LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament between the Santa Clara Broncos and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 77-68. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Many people are down on the Illinois basketball team because they couldn’t secure a couple solid big men or a good player from the south.

But, last night, the main target for the Illini from the beginning announced his final two. Ayo Dosunmu is officially down to just Illinois and Wake Forest. The decision to cut his list came as a surprise but to the delight of the Illinois fan base, we are still alive for a top 30 player in the class of 2018.

Dosunmu is the golden goose for the Illini. He is a 6-foot-4, 172-pound combo-guard from Morgan Park High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a five-star recruit who is the No. 27 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 2 combo-guard in the nation. It would have been nice to snag all the players Illinois was in the running for but getting Dosunmu would make up for all of those misses.

But, the Illini will have to beat out a tough Wake Forest team. They have a lot going for them but let’s compare Illinois’ credentials to the Demon Deacons credentials.

Illinois hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since the 2012-2013 season when John Groce was in his first year with the program. So, that is a four-year drought. In a five-year span, the Illini have one NCAA tournament appearance and that was to the Final 32.

Wake Forest has actually had a rougher ride than the Illini. The last time the Demon Deacons made the postseason was last season when they were selected into the First Four. They lost that game, though. That is their only appearance since the 2009-2010 season. Much like Illinois, Wake Forest used to make NCAA tournaments regularly but have since fallen off the cliff.

Overall, recent winning wise, I would give the slight edge to Illinois.

Now let’s go to location. Illinois would easily win out here because Champaign is less than three hours away from Chicago. Wake Forest is in North Carolina. So, the Illini have the advantage here if it matters much.

Next, we can look at playing time. This is a push in my books. Both of these teams will start Dosunmu day one or they would be crazy. He would be sensational in both lineups and there really isn’t a team that has an advantage in this category.

We can look at the quality of head coach now. Illinois has Brad Underwood who is in his first year with the Illini. Not even coaching one game is a disadvantage in recruiting because there aren’t results with the current team he is with. I am sure that is used against Illinois in the recruiting war. But, Underwood does have a good coaching track record. He has been a head coach for four years now and has made the NCAA tournament all four seasons. Three of those years were with Stephen F. Austin, and he took Oklahoma State to the postseason last year. He is 4-for-4 when it comes to NCAA tournaments.

Danny Manning is the head coach of Wake Forest. He is going on his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, and in his first three years, the team has only made one NCAA tournament. But, Manning inherited a dumpster fire of a program, so making the postseason in year three is actually an accomplishment.

Before Manning was with Wake Forest, he spent two years with Tulsa. He took the Golden Hurricane to the NCAA tournament in his second season, which is impressive. Manning is a pretty good coach with a track record of consistent improvement record wise.

Honestly, I think I have to give the Illini the slight edge on this one too. The coaches are close and Manning does have the playing credentials and notoriety but Underwood is batting perfect when it comes to the postseason and that is the ultimate goal.

When it comes down to Dosunmu’s recruitment, only he really knows. Well, and maybe his mom too. But, Illinois is bringing a lot to the table. They have a lot to offer him and has a slight edge on Wake Forest when comparing the credentials. We will all see the results here shortly, though.