I've asked myself (and so have a few buddies): 'How is Illinois so good without Ayo?' Obviously, there are a number of opinions, theories, and stats to analyze.
But here is one I haven't read yet (and probably because it is stupid): It seems we are better defensively.
I don't have any metrics to prove it. But the eye test and 2 wins may reveal it. For example, in my opinion, we lost the first OSU game largely because Ayo sagged off or lost Ahrens on at least two blatant occasions, a guy who shoots 95% of his attempts from 3. Ayo's length is a luxury because we are often undersized, and while I love his icy veins on offense, I just don't see the same consistent intensity on defense.
This being said, we need him on the floor. The real stars shine when the lights are the brightest. So hopefully he's healthy enough to play sooner than later. The Closer is ready to show why he came back. Let's finish the deal.