{"id":100150,"date":"2022-04-05T15:54:53","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T20:54:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=100150"},"modified":"2022-04-06T12:28:22","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T17:28:22","slug":"ayo-dosunmu-takes-key-role-while-biding-time-as-rookie-with-bulls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/ayo-dosunmu-takes-key-role-while-biding-time-as-rookie-with-bulls\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayo Dosunmu takes key role while biding time as rookie with Bulls"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jonathan Fernandez
\n<\/strong>Medill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Ayo Dosunmu is like many 22-year-olds.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you overlook the fact he\u2019s making millions of dollars a year to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls, the comparison makes a lot more sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s hard to overlook, of course, even though Dosunmu lives with his older brother Kube and spends most of his days playing basketball, gathering with family and playing video games. His favorite game is NBA2K.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to say I beat him in 2K, but he\u2019ll probably say something different,\u201d said Nick Irvin,<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu\u2019s high school coach at Morgan Park. \u201cHe loved 2K. He thinks he\u2019s the greatest ever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If Dosunmu sounds more like a typical 22-year-old, maybe that\u2019s because he doesn\u2019t carry himself like the star that he is \u2013 an NBA player projected as having a blinding bright future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Young stars in many professions often ditch their parents\u2019 counsel for friend groups and late nights partying in the city. But Dosunmu has gone in the opposite direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe love enjoying each other\u2019s company,\u201d Dosunmu said of his family in a sit-down interview with <\/span>NBC Chicago<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 \u201c(They understand) at the end of the day I\u2019m here to play basketball, and they support me doing that. They make sure my head is straight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to an <\/span>article <\/span><\/a>written by former Chicago Tribune sports reporter Shannon Ryan, Dosunmu\u2019s family has played a huge part in big decisions he\u2019s made throughout his career, including the decision in 2017 to stay in his home state and play for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a program that had not made the NCAA tournament since 2013. Ryan wrote that the Dosunmus typically gather to discuss the pros and cons of each option when a big decision needs to be made. They offer each other advice while still allowing the decision maker to\u00a0 choose their own path.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Ayo would start a new school year, the family would gather to discuss goals for the youngest sibling to achieve. They\u2019d display the big white board in the pantry for the whole family\u00a0 to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Ryan observed in her time covering the family is that they operate as a team, and they celebrate each other\u2019s successes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most stars might bristle at their parents trying to have a say in their life past a certain age, but Ayo has thrived in the structure that his family has provided for him in college and now playing for the Bulls.<\/span><\/p>\n

Irvin took it a step further, saying Dosunmu needed his family close throughout his career to have the success he\u2019s had.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe definitely needed it because of the family atmosphere, the family peace for him,\u201d Irvin said. \u201cHe’s a family guy. \u2026 In the NBA you go through hard times. Sometimes you hit a wall and you need somebody to pick you up, and he (has) that over here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The connection between\u00a0 Dosunmu and his family is unique, even to those who have covered professional athletes for years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think Ayo was more family-oriented than the typical person his age regardless of what they do,\u201d Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Steve Greenberg said. \u201cDefinitely in my view, less friend-oriented and more family-oriented than most in his position.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Irvin brothers, Nick and Mike, both run Mac Irvin Fire, one of the most successful Amateur Athletic Union programs in the country. Dosunmu caught their attention at a young age.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nick Irvin first saw Dosunmu when he was coaching a sixth grade team against a third grade Ayo.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even at that age, with Dosunmu playing against players three years older than him, Nick Irvin knew Dosunmu was going to be a really good player. He continued watching Dosunmu from afar as he got older, hoping to have an opportunity to coach him one day.<\/span><\/p>\n

He would have to wait a while.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Irvin started recruiting Dosunmu to his team in eighth grade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Irvin has coached many players who have gone pro, including Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, Talen Horton-Tucker and Jordan Poole, just to name a few. Dosunmu is only the latest of his star pupils to make the leap.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Irvin coached Dosunmu for two years for Mac Irvin Fire U17 and saw similarities between him and his former players who went on to the NBA. Primarily, Dosunmu demonstrated a knack for making big plays in crucial moments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu played his freshman year at George Westinghouse College Prep, a high school in the <\/span>Chicago Public League\u2019s White division, which wasn\u2019t even the top division. Dosunmu led Westinghouse to a conference championship that season and got them promoted to the Red division.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Dosunmu\u2019s first high school season with Westinghouse, Nick Irvin got his wish when Dosunmu transferred to Morgan Park.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the connection was there,\u201d Nick Irvin said. \u201cI coached some of the top point guards, so (his family saw) what I did, the body of work I’ve put together. They wanted to be part of something that hold Ayo accountable and help Ayo reach his full potential. And they knew they were going to get that (from) me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In his first year at Morgan Park, Dosunmu was teammates with senior Charlie Moore, who was \u201cthe guy\u201d for Morgan Park. Dosunmu understood Moore was going for all the awards and wanted to be the one to lead the team to a championship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nick Irvin talked to Dosunmu about being more aggressive as a scorer, but Dosunmu, out of respect for Moore playing in his final season, just wanted to continue in his role as a primary defender and playmaker. He knew his time to be \u201cthe guy\u201d would come.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight then and there I said this guy is unbelievable,\u201d Nick Irvin said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s going to be an unbelievable professional basketball player because, where he came from, he was averaging 32 points, and the sacrifice he made (was) for the betterment of the team.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nick Irvin later called Dosunmu\u2019s mom, Jamarraa, to ask if she could talk to her son about it. Her response? \u201c\u2018Nick, that\u2019s your job,\u2019\u201d Irvin recalled her saying.<\/span><\/p>\n

If watching Dosunmu\u2019s first few weeks in the NBA was your first time seeing him play, you\u2019d probably say he looked reserved on the court, not very comfortable or confident. On offense he\u2019d primarily served as a floor spacer. He was often waiting in the corner for the defense to collapse around his All-Star teammates Zach Lavine and DeMar Derozan.<\/span><\/p>\n

You wouldn\u2019t know it from watching those early months of the season, but Dosunmu possesses an unrelenting belief in his ability. That belief was sculpted by the city of Chicago.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a very confident kid,\u201d Mike Irvin said. \u201cBeing from Chicago, you always (have) a chip on your shoulder. He had that confidence factor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On a trip the Mac Irvin Fire took to Las Vegas, the Fire players were slated to compete against an East Coast Nike Elite Youth Basketball League team that boasted a stacked roster. They had one of the top point guards in the country and players who went on to play for LSU and Villanova, among other schools.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe challenged Ayo saying this is what we\u2019ve been waiting on and he said, \u2018Man,\u00a0 I\u2019m about to give them 40,\u2019\u201d Mike Irvin recalled with a laugh. \u201cMe and my brother laughing. Forty? He said, \u2018Yeah, I\u2019m about to give them 40, and we\u2019re going to win and I\u2019m going to drop 10 assists.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Irvin had his doubts. Dosunmu was good, but the team they were playing was no slouch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day he ended up with 40-plus and 10 assists, so that was one thing he spoke into existence,\u201d Mike Irvin said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ayo Dosunmu announced his college commitment at the Jordan Store on 32 S. State St. It has since been changed to a Foot Locker. (Jonathan Fernandez\/Medill Reports)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dosunmu and his family narrowed down his college choices to two: Illinois and Wake Forest.<\/span><\/p>\n

The word that kept coming up when discussing this decision was legacy. Dosunmu wanted to go somewhere he could leave a lasting impact. Dosunmu made his commitment to play for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at the Jordan store on South State Street with Kanye West\u2019s \u201cHomecoming\u201d<\/span> blaring on the store speakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the time, Illinois had consistently failed to lure top in-state recruits and was struggling to bring any real success to the court. Dosunmu\u2019s commitment had the potential to change all of that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf he didn\u2019t have that confidence, he would\u2019ve been like some of these other kids. \u2026 I\u2019ll just fit in and then get drafted,\u201d Mike Irvin said. \u201cHe thought, \u2018I\u2019m from Chicago, it\u2019s my home school. I can turn it around.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryan <\/span>covered his decision announcement <\/span><\/a>when it took place in 2017. \u201cIt felt like the bar (was) being raised for Illinois,\u201d Ryan said. \u201c(Illinois head coach Brad) Underwood had had previous success in getting all his teams to the tournament. (Dosunmu) coming there was like, OK, now they’ve got this big recruit, and then they start winning. So I mean, I think it was a sea change for a couple reasons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Irvin\u2019s initial reaction to Dosunnmu\u2019s commitment was simple. \u201cUnderwood (is) about to get an extension, and he\u2019s going to be there for a long time because Ayo\u2019s going to change the landscape.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ayo Dosunmu was the first top recruit in years to choose to play for Illinois. (MGoBlog\/Flickr<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dosunmu was immediately viewed as the savior of the program, and he embraced it.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his first season with the Illini, the team lost a program-record 21 games. The team struggled mainly because the roster was still young. Dosunmu averaged 14 points on 43% shooting, four rebounds and three assists in his freshman campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the season ended, that\u2019s when the real work began for Dosunmu. His favorite player growing up was Kobe Bryant, and like Bryant, Dosunmu became famous for his work ethic and reputation for being in the gym.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think I’ve ever heard Ayo talk about anything but basketball,\u201d said Jeremy Werner, Illini beat reporter for 247 Sports. \u201cYou never heard about Ayo going out and living up the town. You heard about him in the gym.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu was singularly focused on his goal to make it to the NBA.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe wanted to be in the NBA,\u201d Greenberg said. \u201cHe wanted to be great. That\u2019s what he wanted more than anything else, and he wasn\u2019t very distracted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu and the rest of the team came into their own the next season. A huge part of their success was because they added another program cornerstone in Kofi Cockburn, who previously played at Oak Hill Academy. Cockburn made an immediate impact both offensively and defensively. Senior Trent Frazier became an elite defender for them as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Dosunmu came back a much better midrange shooter following his freshman season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although Dosunmu struggled to open the season, he broke out in the second half.\u00a0 He came back with a vastly improved midrange game. His two-point percentage jumped from 48% to 54%.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of these factors contributed to an Illini team that was able to completely flip the script, going from a 12-21 record in 2019 to 21-10 in 2020. That season marked the first time the Illini had been ranked since 2015. Illinois finished second in the Big Ten and were on their way to making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years before the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament were canceled due to COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his sophomore season Dosunmu averaged 16.6 points on 48% shooting while grabbing four rebounds and three assists.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Dosunmu\u2019s junior season, he put all the pieces of his game together and became one of the most complete players in college basketball. He\u2019d added another wrinkle to his game in the offseason, this time a drastically improved three-point shot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

His long-range jumper had always been a questionable aspect of his game, but he had regressed from 35% his freshman year to 29% his sophomore year from beyond the arc. By the end of his junior year,\u00a0 he\u2019d improved on his sophomore season mark by 10 percentage points.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu had become an efficient three-level scorer who had upped his free throw attempts by two more attempts per game. He was also doing a better job seeing the floor and keeping teammates involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ayo Dosunmu scores a contested midrange jumper for the win over Michigan. (MGoBlog\/Flickr<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One impressive aspect of his game throughout his college career was his ability to make clutch plays. The most memorable shot came against Michigan on Jan. 25, 2020. With the score tied at 62, Dosunmu had the ball at the top of the arc with five seconds left on the clock. He dribbled the ball through his left leg twice with rapid speed and took a pace forward before dribbling it through the same leg for the third time and taking an explosive first step. He took one dribble toward the left elbow, pump faked with nowhere to go. His defender was still in a good position in front of him and only 2.7 seconds remained on the clock. Dosunmu calmly pivoted, drove his left shoulder through his defender to create space and went up for a midrange jumper that swished through the net to put the Illini ahead 64-62 with 0.7 seconds left.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen a more clutch college basketball player,\u201d Werner said. \u201cHe\u2019s the most clutch player in Illinois history.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In his final season, Dosunmu became the first NCAA player in over a decade to average more than 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. And he did it while leading the Illini to their first NCAA Tournament in eight years. By the time Dosunmu declared for the NBA Draft, he had transformed Illinois from a program failing to bring in top in-state recruits, failing to make the tournament year after year, to a certified powerhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe really kind of led the environment there and the seismic shift in the culture among the players,\u201d Greenberg said of Dosunmu\u2019s time with the Illini.<\/span><\/p>\n

A tribute to the major impact Dosunmu had on the program, the University of Illinois retired Dosunmo\u2019s jersey on Jan. 25, not even a full year after he\u2019d left the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ayo Dosunmu drives the ball during a game against Michigan. (MGoBlog\/Flickr<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dosunmu grew up watching Derrick Rose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before Dosunmu, Rose was the most recent Chicago native to be drafted by the Bulls. Rose became the youngest player to win a Most Valued Player award in 2011 while playing for the Bulls, solidifying his place early as a Chicago legend.<\/span><\/p>\n

PA announcers usually introduce NBA players before games by naming their high school or college team. In Chicago, Rose made the \u201cfrom Chicago \u2026\u201d intro that always got Bulls fans out of their seats famous.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Dosunmu is the one being introduced in front of a packed United Center crowd as \u201cfrom Chicago \u2026\u201d Now, he\u2019s become the inspiration to younger generations of Chicago basketball players.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to let the city see someone that\u2019s their very own get out and make it,\u201d Nick Irvin said. \u201cHe\u2019s an unbelievable role model to kids because \u2026 if one thing is shown to the youth of Chicago, it\u2019s if Ayo can make it, you can make it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu is more than just someone from his hometown who made it. He\u2019s visible. He\u2019s present. He\u2019s accessible, which is so important for the city youth to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Irvins witness all of that in Dosunmu\u2019s mentoring. Since he\u2019s been drafted, he\u2019s gone to games coached by both Irvin brothers at Western Illinois, where Nick coaches, and Kenwood high school, where Mike coaches.<\/span><\/p>\n

He hasn\u2019t returned yet to Morgan Park, though. Current Morgan Park head coach <\/span>Chris Gardner <\/span>still plans to retire his jersey and is hopeful this star alum will come back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI truly believe like the moment Ayo does come back and speak to the program, it will have an immediate resonance of like, whoa, this kid came from here,\u201d Gardner said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Chicago Bulls celebrate a win over the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 26. (Jonathan Fernandez\/Medill Reports)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Second-round draft picks typically aren\u2019t as good as Dosunmu proved to be this early in his NBA career. Most second rounders spend time in the G-League their first few years, fighting to make it into the rotation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not Dosunmu.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he should\u2019ve been a first-round pick, I did not think he would be All-Rookie his first year,\u201d Wener admitted with a laugh.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greenberg echoed the same sentiment and said he did not expect Dosunmu\u2019s three-point shooting to translate to the deeper NBA three as quickly as it has.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu\u2019s role with the Bulls has been significantly more limited than it was during his time with Illinois, and that\u2019s to be expected of most first-year players, especially those on playoff teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Dosunmu has starred in his role.<\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s played a majority of the season out of his natural position. Because of the Bulls depth at the point guard position, Dosunmu was used primarily as a wing. He has been one of the Bulls\u2019 more reliable shooters, and every time he shoots the ball from the corner it feels like it\u2019s going in. He\u2019s knocking down the three at a 39% clip.<\/span><\/p>\n

When point guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso both went off the play roster due to injuries, Dosunmu was playing well enough in his limited role that Bulls head coach Billy Donovan inserted him into the starting lineup to play point.<\/span><\/p>\n

While many fans and journalists expressed surprise at Dosunmu\u2019s success and contributions to the Bulls\u2019 success, the Irvin brothers saw it coming.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they put him at that point guard spot, I knew he was (going to) flourish because he had a lot of Gary Payton in him,\u201d Mike Irvin said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu has played a core part of revitalizing his hometown team. He\u2019s not \u201cthe guy.\u201d That title goes to Derozan or Lavine depending on whose night it is.<\/span><\/p>\n

For now Dosunmu sits on the outskirts of playcalls, standing in the corner for spacing, content to just play his role. He\u2019s been here before after all – watching teammates gun for awards and wanting to be the one to bring a championship to Chicago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dosunmu is just waiting his turn.<\/span><\/p>\n

And it won\u2019t do to bet against him when he gets his opportunity.<\/span>

Jonathan Fernandez is a graduate student specializing in sports media at Northwestern Medill. You can follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jonathan Fernandez Medill Reports Ayo Dosunmu is like many 22-year-olds. If you overlook the fact he\u2019s making millions of dollars a year to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls, the comparison makes a lot more sense. That\u2019s hard to overlook, of course, even though Dosunmu lives with his older brother Kube and spends most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":809,"featured_media":100173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,5282],"tags":[5284,2499,5285],"class_list":["post-100150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-spring-2022","tag-ayo-dosunmu","tag-chicago-bulls","tag-mac-irvin-fire"],"yoast_head":"\nAyo Dosunmu takes key role while biding time as rookie with Bulls - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ayo Dosunmu is like many 22-year-olds. 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