It was a relatively quiet week in men’s college basketball thanks to the Christmas holiday, but there was still plenty of high-level action. Four Big Ten games on Christmas Day headlined the week, as did a top-25 showdown between Gonzaga and Virginia and plenty of good mid-major action. Whose star shined brightest this week?
Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
Illini fans had a very Merry Christmas this week, thanks to two massive performances by Dosunmu. First, the Chicago native helped his team rally from an early 15-point deficit at Penn State with a dominant second half, scoring 21 of his 30 points in the final 20 minutes to help Brad Underwood’s team win it, 98–81.