Feel Good Video: Behind The Scenes Of DeMar DeRozan Going Down To Illinois With Ayo To Watch His Jersey Get Retired

This was big news a couple weeks ago for a very simple but beautiful reason. NBA all star and veteran DeMar DeRozan taking Ayo under his wing to the point they’d travel downstate together on the off day for the jersey retirement.  It’s a storyline that started on the first day of camp and has grown ever since. The two are very close and you can obviously see the impact it’s had on Ayo. If they redid the draft today he 1,000% goes in the top 10. Instead he went 38 and it will be motivating him for the rest of his career.

Now that we got that out of the way I want to go on record and say that I’m an absolute sucker for pretty much any type of behind-the-scenes/mic’d up footage. The clear cut #1 is an NFL head coach from the mid 2000’s. Then obviously MLB umpires are up there alongside NHL agitators. Take or leave an NBA timeout huddle but always take the NBA off day. Something about basketball players doing stuff without the uniform just hits different. Watching them bond at a college basketball game is sincerely enjoyable. Tell me otherwise then tell me you’re an idiot.

Making things even better is the Illini’s big win 56-55 tonight over #10 Michigan State without Kofi or Curbelo. We had to clinch our butt cheeks down the stretch but that’s what happens in midweek Big Ten play come late January. Important thing is we wake up on Wednesday in a tie for first place knowing our best basketball is ahead of us. That’s what Brad Underwood does. He gets better over time and he prepares you for the NBA.

Honestly the Ayo story just keeps getting better and better. What initially seemed as a cute gimmick is actually a bonafide draft steal. If you know me you know I love late round value.

Speaking of which go check out this weeks snake draft. It’s the 100th anniversary and a very special episode.