School: Illinois
Year: Sophomore
Height/Weight: 6’5, 185 lbs
Strengths:
Ayo Dosunmu is one of the best athletes in college basketball. He’s lightning quick, and nearly impossible to catch in the open floor when he gets a head of steam. Dosunmu’s athleticism is best displayed in transition and on defense, where he suffocates smaller guards with with his length, impressive footwork, and elite lateral quickness.
Dosunmu has a smooth shooting stroke, and a very quick release that will translate well to the next level. He already has NBA range, and while he can knock down threes spotting up, he’s even better at hitting shots off the dribble.
Ayo Dosunmu didn’t shoot a lot of mid-range shots as a freshman, but he’s been taking and making them frequently this season, and it’s probably the most improved part of his game. When attacking the rim, he has an explosive first step and uses his incredible leaping ability to finish strong over bigger defenders at the rim.
Another thing to love about Dosunmu’s game is his effort. He has such a high motor, and never takes a play off on either end of the floor. He often frustrates opposing players with his non-stop energy on defense, chasing them all over the court and fighting hard through screens to stick with them wherever they go. His awareness on defense is strong as well, as he does a great job of identifying when a teammate needs help and sliding in time to make a play.
Weaknesses:
Ayo Dosunmu really needs to work on his decision making to be an effective point guard at the next level. He makes poor decisions with the basketball too often, turning the ball over with bad passes or by driving into a swarm of defenders and getting stuck in the lane. His handle also needs work, as he sometimes struggle to deal with on-ball pressure. He likes to either defers to others or resorts to putting his head down when a good defender plays him tight.
Speaking of deferring, that is another tendency Dosunmu has that he really needs to fix. He will often disappear in games for long stretches at a time, rarely touching the ball or offering any sort of production on the offensive end. Dosunmu does have some really good teammates and his intentions are probably unselfish when he disappears from game and lets them go to work, but he is simply too talented to not impact the game or touch the ball for several minute stretches.
When he is able to shake his defender on his first step, Dosunmu sometimes tries to force the issue and attack the rim when there are help defenders there waiting for him. Ayo needs to work on identifying when he should pull up for a jump shot rather than drive all the way to the rim to force a contested layup and/or risk a charge.
Dosunmu has a slender frame and really needs to put on weight. He’s still young so there is plenty of time for him to make that happen, but the sooner the better. If he can put on 10-15 pounds of muscle between the season’s end and before the combine, that’ll go a long way in showing teams he can fill out his frame and mature physically.
Future Outlook:
Ayo Dosunmu is one of the more intriguing college prospects this year. His physical gifts and high upside are undeniable, but he’s still raw and needs to mature a great deal to be a productive NBA point guard. If he were to declare at the end of this season, he would likely be a second round selection. If he decides to stay another year, he could work on improving his all-around skill, show that he can be a better decision maker, and improve his stock enough to become a lottery pick in 2021.
However, players returning for another year of school always run the risk of getting a serious injury, or just not improving enough, both of which are detrimental to draft stocks and ultimately end up costing players money. Dosunmu will have a tough decision to make before the draft declaration deadline this spring.
