A shot as ‘one of the best’
Dee Brown says Dosunmu could be an orange-and-blue legend
Dee Brown is quick to point out the differences between him and Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu, an Illinois sophomore, doesn’t play the same way Brown did from 2002-06. The two don’t have the same body types. They don’t play the same position.
“He just wears No. 11 too,” Brown said.
True. Brown, a 6-foot-1 point guard, won over Illini fans with his orange headband holding down his braids, helping his team win two Big Ten titles and reach the 2005 NCAA Tournament championship game. Appearing on Sports Illustrated’s March Madness cover, popping his jersey and appearing to let out a yelp, Brown became an indelible image symbolic of Illinois’ prominence in college basketball.
Dosunmu, a 6-5 sophomore shooting guard, is trying to rekindle the program, leading the No. 19 Illini during their sevengame winning streak and a share of first place in the conference.
Brown repeatedly gives credit to other talented players who followed him: Brandon Paul, Demetri McCamey, Malcolm Hill. But Dosunmu is special.
Not since Brown has a player been so synonymous with the orange and blue. Not since Brown has a player provided so much promise. Not since Brown has a player wooed Illini fans with his charismatic smile, clutch shooting, court swagger and public proclamations of adoration for the university.
“The impact of the program he’s having is why people compare him to me,” said Brown, an Illinois-Chicago assistant coach. “Ayo is another star coming through and putting on for the program. It’s exciting to see. People understand how prestigious that place is, and they expect you to go in and do big things. I’m proud of him and all those guys.”
In the 14 seasons since Brown’s graduation, the Illini have made only four NCAA Tournament appearances — none in the last six seasons — while finishing in the top three in the Big Ten only once.
The Illini (16-5, 8-2) are off to their best conference start since 2005 with much thanks to Dosunmu’s late-game heroics.
“It all comes from preparation,” said Dosunmu, whose 16 points per game lead the Illini.
He likes to quote assistant coach Chin Coleman: “We didn’t come this far to come this far.”
When he made his college decision as a recruit from Morgan Park, Dosunmu seemed to be following in the footsteps of Brown — another proud Chicago-area guard who played at Proviso East. Dosunmu was listed by some recruiting services as a five-star prospect, making him the program’s first since Brown in 2002.
Dosunmu, friends, family and media gathered in the loft of the downtown Jordan Brand store, showing an artsy video with skyline shots and his basketball highlights before announcing his decision to play for the Illini.
“I wanted to change the culture,” he said that night.
Brown said he respects Dosunmu’s desire to make his home-state team a basketball force again.
“Picking Illinois for him was an unbelievable decision,” Brown said. “People will remember that. If he can deliver a Big Ten championship, he’ll continue to build on his legacy.”
A conference championship would be a first since Brown’s junior season. That would further connect the two.
And if Dosunmu chooses to stay at Illinois for another season — or two — he could stand on his own, Brown said. At his commitment ceremony in high school, Dosunmu said he toyed with the idea of being a one-and-done player, but after his freshman season at Illinois he decided not to even test the NBA draft waters.
Dosnumu has said he’s solely focused on this season. Most NBA mock drafts don’t show him on the board, and some scouts speaking anonymously question his shooting consistency (48%) but think he could be a two-way G-League player who works his way onto a NBA team.
Brown said he doesn’t begrudge any player from opting to start their professional basketball career before his college eligibility is up. But Brown said if Dousunmu stays — as Brown did — he could be a Champaign legend.
“I never was a one-and-done, two-anddone guy,” Brown said. “If he is going to be a four-year guy, he’s going to go down as one of the best to ever do it. He’s in that category. I wouldn’t tell kids not to explore their options and get paid what they do. I would tell him it’s all about education and leaving a legacy. I wasn’t 6-4 and as explosive and nice as he is, but he has some decisions to make about the legacy he leaves.”
Dosunmu isn’t too worried about that now.
The Illini play at No. 18 Iowa on Sunday and have a brutal February stretch after that: against No. 15 Maryland, against No. 15 Michigan State, at No. 25 Rutgers and at No. 24 Penn State.
“I have a lot of work to do,” Dosunmu said.