Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu Declares for 2021 NBA Draft, Will Hire Agent

Illinois star Ayo Dosunmu declared for the 2021 NBA draft Tuesday on ESPN's The Jump, via Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The junior will hire an agent and forgo his remaining college eligibility.

Dosunmu was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and won the Bob Cousy Award as the best point guard in the country.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman lists the guard as the No. 35 overall player in the class.

Dosunmu is coming off an incredible year for the Fighting Illini, averaging 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

The 6'4" guard excelled with his ability to attack the basket, but he also set a career high with a 38.6 three-point shooting percentage in 2020-21. The two-way production could help become a key contributor at the next level while getting early minutes in the NBA.

He already showed he can be a go-to option for an elite team this year, leading Illinois to one of its best seasons in school history.

The Fighting Illini went 24-7, including a win in the Big Ten tournament, while earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The squad entered March Madness No. 2 in the AP poll, ahead of eventual champion Baylor.

The season came to a disappointing conclusion with a second-round loss to eight-seeded Loyola Chicago. Dosunmu struggled against the quality defense and was held to nine points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field.

His work over the course of the full season should still be enough to prove his value ahead of the July 29 draft.