Report: Illinois Guard Ayo Dosunmu Suffers Broken Nose

Earlier today, the Illinois Fighting Illini got some tough news as the program learned star guard Ayo Dosunmu had suffered a broken nose and would likely miss at least a game as a result. The Athletic broke the report, implying therein Dosunmu could be sidelined for multiple games as Illinois makes a push for the 2021 Big Ten title:

llinois guard and All-American candidate Ayo Dosunmu suffered a broken nose in Tuesday’s loss to Michigan State, a source confirmed to The Athletic.

Dosunmu has been fitted for a mask, but it’s unclear when he will return to the floor. Illinois hosts Nebraska on Thursday.

Obviously, this is crushing news for Illinois. Dosunmu has been playing at an All-American level and is almost certainly the team’s best player, averaging an impressive 21 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. And while the team gets a pretty manageable game against Nebraska on Thursday, things could get worrisome if he has to miss multiple games with Wisconsin on the road on Saturday and Michigan on the road on Tuesday. A loss to the Wolverines would almost certainly lock Illinois out of the Big Ten title.

From an on-court perspective, fans should expect Jacob Grandison, Coleman Hawkins, and Da’Monte Williams to see additional time. Trent Frazier will also likely have to be the team’s offensive creator, which is a role Dosunmu has filled so far this season. We’ll see how it all turns out starting on Thursday night against Nebraska. Everyone certainly wishes Dosunmu the best in his recovery.