Dosunmu and Cockburn Awards | USA Today Story
Junior Ayo Dosunmu is having arguably the best individual season ever for a Fighting Illini, while also leading his team to a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed, Big Ten Tournament title, and the program's winningest Big Ten season in school history. With those accomplishments have come a number of first-team All-America accolades. Today he garnered his first National Player of the Year Award, named college basketball's top player for the 2020-21 season by USA Today.
Dosunmu is the first Fighting Illini to earn a National Player of the Year award since Dee Brown was selected by Sporting News in 2005. Dosunmu becomes the fifth Illini ever to receive Player of the Year recognition, joining Brown as the only two to do so in the modern era.
In addition to being named Player of the Year, Dosunmu claimed a spot on USA Today's All-America first-team while teammate Kofi Cockburn garnered his latest second-team All-America accolade.
Ayo Dosunmu 2020-21 Highlights
- USA Today National Player of the Year
- Only NCAA player over the last 11 seasons to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists
- Associated Press First-Team All-American
- USBWA First-Team All-American
- Oscar Robertson Trophy Finalist (3)
- Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team
- USBWA District V Player of the Year and All-District Team
- Unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten
- NABC First-Team All-District 7
- Sporting News unanimous First-Team All-American
- Sports Illustrated unanimous First-Team All-American
- Wooden Award National Ballot (15)
- Naismith Trophy Semifinalist (10)
- Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Finalist (5)
- Averaging the most assists, points and rebounds of any Cousy Award Finalist
- Joins Michigan State's Magic Johnson as only two players in Big Ten history with multiple triple-doubles in league play
- Has scored in double figures in 41 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation
- 18th in the NCAA in scoring (20.7 ppg), the highest average by an Illini in the last 30 seasons
- Second in the Big Ten in assists (5.3 apg) and ranks 12th in the B1G in rebounding (6.3 rpg)
- No. 3 in kenpom.com National Player of the Year standings
Illinois National Player of the Year Recipients
Ayo Dosunmu, 2021 – USA Today
Dee Brown, 2005 – Sporting News
Andy Phillip, 1943 – Sporting News
Chuck Carney, 1922 – Helms Foundation
Ray Woods, 1917 – Helms Foundation
