 75–60 victory over Wisconsin. He was chosen as the tournament most outstanding player and was a consensus first-team All-American and won the Bob Cousy Award as the top point guard in the nation. On April 6, 2021, Dosunmu declared for the 2021 NBA draft, ending his three-year career with Illinois. He starred for the under 18 national team by winning gold, while averaging 9.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds during the international competition.
It will be amazing to see how Ayo Dosunmu will star in the Chicago Bulls team this coming season. With his leadership experience in his past team, the pressure would be a positive challenge.
