While the returning players — chiefly the surprise returns of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn — gave Illini basketball fans plenty to be excited about, the hype around this Illini team grew to a fever pitch with the arrival of Adam Miller. His ties to the Illini run deep, having played with current players Ayo Dosunmu and Da’Monte Williams previously and having been part of the AAU’s Mac Irvin Fire, a recent Illini basketball pipeline. The home-grown, blue-chip recruit was drawn to the “doing it at home” mantra, started by Dosunmu’s commitment to the Illini in 2017.
His versatility and defensive intensity struck a chord with Illini head coach Brad Underwood when they visited him as an up-and-coming sophomore.