Illini coach Brad Underwood embraces lofty expectations

CHAMPAIGN – Maybe Illini hoops coach Brad Underwood allowed himself a couple minutes each day to dream about this perfect scenario. The return of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn wasn’t assured, even if COVID 19 messed up nearly everything about the NBA season, or offseason. Not really sure what to call it.

There were the bull sessions between Underwood and his staff, talking about combinations and possibilities if Cockburn returned and Dosunmu went to pro ball, or Dosunmu returned and Cockburn jumped. So was the case concerning both going for the money and both of them returning.

With so much time left available while the recruiting world was idled for college basketball, coaches had to do something. Between walking and dropping roughly 30 pounds with an eye on going from 268 to 220, Underwood still tried to keep himself concerned only with who was officially in the program. Then he learned both Dosunmu and Cockburn were pulling their names from the NBA draft.

On Monday, Underwood still wasn’t ready to reveal any major decisions as the unknown of college athletics headed into early August.

“I’m still living off the high of those guys coming back,’’ Underwood said.

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