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Good Morning, Illini Nation: Part of Kobe Bryant's lasting legacy - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team:

The fatal helicopter accident that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna along seven others in California reverberated around the sports world (and beyond). It was simply coincidence that basically 24 hours earlier Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu was discussing how he looked to Bryant, among others, to help shape his game.

Dosunmu grew up like a lot of basketball players. He emulated the greats. When it's come to honing his skills as the leading scorer and clutch performer for Illinois, the sophomore guard turned his focus to  two of the best to ever play the game — Bryant and Michael Jordan.

The former makes a lot of sense. For players of Dosunmu's generation, it's essentially a Bryant or LeBron James choice. The latter isn't a surprise either. Dosunmu's a Chicago guy.

"There’s so many great guys to go after," Dosunmu said following Saturday's game at Michigan. "I wouldn’t say I study one person, but the one thing I try to get into his not dancing with the ball and not trying to go for the home run. Really getting to my spots. Kobe and Jordan, late game they’re doing one or two moves, and then they’re getting to their spots and elevating."

So it shouldn't have been a surprise that with the ball in his hands at the end of Saturday's game, Dosunmu channeled his inner Bryant and inner Jordan. He got to his mid-range spot just at the free throw line and elevated over Michigan's Zavier Simpson for the latest in a growing list of clutch shots and game winners to beat the Wolverines.

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Good Morning, Illini Nation: Part of Kobe Bryant's lasting legacy - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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