Brad Underwood isn’t mincing words.
Illinois’ fiery head coach was an assistant under Frank Martin when Kansas State reached the Elite Eight in 2010 and led his own Stephen F. Austin team to within inches of the Sweet 16 in 2016, but Underwood noted on Monday that his team next season could be the most talented one he’s been a part of in college basketball if both Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn withdraw from the 2020 NBA Draft and return to school next season.
“That’s a big statement,” Underwood said Monday on the College Hoops Today Podcast when he was asked where next year’s team would rank among the best he’s been a part of if both Dosunmu and Cockburn return. “But yeah, I’ll be honest. I think you’ve got unbelievable leadership in Ayo (Dosunmu) and you’ve got a presence that not a lot of people have in Kofi (Cockburn). I love our freshmen — Adam Miller, Andre Curbelo, Coleman Hawkins. Then you’ve got Giorgi Bezhanishvili back with Da’Monte Williams, Trent Frazier and then you’ve got two transfers (Jacob Grandison, Austin Hutcherson) who had great off seasons.”
The NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline for the 2020 NBA Draft is Aug. 3rd.
Neither Dosunmu or Cockburn are currently projected as first-round picks.
The 6-5 Dosunmu emerged as one of the top guards in the sport last season as a sophomore, averaging 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while regularly made big shots in crunch time.
Meanwhile, the 7-foot Cockburn was lethal in the paint as a freshman averaging 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks.
Underwood knows exactly how critical each player is to Illinois’ program, but he’s prepared regardless of their respective decisions.
“We have multiple plans for next season,” Underwood said. “There’s no replacing them if they leave. It is what it is. We tried to prepare. We love our recruiting class. We will be what we are if they don’t come back. If Ayo comes back here, they might build a statue. He’ll be one one of the best guards in college basketball if he comes back. I’m a big believer in young people reaching their goals. We believe in their rights. We want their families to get all the information they need during this process and come to the conclusions that they feel comfortable with.”
If both players return, Illinois will be a consensus top-10 team to start next season and a legitimate contender for the Big Ten regular season title.
The Illini are currently ranked 38th in the ROTHSTEIN 45, a projection that was made with Dosunmu staying in the draft and Cockburn returning to school.
