Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball

Illinois Fighting Illini
2021–22 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
University	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
All-time record	1,813–1,025 (.639)
Athletic director	Josh Whitman
Head coach	Brad Underwood (4th season)
Conference	Big Ten
Arena	State Farm Center (Capacity: 15,544)
Nickname	Fighting Illini
Student section	Orange Krush
Colors	Orange and blue[1]
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate
Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta Champions
1915
Pre-tournament Helms Champions
1915
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
2005
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1949, 1951, 1952, 1989, 2005
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1989, 2001, 2005
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1951, 1952, 1963, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1989, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2021
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1942, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2021
Conference tournament champions
2003, 2005, 2021
Conference regular season champions
1915, 1917, 1924, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1984, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2021

The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the State Farm Center, located on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign. Illinois has one pre-tournament national championship and one non-NCAA tournament national championship in 1915 and 1943, awarded by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. Illinois has appeared in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament 31 times, and has competed in 5 Final Fours, 9 Elite Eights, and has won 18 Big Ten regular season championships.

The team is currently coached by Brad Underwood, who was hired on March 18, 2017. Through the end of the 2017–18 season, Illinois ranks 12th all-time in winning percentage and 15th all-time in wins among all NCAA Division I men's college basketball programs.

Eras of Illini Basketball[]

Early years[]

The Fighting Illini began play in 1906 with Elwood Brown as their first coach. In 1915, Illinois won their first ever Big Ten title, going 16–0 (and 12–0 in Big Ten play) under coach Ralph Jones. They were retroactively declared champion of that season by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. They won two more Big Ten titles in the next nine years, both shared titles. In 1935, they won the Big Ten once again, sharing it with Purdue. They won the Big Ten title five years later in 1942, their first unanimous Big Ten title since 1915.

When duty calls[]

Prior to World War II breaking out, the Fighting Illini men's basketball program had achieved a status which it had never seen prior. Under the direction of head coach and athletic director Douglas R. Mills, the Illini grouped a team of players, all around 6' 3", into a nearly undefeatable lineup later to be known as "The Whiz Kids". As freshman and sophomores, the 1941–42 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team dominated the Big Ten conference basketball season by posting a 13–2 record, overall finishing with 18 wins and only 5 losses. A starting lineup of freshman and sophomores, Arthur "Jack" Smiley, Ken Menke, Andy Phillip, Ellis "Gene" Vance, Victor Wukovits and Art Mathisen, developed a winning attitude that would maintain for the next 15 years, a time period where the Illini would finish no less than third in the conference for 13 of them. Despite being ranked No. 1 in the nation, the 1943 Illinois men's basketball squad opted not to play in the NCAA Tournament when three of its five 'Whiz Kids' were called to duty in World War II.

Harry Combes era (1947–1967)[]

Champaign High School basketball coach Harry Combes was hired to succeed Doug Mills as Mills left the position to focus on his duties as the athletic director. Through his first five seasons as head coach, Combes led the Fighting Illini to three NCAA Final Four appearances in 1949, 1951, and 1952.^[2] During his tenure as coach, Combes increased the Fighting Illini's offensive output by changing their style of play. Combes implemented Full-court press defense, causing turnovers at a high rate which translated into Fast break points.^[2]

In 1951, Combes signed the first black player to don an Illinois uniform, 3x All-State point guard Walt Moore of Mount Vernon. Along with teammate and future Illinois standout Max Hooper, Moore led the Rams to back-to-back state championship titles, culminating with a perfect 33-0 record in 1950.

During the 1957–58 season, Mannie Jackson and Govoner Vaughn were inserted into the starting lineup as the first two African-Americans to start and letter in basketball at Illinois.^[3] Combes also oversaw the Illini's move from Huff Hall to Assembly Hall in 1963 and during that same season the Illini won a fourth Big Ten Conference championship under Combes. However, the Illini lost to eventual national champion Loyola (Chicago) in the Elite Eight of the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The following 1964–65 season, saw several upset victories over defending national champion UCLA Bruins and national powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.^[2]

Lou Henson era (1975–1996)[]

In 1975, after having taken New Mexico State (and future Illinois assistant coach Jimmy Collins) to the 1970 Final Four, Lou Henson moved to the University of Illinois to replace Gene Bartow, after Bartow left Illinois to replace the legendary John Wooden at UCLA. Henson would lead the Fighting Illini back to their glory after having a number of difficult years following the Illinois slush fund scandal (where Illinois was hit with severe penalties for infractions that other Big 10 schools had in years prior been punished much more leniently (according to Sports Illustrated) at the time). In 21 years at Illinois, Henson garnered 423 wins and 224 losses (.654 winning percentage), and with a record of 214 wins and 164 losses (.567) in Big Ten Conference games. The 214 wins in Big Ten games were the third highest total ever at the time of his retirement. At Illinois, Henson coached many future NBA players, including Eddie Johnson, Derek Harper, Ken Norman, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle, Marcus Liberty, Steve Bardo, and Kiwane Garris.

Early 1980s[]

In 1981, Illinois made strides in its return to the national spotlight with a 21–8 record, a third-place Big Ten finish and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The team received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament and beat Wyoming, 67–65, in Los Angeles to advance to the regionals in Salt Lake City, where Illinois lost to Kansas State, 57–52. During this season, the Fighting Illini led the Big Ten in scoring for the second consecutive season and were again led by Eddie Johnson and Mark Smith. Guards Craig Tucker and Derek Harper arrived to add backcourt punch, and Harper began his Illini career being named First-Team Freshman All-America by ESPN and ABC.

Flyin' Illini[]

The top-seeded and top-ranked 1989 Illini were upset 83–81 in the Final Four on a last second basket by Michigan's Sean Higgins, ending the school's deepest run in the tournament at that time. Illinois had beaten the Wolverines by 12 and 16 points in two previous meetings that season. The 1988–89 Illinois Fighting Illini team gained the moniker "Flyin' Illini" by Dick Vitale during an ESPN broadcast that season. The team also gained national prominence for its athletic players, such as NCAA slam dunk champions Kenny Battle and Kendall Gill, as well as Lowell Hamilton, Nick Anderson, Marcus Liberty, and Stephen Bardo.

1990s[]

The early 1990s Illini were dominated by players such as guards Andy Kauffman, Richard Keene, and Kiwane Garris, as well as centers Shelly Clark and Deon Thomas. Thomas was at the center of a report of misconduct by Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball assistant coach Bruce Pearl, who alleged that Thomas had been offered cash to attend Illinois. The Illini were suspended from postseason play for one season for unrelated violations uncovered during the investigation.

Lon Kruger era (1996–2000)[]

After longtime coach Lou Henson's departure, Illinois hired Lon Kruger to fill the vacancy for the 1996 season. Kruger was the 14th head basketball coach in program history. During his four-year tenure he compiled a 59–38 record. He immediately made an impact at Illinois leading them to a 22–10 record and a second round NCAA tournament appearance in his first year. This created excitement because of the ninth-place finish the Illini had taken just before his arrival. Kruger inherited players such as Victor Chukwudebe, Jerry Hester, Kevin Turner, Jerry Gee, Matt Heldman, Brian Johnson, Kiwane Garris and Cleotis Brown. During his four seasons at Illinois, three of which resulted in NCAA Tournament berths, (all three of which saw the Illini eliminated in the 2nd round) Kruger became the only Big Ten coach to successfully sign three consecutive Illinois Mr. Basketball winners, inking Sergio McClain, Frank Williams, and Brian Cook between 1997 and 1999.Several times during his coaching tenure the Illini were predicted to be at the bottom of the Big Ten, however he overcame adversity each time performing far better than expected.

Bill Self era (2000–2003)[]

Illinois picked Tulsa coach Bill Self from a list of numerous candidates, including popular assistant Jimmy Collins, to succeed Kruger, who moved on to the NBA to coach the Atlanta Hawks. Bill Self was hired to the Illini coaching staff as the 15th head coach in the history of the program. He spent his previous seven years as the head coach of Oral Roberts University and Tulsa University where he compiled an overall record of 129–71. In 2001, his first season at Illinois, Self coached his new Fighting Illini squad to a 27–8 record, a share of the Big Ten title, and a number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That 27-game winning season in Self's first year was the second most winning season in school history at that time. McClain, Cook and preseason Big Ten player of the year Cory Bradford led the Illini to the Elite Eight, where they fell to eventual finalist Arizona in a much disputed contest. The Illini were accused of being overly physical most of the season, especially McClain and pesky guards Sean Harrington and Lucas Johnson (younger brother of former Illini forward Brian Johnson). The '01 Illini team also included Robert Archibald, Damir Krupalija and Marcus Griffin. With mostly the same core, Illinois followed up the season with impressive 2002 and 2003 campaigns, but fell in the Sweet 16 in 2002. He was the first head coach in the Big Ten, since 1912, to lead his team to conference championships in each of his first two seasons. It was also the first time Illinois won back-to-back titles in 50 years. Self, also, had an overall record of 78–24 in his three years as Illinois head coach. Self left for Kansas after the 2003 season.^[4]

Bruce Weber era (2003–2012)[]

Bruce Weber served as the head coach of Illinois basketball for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012.

After Bill Self left, Illinois AD Ron Guenther hired Weber to coach the Fighting Illini on April 30, 2003. Weber came from Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale and was touted as a loyal coach, which was valued by the Illinois AD after both Kruger and Self left Champaign with relatively short tenures. In his five seasons as head coach at SIU, Weber took the Saluki program to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference, winning league titles in 2002 and 2003. He posted records of 28–8 and 24–7 in his last two seasons, leading the Salukis to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2002 with wins over Texas Tech and Georgia at the United Center in Chicago. His .689 (62–28) winning percentage in MVC play ranked 12th in the long history of the league. Weber earned Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors following the 2003 season.

Illinois totaled 210 victories under Weber from 2004 to 2012. He ranks third on the Illinois career coaching wins list. He won 67.5 percent of his games while in charge of the Fighting Illini (210–101). Under Weber, the Illini had two Big Ten Championships (2004, 2005), two runner-up finishes (2006, 2009) and seven upper-division finishes.

Illinois had five players selected in the NBA Draft under Weber, as Deron Williams (No. 3, Utah Jazz) and Luther Head (No. 24, Houston Rockets) were taken in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft, and James Augustine (No. 41, Orlando Magic) and Dee Brown (No. 46, Utah Jazz) were chosen in the second round of the 2006 NBA draft. Meyers Leonard was chosen 11th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA draft following Weber's final season. Utah's selection of Williams at No. 3 overall in the 2005 lottery made him the highest-drafted player in Illinois history.

2003–2004[]

It took just one season for Weber to etch his name in the Big Ten and Illinois record books after leading the Fighting Illini to its first outright Big Ten title in 52 years during the 2003–04 season. In leading his young team that featured just one senior on the roster, Weber became just the third coach in the history of the Big Ten to win an outright title in his first season. Illinois had to win 10 straight to end the regular season to claim the championship, including six-straight wins on the road. Illinois' 26 wins in 2003–04 tied the fourth-winningest season in school history. Weber also led the Illini to the Sweet 16 with NCAA Tournament victories over Murray State and Cincinnati.

2004–2005[]

Weber's second year at Illinois, the 2004–05 season, will be remembered as one of the greatest in Fighting Illini history, finishing 37–2 as the National Runner-Up in the NCAA tournament. In a remarkable year where Illinois celebrated its centennial season of basketball, the Illini reeled off 29 straight wins to start the year, tying the 12th-best start in NCAA Div. I history and the third-best start in Big Ten history. Illinois also secured its second-straight outright Big Ten championship with a 15–1 league record, as Weber became the first coach in Big Ten history to win consecutive outright titles in his first two seasons. Illinois then added a Big Ten Tournament championship in addition to its regular season title. The Illini were ranked No. 1 in the nation for 15 straight weeks, including a first-ever No. 1 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.

They gained the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and prevailed in one of the most memorable games in NCAA history against Arizona. Down 15 points with around 4 minutes left, the Illini rallied with a run led by Luther Head and Deron Williams. The game was sent into overtime and the Illini pulled off a one-point win to advance to the 2005 Final Four in St. Louis. It was the Fighting Illini's first Final Four Appearance since the 1988–89 season. Against the Louisville Cardinals in the national semifinal game, the Illini posted their final victory of the season. All of the five Illini starters–Deron Williams, Luther Head, Dee Brown, James Augustine, and Roger Powell, Jr.–would eventually play in the NBA. Williams and Brown both joined the Utah Jazz roster, while Luther Head went on to play for the Sacramento Kings.

With all that Illinois accomplished during the season, Weber swept the 2005 National Coach of the Year awards, claiming the following: the Naismith Award, the most prestigious coaching award in college basketball; the Henry Iba Award, presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association; and, the Adolph F. Rupp Cup. Weber was also named National Coach of the Year by the NABC, Associated Press, The Sporting News, Basketball Times, CBS/Chevrolet, Victor Awards and Nike Championship Basketball Clinic.

2005–2006[]

Despite losing three starters and 63 percent of its scoring from the 2004–05 NCAA runner-up squad, Weber directed the 2005–06 Illini to a third-consecutive 25-win season, a runner-up finish in the Big Ten, the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and a ranking among the nation's top 17 teams throughout the entire season. The Illini spent the majority of 2005–06 ranked in the Top 10 and recorded 26 wins on the year to tie the fourth-winningest season in school history. The Illini were given a number 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they beat Air Force in the opening round, before falling to the University of Washington in the second round.

2006–2012[]

The 2006–07 team finished with a record of 23–12 (9–7) and finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten. With a depleted roster that had six different players combine to miss a total of 58 games due to injury, the Illini still advanced to the NCAA Tournament. They were awarded a 12 seed and lost in the opening round to Virginia Tech.

The 2007–08 season was one of the worst seasons in Illinois history, highlighted be a string of close losses. The lone bright spot came as Illinois came on strong to win four of its last five and five of its final seven games, which culminated with a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Tournament. Weber's Illini became the first No. 10 seed in the tournament's history to advance to the title game, winning three games in three days with victories over Penn State, No. 17 Purdue and Minnesota to reach the championship game vs. No. 8 Wisconsin. However, with an overall record of 16–19 (5–13), the Illini were not selected to participate in postseason play.

Weber's 2008–09 UI squad was one of the most improved teams in the country finishing with a record of 24–10 (11–7). With 10 more regular season victories than it achieved the year before, Illinois posted the third-biggest turnaround in NCAA Division I and the second-biggest turnaround among BCS programs on the year. The Illini recorded 24 wins, ranking as the 10th-winningest season in school history. Illinois was the Big Ten runner-up, earned a No. 5 seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, and finished the year ranked 24th in the Pomeroy rankings. The Illini lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to the 12th seeded Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

The 2009–10 season, the Illini finished 21–15 (10–8), and finished 5th in the Big Ten. The team was widely considered to be "on the bubble" for the NCAA tournament, and missed the tournament field by a narrow margin. The Illini competed in the NIT, falling at home to the Dayton Flyers in the NIT Quarterfinals.

Illinois rebounded in 2010–11 to finish 20–14 (9–9), and tied for fourth in the Big Ten. The Illini were selected to join the NCAA tournament as a #9 seed, where they defeated the #8 seeded UNLV Rebels setting up a matchup with the #1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks and former coach Bill Self. Kansas proved to be to much for the Illini, and the season came to an end in the round of 32.

In 2011–12, Weber's last as coach of the Illini, the team finished 17–15 (6–12), good for 9th in the conference. The team did not compete in the postseason. Weber was fired by Illinois' new AD Mike Thomas after the 2011–12 season.

John Groce era (2012–2017)[]

John Groce was hired by new athletic director Mike Thomas on March 28, 2012.^[5] In the 2012–13 season the Illini were the 2012 Maui Invitational Tournament Champions and later made the 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, losing their second game. The Illini lost 63–59 to the 2013 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Champions Miami Hurricanes. The Illini spent 8 weeks nationally ranked in the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings, and for two weeks were ranked as high as 10th in the country.

In 2014, Groce continued Illinois' success in the month of November, improving to 21–0 under Groce and 32–0 overall during the past four seasons. Illinois is the only program in the nation with an undefeated November record dating back to 2011.^[6] The 2014–2015 season was once again disappointing for the Illini. Illinois finished with a record of 19–14, finishing tied for 7th place in the Big Ten with a record of 9–9. The Illini were then beaten in the first round of the NIT.

The 2015–2016 season ended with the fewest total wins in almost 20 years, since the 98–99 Lon Kruger crew won only 14 games. Groce's squad finished with a record of 15–19, taking 12th place in the Big Ten and receiving no post season tournament invitations.

The 2016–2017 basketball season was another disappointing season for the Fighting Illini, as they finished the season at 18–14 and 8–10 in conference, failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. On March 11, 2017, the university announced via press release that Groce had been relieved of his duties as head men's basketball coach. The next day, the team was put into the NIT as a 2-seed. The team was coached during the NIT by interim coach Jamall Walker, making it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by the University of Central Florida.

Brad Underwood era (2017–present)[]

On March 18, 2017, Brad Underwood was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman.^[7] Underwood previously coached at Stephen F. Austin from 2013 to 2016, before spending one year at Oklahoma State. In Underwood's first season at Illinois, the team won each of their first five contests. After beginning conference play 0–8, they ended the season with a record of 14–18.

2018-19 season[]

While the 2018–19 season featured the debut of key pieces including Ayo Dosunmu, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Andres Feliz, and Alan Griffin, the Illini posted one of the worst records in program history at 12–21 (7–13 in Big Ten). Despite the poor record, the Fighting Illini had many memorable moments such as upsetting #9 Michigan State at home and Freshman Giorgi Bezhanishvili scoring 35 points Vs Rutgers, breaking the Illinois record for most points by a freshman in a game.

2019-20 season[]

This season was the freshman year of highly ranked center Kofi Cockburn. The Illini started off the season slow in the first game, barely beating Nicholls State 78–70 in OT. In the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, Illinois played Miami (FL) where they lost 81–79 after mounting a huge comeback and a charge being called against Dosunmu on the final play of the game. The next game they traveled to Maryland to play against the #3 ranked Terrapins and the Illini led by 14 at half. Maryland then outscored Illinois 34–19 in the second half and won the game by an Anthony Cowan free throw. The Illini next played the 5th ranked Michigan Wolverines at the State Farm Center and beat them 71–62 to improve to a 7–3 record. Over the next 12 games, the Illini went 10–2, including an Ayo Dosunmu game-winning shot at Michigan to give Illinois a 64–62 lead with 0.5 seconds on the clock. The Fighting Illini finished the season 21–10 with a 13–7 conference record and 4th in the Big Ten.

Championships[]

National Championships[]

Year	Coach	Awarding body	Record
1915	Ralph Jones	Helms Athletic Foundation	16–0
1943	Douglas R. Mills	Premo-Porretta Power Poll	17–1
Non-NCAA Tournament Championships			2

Big Ten Regular Season Championships[]

Year	Coach	Overall record	Big Ten record
1915	Ralph Jones	16–0	12–0
1917§	Ralph Jones	13–3	10–2
1924§	J. Craig Ruby	11–6	8–4
1935§	J. Craig Ruby	15–5	9–3
1937§	Douglas R. Mills	14–4	10–2
1942	Douglas R. Mills	18–5	13–2
1943	Douglas R. Mills	17–1	12–0
1949	Harry Combes	21–4	10–2
1951	Harry Combes	22–5	13–1
1952	Harry Combes	22–4	12–2
1963§	Harry Combes	20–6	11–3
1984§	Lou Henson	26–5	15–3
1998§	Lon Kruger	23–10	13–3
2001§	Bill Self	27–8	13–3
2002§	Bill Self	26–9	11–5
2004	Bruce Weber	26–7	13–3
2005	Bruce Weber	37–2	15–1
Big Ten Regular Season Championships			17

§–Conference Co-champions

Big Ten Tournament Championships[]

Year	Coach	Opponent	Score	Site	Record
2003	Bill Self	Ohio State	72–59	Chicago	27–5
2005	Bruce Weber	Wisconsin	54–43	Chicago	37–2
2021	Brad Underwood	Ohio State	91–88 OT	Indianapolis	23–6
Big Ten Tournament Championships				3

Coaching history[]

Coach	Years	Record	Conference record	Conference titles	NCAA appearances
Elwood Brown	1906–1907	6–8	3–6
Frank L. Pinckney	1907–1908	1–10	0–8
Fletcher Lane	1908–1909	20–6	6–5
Herb V. Juul	1909–1910	12–10	10–10
Thomas E. Thompson	1910–1912	14–14	10–13
Ralph R. Jones	1912–1920	85–34	64–31	2
Frank J. Winters	1920–1922	25–12	14–10
J. Craig Ruby	1922–1936	148–95	94–74	2
Douglas R. Mills	1936–1947	151–66	88–47	3	1
Harry Combes	1947–1967	316–150	174–104	4	4
Harv Schmidt	1967–1974	89–77	43–55
Gene Bartow	1974–1975	8–18	4–14
Lou Henson	1975–1996	423–224	214–164	1	12
Lon Kruger	1996–2000	81–48	38–28	1	3
Bill Self	2000–2003	78–24	35–13	2	3
Bruce Weber	2003–2012	210–101	89–65	2	6
John Groce	2012–2017	95–74	37–53		1
Jamall Walker (interim)	2017	2–1
Brad Underwood	2017–	66–55	39–38		1
Totals		1815–1022	915–686	17	30

Statistical leaders[]

All-time leaders[]

• Points: Deon Thomas (2,129)
• Assists: Bruce Douglas (765)
• Rebounds: James Augustine (1,023)
• Steals: Bruce Douglas (324)
• Blocks: Nnanna Egwu (201)

Season leaders[]

• Points: Donnie Freeman (668, 1966)
• Assists: Deron Williams (264, 2005)
• Rebounds: Skip Thoren (349, 1965)
• Steals: Kenny Battle (89, 1989)
• Blocks: Derek Holcomb (86, 1979)

Game leaders[]

• Points: Dave Downey (53, 1963)
• Assists: Demetri McCamey (16, 2010), Tony Wysinger (16, 1986)
• Rebounds: Skip Thoren (24, 1963)
• Steals: Bruce Douglas (8, 1984)
• Blocks: Derek Holcomb (11, 1978)

Career milestones[]

1,500 points

Years	Player	Points
1991–94	Deon Thomas	2,129
1994–97	Kiwane Garris	1,948
2014–17	Malcolm Hill	1,817
2003–06	Dee Brown	1,812
2000–03	Brian Cook	1,748
1999–02	Cory Bradford	1,735
2008–11	Demetri McCamey	1,718
1978–81	Eddie Johnson	1,692
2010–13	Brandon Paul	1,654
1978–81	Mark Smith	1,653
1989–93	Andy Kaufmann	1,533
2018-21	Ayo Dosunmu	1,504

200 three-point field goals

Years	Player	Three-pointers
1999–02	Cory Bradford	327
2003–06	Dee Brown	299
2010–13	D.J. Richardson	278
2018–21	Trent Frazier	243
1993–96	Richard Keene	237
2008–11	Demetri McCamey	236
2004–07	Rich McBride	216
2010–13	Brandon Paul	211
2002–05	Luther Head	209

500 assists

Years	Player	Assists
1983–86	Bruce Douglas	765
2008–11	Demetri McCamey	733
2003–06	Dee Brown	674
2003–05	Deron Williams	594
1994–97	Kiwane Garris	502

750 rebounds

Years	Player	Rebounds
2003–06	James Augustine	1,023
2008–11	Mike Davis	909
1983–86	Efrem Winters	853
1991–94	Deon Thomas	846
1978–81	Eddie Johnson	831
1963–65	Skip Thoren	830
2000–03	Brian Cook	815
1971–73	Nick Weatherspoon	803
1961–63	Dave Downey	790

150 blocks

Years	Player	Blocks
2012–15	Nnanna Egwu	201
1991–94	Deon Thomas	177
2008–11	Mike Tisdale	176
1979–81	Derek Holcomb	174
1979–82	James Griffin	156

Source for all statistical leaders^[8]

Individual honors[]

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame[]

The following 6 Fighting Illini have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame:

Year	Player	Inducted as a
1960	Henry Porter	Contributor
1961	Andy Phillip	Player
1971	Abe Saperstein	Contributor
2004	Jerry Colangelo	Contributor
2017	Mannie Jackson	Contributor
2017	Bill Self	Coach

Source^[9]

National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame[]

The following 4 Fighting Illini have been inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame:

Year	Player	Inducted as a
2006	Andy Phillip	Player
2007	Vic Bubas	Contributor
2009	Gene Bartow	Coach
2015	Lou Henson	Coach

Olympians[]

Year	Player	Event	Country	Medal
1948 London	Dwight Eddleman	High Jump	United States	4th
1992 Barcelona	Jens Kujawa	Basketball	Germany	7th
2008 Beijing	Deron Williams	Basketball	United States
2012 London	Robert Archibald	Basketball	Great Britain	9th
2012 London	Deron Williams	Basketball	United States

International championships[]

Year	Player	Event	Country	Medal	Ref
1959 Chicago	George Bon Salle	Pan American Games	United States		[10]
1970 Yugoslavia	Tal Brody	FIBA World Championship	United States	5th	[11]
1974 Iran	Tal Brody	Basketball at the 1974 Asian Games	Israel
1974 Puerto Rico		FIBA World Championship	United States		[12]
1979 Mexico		Universiade	United States		[13]
1984 Sweden	Jens Kujawa	FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship	West Germany	5th	[14]
1987 Greece	Jens Kujawa	FIBA EuroBasket	West Germany	4th	[15]
1993 Germany	Jens Kujawa	FIBA EuroBasket	Germany		[16]
1997 Sicily		Universiade	United States		[17]
1998 Greece	Kiwane Garris	FIBA World Championship	United States		[18]
1999 Spain	Cory Bradford	Universiade	United States		[19]
2000 Brazil	Brian Cook	FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship	United States		[20]
2001 Japan	Brian Cook	FIBA Under-21 World Championship	United States		[21]
2002 Venezuela	Dee Brown	FIBA Americas U18 Championship	United States		[22]
2002 Venezuela	Deron Williams	FIBA Americas U18 Championship	United States		[22]
2003 Greece	Dee Brown	FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup	United States	5th	[23]
2003 Greece	Deron Williams	FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup	United States	5th	[24]
2007 United States	Deron Williams	FIBA AmeriCup	United States		[25]
2009 Poland	Robert Archibald	FIBA EuroBasket	Great Britain	14th	[26]
2010 United States	Jereme Richmond	FIBA Americas U18 Championship	United States		[27]
2011 Lithuania	Robert Archibald	FIBA EuroBasket	Great Britain	13th	[26]
2011 Latvia	Meyers Leonard	FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup	United States	5th	[28]
2011 Mexico	Kendrick Nunn	FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship	United States		[29]
2012 Lithuania	Kendrick Nunn	FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup	United States		[30]
2013 Puerto Rico	Andres Feliz	Centrobasket U17 Championship	Dominican Republic		[31]
2014 United States	Andres Feliz	FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship	Dominican Republic		[32]
2015 Greece	Andres Feliz	FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup	Dominican Republic	13th	[32]
2015 Toronto	Andres Feliz	Pan American Games	Dominican Republic	4th	[32]
2016 China	Myke Henry	FIBA 3x3 World Cup	United States		[33]
2018 Canada	Ayo Dosunmu	FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship	United States		[34]

Consensus All-American[]

6 Illini were recognized as consensus first team All-Americans.^[35]

Player	Year(s)
Bill Hapac	1940
Andy Phillip	1942 & 1943
Walt Kirk	1945
Rod Fletcher	1952
Dee Brown	2005
Ayo Dosunmu	2021

NCAA Men's Basketball All-American[]

Key to abbreviations:

AP Associated Press, Arg Argosy, Ath Athletic Publications, BN Basketball News, BT Basketball Times, BKW Basketball Weekly, BW Basketball Writers of America, Col Colliers, Con Converse, CSAF Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation, Helms Helms Foundation, INS International News Service, K Kodak, Look Look magazine, MSG Madison Square Garden, NABC National Association of Basketball Coaches, NEA Newspaper Enterprise Association, Omaha Omaha World Newspaper, PM Pic Magazine, SN Sporting News, True True Magazine, UP United Press, W Wooden

1st First Team, 2nd Second Team, 3rd Third Team, HM Honorable Mention

1915 Ray Woods–1st (Helms)

1916 Ray Woods–1st (Helms)

1917 Ray Woods–1st (Helms), Clyde Alwood–1st (Helms)

1918 Earl Anderson–1st (Helms)

1920 Chuck Carney–1st (Helms)

1922 Chuck Carney–1st (Helms)

1937 Harry Combes–2nd (Omaha)

1938 Lou Boudreau–1st (MSG), Louis Dehner–3rd (Con)

1939 Louis Dehner–1st (MSG), 3rd (Con)

1940 Bill Hapac–1st (Helms, Con)

1942 Andy Phillip–1st (Helms), 2nd (PM), 3rd (Con), Jack Smiley–HM (SN), Art Mathisen–HM (SN), Ken Menke–HM (SN, Con), Gene Vance–HM (SN)

1943 Andy Phillip–1st (Con, PM, Helms, SN, AP, UP, NEA, Look,), Jack Smiley–3rd (Con), Art Mathisen–HM (Con), Gene Vance–HM (Con)

1944 Walt Kirk–HM (Con)

1945 Walt Kirk–1st (Helms, Con), 2nd (AM), HM (Con)

1946 Jack Burmaster–HM (SN), Bob Doster–HM (SN)

1947 Andy Phillip–1st (True, NABC), HM (Con), Jack Smiley–3rd (Helms), HM (Con), Gene Vance–HM (Con)

1948 Dwight Eddleman–2nd (AP), 3rd (Con, True), Jack Burmaster–HM (Con)

1949 Bill Erickson–1st (Helms, Col, NABC), 3rd (SN, UP), 4th (Con), Dwight Eddleman–1st (Con), 2nd (AP, UP)

1950 Bill Erickson–HM (Con)

1951 Don Sunderlage–2nd (Helms, SN), 3rd (UP, Con), HM (AP), Ted Beach–HM (Con), Rod Fletcher–HM (Con)

1952 Rod Fletcher–1st (Look, Con, Helms), 2nd (AP, UP, INS, NABC, Col, Ath), John Kerr–HM (AP, UP, Con), Irv Bemoras–HM (UP, Con), Jim Bredar–HM (UP, Con), Bob Peterson–HM (UP)

1953 Irv Bemoras–2nd (Con, Helms, Look), HM (AP), Jim Bredar–2nd (Con, Helms, Look, INS), 3rd (AP), John Kerr–HM (AP, INS, Con)

1954 John Kerr–2nd (Helms), 3rd (Look, AP, UP), 4th (Con)

1955 Bill Ridley–HM (AP, Con), Paul Judson–HM (INS, Con), George Bon Salle–HM (Con)

1956 Paul Judson–2nd (Con), 3rd (NABC, UP, NEA), HM (INS), Bill Ridley–2nd (Con), 3rd (NABC, UP, AP), Bruce Brothers–HM (Con), Harv Schmidt–HM (Con)

1957 Harv Schmidt–2nd (Con), George Bon Salle–2nd (NABC) HM (Con), Don Ohl–HM (AP, Con)

1958 Don Ohl–2nd (Con), 3rd (Helms), Govoner Vaughn–HM (Con)

1959 Roger Taylor–HM (Con)

1960 Mannie Jackson–HM (Con), Govoner Vaughn–HM (Con)

1961 Dave Downey–HM (Con), John Wessels–HM (Con)

1962 Dave Downey–HM (Con), Bill Burwell–HM (Con)

1963 Dave Downey–1st (Helms), 2nd (Con), HM (AP), Bill Small–HM (Con)

1964 Tal Brody–HM (SN, Con), Duane Thoren–HM (Con)

1965 Duane Thoren–1st (Helms), 2nd (AP, Con), 3rd (UPI, BN, NABC), Bogie Redmon–HM (Con), Tal Brody–1st (Helms), 2nd (SN, Con)

1966 Donnie Freeman–1st (Helms), 2nd (Con, BN), HM (UPI), Rich Jones–HM (Con)

1967 Jim Dawson–HM (Con), Dave Scholz–HM (Con)

1968 Dave Scholz–1st (Helms), HM (Con)

1969 Dave Scholz–1st (Helms), 3rd (AP), HM (Con)

1970 Mike Price–HM (Con)

1972 Nick Weatherspoon–HM (Con)

1973 Nick Weatherspoon–1st (CASF, Helms), HM (Con)

1974 Jeff Dawson–HM (Con)

1975 Rick Schmidt–HM (Con)

1977 Audie Matthews–HM (Con), Levi Cobb–HM (Con)

1983 Derek Harper–2nd (AP, Con), 3rd (BN)

1984 Bruce Douglas–3rd (UPI)

1987 Ken Norman–2nd (AP, BW, SN, K), 3rd (BT, NABC), HM (UPI)

1988 Nick Anderson–HM (SN), Kenny Battle–HM (SN)

1989 Nick Anderson–HM (AP, UPI, SN), Kenny Battle–HM (AP, UPI, SN), Kendall Gill–HM (SN)

1990 Kendall Gill–1st (UPI), 2nd (BKW), 3rd (AP, SN, NABC)

1994 Deon Thomas–HM (AP)

2001 Frank Williams–1st (W), 3rd (AP, NABC), Cory Bradford–HM (AP)

2002 Frank Williams–2nd (NABC) HM (AP)

2003 Brian Cook–2nd (SN), 3rd (AP, NABC, BT)

2004 Dee Brown–HM (AP)

2005 Dee Brown–1st (W, BW, SN) 2nd (AP, NABC, BT), Luther Head–2nd (AP, NABC, BW), Deron Williams–1st (W), 2nd (NABC, SN), 3rd (AP)

2006 Dee Brown–2nd (AP, BW, NABC)

2021 Ayo Dosunmu–1st

2021 Kofi Cockburn–2nd

• National Player of the Year

Ray Woods–1917

Chuck Carney–1922

Andy Phillip–1943

Dee Brown–2005

Ayo Dosunmu–2021

• NCAA All-Decade Team

Dwight "Dike" Eddleman–1940s

• Bob Cousy Award

Dee Brown–2006

Ayo Dosunmu–2021

• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award

Dee Brown–2006

• NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team

Jim Bredar–1952

Johnny "Red" Kerr–1952

Luther Head & Deron Williams–2005

• NCAA Tournament Regional Most Outstanding Player

Nick Anderson–1989

Deron Williams–2005

• Big Ten Player of the Year

Andy Phillip–1943

Dwight "Dike" Eddleman–1949

Don Sunderlage–1951

Johnny "Red" Kerr–1954

Jim Dawson–1967

Bruce Douglas–1984

Frank Williams–2001

Brian Cook–2003

Dee Brown–2005

• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year

Bruce Douglas–1985 & 1986

Stephen Bardo–1989

Dee Brown–2005

• Big Ten Freshman of the Year

Cory Bradford–1999

Brian Cook–2000

D.J. Richardson–2010

Kofi Cockburn–2020

• National Freshman of the Year

Kofi Cockburn–2020

• Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year

Andre Curbelo–2021

• Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player

Brian Cook–2003

James Augustine–2005

Ayo Dosunmu–2021

• National Coach of the Year

Bruce Weber–2005

• Big Ten Coach of the Year

Lou Henson–1993

Bruce Weber–2005

Jordan Brand Classic[]

The following 4 Jordan Brand Classic participants have played for Illinois:^[36]

Year	Player	High School	Hometown
2002	Dee Brown	Proviso East	Maywood, Illinois
2015	Jalen Coleman-Lands	La Lumiere School	Indianapolis, Indiana
2018	Ayo Dosunmu	Morgan Park High School	Chicago, Illinois
2020	Adam Miller	Morgan Park High School	Peoria, Illinois

Nike Hoop Summit[]

The following 4 Fighting Illini have played in the Nike Hoop Summit:

Year	Player	High School	Hometown
2010	Meyers Leonard	Robinson High School	Robinson, Illinois
2016	Andres Feliz	West Oaks Academy	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
2018	Kofi Cockburn	Christ the King Regional High School	Kingston, Jamaica
2019	Kofi Cockburn	Oak Hill Academy	Kingston, Jamaica
2019	Andre Curbelo	Long Island Lutheran	Vega Baja, Puerto Rico

McDonald's All-Americans[]

The following 13 McDonald's All-Americans have played for Illinois:^[37]

Year	Player	High School	Hometown
1980	Derek Harper	North Shore (FL)	Royston, Georgia
1982	Bruce Douglas	Quincy Senior High School	Quincy, Illinois
1982	Efrem Winters	King College Prep	Chicago
1985	Lowell Hamilton	Providence St. Mel School	Chicago
1986	Nick Anderson	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1987	Marcus Liberty	King College Prep	Chicago
1989	Deon Thomas	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1992	Richard Keene	Collinsville High School	Collinsville, Illinois
1997	Marcus Griffin	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1998	Frank Williams	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1999	Brian Cook	Lincoln Community High School	Lincoln, Illinois
2002	Dee Brown	Proviso East	Maywood, Illinois
2010	Jereme Richmond	Waukegan High School	Waukegan, Illinois

Mr. Basketball[]

The following 14 Mr. Basketball award winners have played for Illinois:

Year	Player	High school	Hometown
1982	Bruce Douglas	Quincy Senior High School	Quincy, Illinois
1986	Nick Anderson	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1987	Marcus Liberty	King College Prep	Chicago
1989	Deon Thomas	Simeon Career Academy	Chicago
1994	Jarrod Gee	St. Martin de Porres	Chicago
1997	Sergio McClain	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1998	Frank Williams	Manual High School	Peoria, Illinois
1999	Brian Cook	Lincoln Community High School	Lincoln, Illinois
2002	Dee Brown	Proviso East	Maywood, Illinois
2009	Brandon Paul	Warren Township High School	Gurnee, Illinois
2010	Jereme Richmond	Waukegan High School	Waukegan, Illinois
2014	Leron Black	White Station High School	Memphis, Tennessee
2017	Mark Smith	Edwardsville High School	Edwardsville, Illinois
2020	Adam Miller	Morgan Park High School	Chicago

Fighting Illini of note[]

Fighting Illini in the NBA^[38]

NBA Draft Selections
Total selected:	73
Lottery Picks in Draft:	3
1st round:	15
Notable achievements
Olympic Gold Medal Winners:	1 player twice
NBA Champions:	4
Naismith Basketball-Hall-of-Famers:	5

First round NBA draft picks[]

Draft Year	Pick	Player	Selected by	Professional career
1951	9	Don Sunderlage	Philadelphia Warriors	1953–1955
1954	9	Johnny Kerr	Syracuse Nationals	1954–1966
1957	7	George Bon Salle	Syracuse Nationals	1957–1962
1970	17	Mike Price	New York Knicks	1970–1973
1973	13	Nick Weatherspoon	Capital Bullets	1973–1980
1983	11	Derek Harper	Dallas Mavericks	1983–1999
1987	19	Ken Norman	Los Angeles Clippers	1987–1997
1989	11	Nick Anderson	Orlando Magic	1989–2002
1989	27	Kenny Battle	Detroit Pistons	1989–2000
1990	5	Kendall Gill	Charlotte Hornets	1990–2005
2002	25	Frank Williams	Denver Nuggets	2002–2010
2002	24	Brian Cook	Los Angeles Lakers	2003–2015
2005	3	Deron Williams	Utah Jazz	2005–2017
2005	24	Luther Head	Houston Rockets	2005–2018
2012	11	Meyers Leonard	Portland Trail Blazers	2012–present

Fighting Illini playing internationally[]

Position	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Hometown	Years with Illinois	Professional Team	Country
PG	Tracy Abrams	6'2"	185	Chicago, Illinois	2011-2017	KK Sloboda Užice	Serbia[39]
F	Rodney Alexander	6'7"	228	Benton Harbor, Michigan	2008	Club Biguá de Villa Biarritz	Uruguay[40]
G	Mark Alstork	6'5"	190	Dayton, Ohio	2018	BBC Résidence	Luxembourg[41]
PF	Leron Black	6'7"	220	Memphis, Tennessee	2014–2018	Abejas de León	Mexico[42]
C	Brian Carlwell	6'11"	265	Maywood, Illinois	2006–2008	Mandurah Magic	Australia[43]
SG	Aaron Cosby	6'3"	190	Louisville, Kentucky	2015	Puente Alto	Chile[44]
PF/C	Nnanna Egwu	6'11"	250	Chicago, Illinois	2011–2015	Earth Friends Tokyo Z	Japan[45]
G/F	Myke Henry	6'6"	230	Chicago, Illinois	2011–2013	Pallacanestro Trieste	Italy[46]
SG	Malcolm Hill	6'6"	220	Belleville, Illinois	2013-2017	Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.	Israel
PF	Dominique Keller	6'7"	230	Port Arthur, Texas	2008–2010	Frayles de Guasave	Mexico[47]
PG	Trent Meacham	6'2"	195	Champaign, Illinois	2007–2009	Boulazac Basket Dordogne	France[48]
C	Maverick Morgan	6'10"	250	Springboro, Ohio	2013–2017	GTK Gliwice	Poland[49]
G	Rayvonte Rice	6'5"	234	Champaign, Illinois	2013–2015	Soles de Mexicali	Mexico[50]
SG	Jereme Richmond	6'8"	205	Evanston, Illinois	2010–2011	Obras Sanitarias	Argentina[51]
SG	D. J. Richardson	6'3"	195	Peoria, Illinois	2008–2013	Aix Maurienne Savoie Basket	France[52]
SG	Jamar Smith	6'3"	185	Peoria, Illinois	2006–2007	BC UNICS	Russia[53]
PG	Ahmad Starks	5'9"	175	Chicago, Illinois	2015	KK Pelister	Macedonia[54]
PG	Jaylon Tate	6'3"	180	Chicago, Illinois	2013-2017	Pyrintö	Finland[55]
SF	Matic Vessel	6'9"	215	Ljubljana, Slovenia	2018	KK Škofja Loka	Slovenia[56]

Fighting Illini in the NBA[]

Position	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Hometown	Draft year	Pick	Current NBA team
C	Meyers Leonard	7'1"	245	Robinson, Illinois	2012	11th	Miami Heat
SG	Kendrick Nunn	6'2"	190	Chicago, Illinois	2018	Undrafted	Miami Heat
PG	Ayo Dosunmu	6'5"	200	Chicago, Illinois	2021	38th	Chicago Bulls

Fighting Illini currently coaching[]

Name	Years with Illinois	Current Team	Position	League
Dee Brown	2002–2006	UIC	Assistant Coach	Horizon League
Chester Frazier	2005-2009	Illinois	Associate Head Coach	Big Ten Conference
Jerrance Howard	2000–2004	Kansas	Assistant Coach	Big 12 Conference
Roger Powell	2001–2005	Gonzaga	Assistant Coach	West Coast Conference
Brian Randle	2003–2008	Phoenix Suns	Assistant Coach	NBA

Fighting Illini basketball media members[]

Name	Years with Illinois	Media Outlet	Role	Current Team
Nick Anderson	1987–1989	Fox Sports Florida	Commentator	Orlando Magic
Stephen Bardo	1986–1990	Big Ten Network	College Basketball Analyst	Big Ten Conference
Kendall Gill	1986–1990	NBC Sports Chicago	Commentator	Chicago Bulls
Derek Harper	1980–1983	Fox Sports Southwest	Color Commentator	Dallas Mavericks
Eddie Johnson	1977–1981	Fox Sports Arizona	Play-by-play Commentator	Phoenix Suns
Deon Thomas	1991-1994	Fighting Illini Sports Network	Color Commentator	Fighting Illini Men's basketball

Illinois honored players[]

All-Century Team[]

In 2004, during the celebration of the program's 100th year of basketball as a varsity sport, the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced its All-Century Team. The 20-man team was selected after online voting by fans and the Illinois Basketball Centennial Committee. The honorees were feted during the Illinois Basketball Centennial Reunion Weekend, Jan. 28–30, 2005.^[57]

• Ray Woods (1915–17)
• Chuck Carney (1920–22)
• Andy Phillip (1942–43, 1947)
• Gene Vance (1942–43, 1947)
• Dwight "Dike" Eddleman (1947–49)
• Johnny "Red" Kerr (1952–54)

• Dave Downey (1961–63)
• Duane "Skip" Thoren (1963–65)
• Donnie Freeman (1964–66)
• Nick Weatherspoon (1971–73)
• Eddie Johnson (1978–81)
• Derek Harper (1981–83)
• Bruce Douglas (1983–86)
• Ken Norman (1985–87)
• Kenny Battle (1988–89)
• Nick Anderson (1988–89)
• Kendall Gill (1987–90)
• Deon Thomas (1991–94)
• Frank Williams (2000–02)
• Brian Cook (1999–03)

Honored jerseys[]

The University of Illinois has honored its most decorated basketball players in school history by hanging a banner with their name and number from the rafters of State Farm Center. A total of 33 men's players have their jersey honored. To have his jersey honored, a player must have met one of the following criteria:

• National Player of the Year
• Enshrined in the National Basketball Hall of Fame
• Member of an American Olympic team
• Big Ten Player of the Year
• First- or second-team Consensus All-America
• Illinois All-Century Team Member
• Individual whose pioneering efforts made a significant impact on Illinois and international basketball

No.	Player	Pos.	Career	National POY	National HOF	US Olympian	Big Ten POY	Consensus All-American	Illinois All-Century	Basketball Pioneer
1	Ray Woods	G	1915–17	Y					Y
2	Chuck Carney	F	1920–22	Y					Y
19	Bill Hapac	F	1938–40					Y
47	Andy Phillip	F	1942–43, 1947	Y	Y		Y		Y
25	Gene Vance	G	1942–43, 1947						Y
14	Walt Kirk	G	1942–43, 1947					Y
40	Dwight "Dike" Eddleman	F	1947–49			Y	Y		Y
33	Bill Erickson	G	1947–50					Y
11	Don Sunderlage	G	1949–51				Y
37	Rod Fletcher	G	1950–52				Y
22	Johnny "Red" Kerr	C	1952–54				Y		Y
35	Govoner Vaughn	F	1958–60							Y
30	Mannie Jackson	G	1958–60		Y					Y
23	Jerry Colangelo	G	1960–62		Y
40	Dave Downey	F	1961–63						Y
35	Duane "Skip" Thoren	C	1963–65						Y
12	Tal Brody	G	1963–65							Y
15	Donnie Freeman	F	1963–66					Y
24	Jim Dawson	G	1965–67				Y
12	Nick Weatherspoon	F	1971–73						Y
33	Eddie Johnson	F	1978–81						Y
12	Derek Harper	G	1981–83						Y
25	Bruce Douglas	G	1983–86						Y
33	Ken Norman	F	1985–87					Y	Y
33	Kenny Battle	F	1988–89						Y
25	Nick Anderson	F	1988–89						Y
13	Kendall Gill	G	1987–90					Y	Y
25	Deon Thomas	F/C	1991–94						Y
20	Frank Williams	G	2000–02				Y		Y
34	Brian Cook	F	2000–03				Y		Y
4	Luther Head	G	2002–05					Y
5	Deron Williams	G	2003–05			Y		Y
11	Dee Brown	G	2003–06	Y			Y	Y

Dike Eddleman Award[]

The University of Illinois Athlete of the Year was first awarded in 1940. The award was annually given to a male student-athlete until it was discontinued in 1973. Revived in 1983, the University of Illinois now recognizes both male and female athletes who have distinguished themselves in athletic achievement. In 1993, the awards were named in honor of former Olympian Dwight "Dike" Eddleman, who participated in basketball, football and track and field in 1943 and 1946–49, earning a combined 11 varsity letters during that timeframe.^[58] The following list includes Illini basketball players who earned the award.

Player	Years played	Year awarded
Bill Hapac	1937–1940	1940
John Drish	1937–1941	1941
Andy Phillip	1942–43, 1947	1942, 1943
Walton Kirk	1943–1947	1945
Dike Eddleman	1945–1949	1948, 1949
Don Sunderlage	1948–1951	1951
Clive Follmer	1950–1953	1953
Paul Judson	1953–1956	1955
	1959–1962	1962
Jim Dawson	1963–1967	1967
Dave Scholz	1966–1969	1968, 1969
Mike Price	1967–1970	1970
Kendall Gill	1986–1990	1990
Deron Williams	2002–2005	2005

Big Ten Medal of Honor[]

Since 1915, the Big Ten Medal of Honor has been awarded annually at each conference school to a male and female senior student-athlete who demonstrates proficiency in scholarship and athletics. The award has become the top annual award the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics bestows.^[59] The following list includes Illini basketball players who earned the award.^[60]

Player	Years played	Year awarded
Edward A. Williford	1913–1915	1915
Clyde Alwood	1914–1917	1917
	1915-1920	1920
Otto Vogel	1920-1922	1923
Walter Roettger	1921–1925	1924
John Mauer	1922–1926	1926
Harry Combes	1935–1937	1937
	1939–1942	1942
	1943–1945	1942
Dike Eddleman	1945–1949	1949
Clive Follmer	1950–1953	1953
Dave Downey	1960–1963	1963
	1962–1965	1965
	2003–2005	2005
Dee Brown	2003-2006	2006
Warren Carter	2003–2007	2007
Trent Meacham	2005-2009	2009
Brandon Paul	2009–2013	2013

Postseason[]

NCAA tournament results[]

The Fighting Illini have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 31 times. Their combined record is 41–32.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Results
1942		Elite Eight Regional 3rd Place Game	Kentucky Penn State	L 44–46 L 34–41
1949		Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Yale Kentucky Oregon State	W 71–67 L 47–76 W 57–53
1951		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Columbia NC State Kentucky Oklahoma A&M	W 79–71 W 84–70 L 74–76 W 61–46
1952		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Dayton Duquesne St. John's Santa Clara	W 80–61 W 74–68 L 59–61 W 67–64
1963		Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	Bowling Green Loyola–Chicago	W 70–67 L 64–79
1981	#4	Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#5 Wyoming #8 Kansas State	W 67–65 L 52–57
1983	#7	First Round	#10 Utah	L 49–52
1984	#2	Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#7 Villanova #3 Maryland #1 Kentucky	W 64–56 W 72–70 L 51–54
1985	#3	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#14 Northeastern #6 Georgia #2 Georgia Tech	W 76–57 W 74–58 L 53–61
1986	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 Fairfield #5 Alabama	W 75–51 L 56–58
1987	#3	First Round	#14 Austin Peay	L 67–68
1988	#3	First Round Second Round	#14 UTSA #6 Villanova	W 81–72 L 63–66
1989	#1	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four	#16 McNeese State #9 Ball State #4 Louisville #2 Syracuse #3 Michigan	W 77–71 W 72–60 W 83–69 W 89–86 L 81–83
1990	#5	First Round	#12 Dayton	L 86–88
1993	#6	First Round Second Round	#11 Long Beach State #3 Vanderbilt	W 75–72 L 68–85
1994	#8	First Round	#9 Georgetown	L 77–84
1995	#11	First Round	#6 Tulsa	L 62–68
1997	#6	First Round Second Round	#11 USC #14 Chattanooga	W 90–77 L 63–75
1998	#5	First Round Second Round	#12 South Alabama #4 Maryland	W 64–51 L 61–67
2000	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 Penn #5 Florida	W 68–58 L 76–93
2001	#1	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	#16 Northwestern State #9 Charlotte #4 Kansas #2 Arizona	W 96–54 W 79–61 W 80–64 L 81–87
2002	#4	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#13 San Diego State #12 Creighton #1 Kansas	W 93–64 W 72–60 L 69–73
2003	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 WKU #5 Notre Dame	W 65–60 L 60–68
2004	#5	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	#12 Murray State #4 Cincinnati #1 Duke	W 72–53 W 92–68 L 62–72
2005	#1	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	#16 Fairleigh Dickinson #9 Nevada #12 Milwaukee #3 Arizona #4 Louisville #1 North Carolina	W 67–55 W 71–59 W 77–63 W 90–89 OT W 72–57 L 70–75
2006	#4	First Round Second Round	#13 Air Force #5 Washington	W 78–69 L 64–67
2007	#12	First Round	#5 Virginia Tech	L 52–54
2009	#5	First Round	#12 WKU	L 72–76
2011	#9	Second Round Third Round	#8 UNLV #1 Kansas	W 73–62 L 59–73
2013	#7	Second Round Third Round	#10 Colorado #2 Miami (FL)	W 57–49 L 59–63
2021	#1	First Round Second Round	#16 Drexel #8 Loyola–Chicago	W 78–49 L 58–71

NCAA Tournament seeding history[]

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years →	'81	'83	'84	'85	'86	'87	'88	'89	'90	'93	'94	'95	'97	'98	'00	'01	'02	'03	'04	'05	'06	'07	'09	'11	'13	'21
Seeds →	4	7	2	3	4	3	3	1	5	6	8	11	6	5	4	1	4	4	5	1	4	12	5	9	7	1

NIT results[]

The Fighting Illini have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) seven times. Their combined record is 10–7.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1980	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Loyola–Chicago Illinois State Murray State Minnesota UNLV	W 105–87 W 75–65 W 65–63 L 63–65 W 84–74
1982	First Round Second Round	LIU Brooklyn Dayton	W 126–78 L 58–61
1996	First Round	Alabama	L 69–72
2010	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Stony Brook Kent State Dayton	W 76–66 W 75–58 L 71–77
2014	First Round Second Round	Boston University Clemson	W 66–62 L 49–50
2015	First Round	Alabama	L 58–79
2017	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Valparaiso Boise State UCF	W 82–57 W 71–56 L 58–68

Head-to-head Big Ten records[]

Team	Total meetings	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Home record	Road record	Neutral record
Indiana	183	90	93	.492	54–34	30–57	6–2
Iowa	164	88	76	.537	64–17	22–56	2–3
Maryland	17	6	11	.353	1–4	1–5	4–2
Michigan	175	90	85	.514	57–28	31–52	2–5
Michigan State	123	60	63	.488	39–21	20–39	1–3
Minnesota	194	126	68	.649	74–19	46–48	6–1
Nebraska	26	18	8	.692	13–2	5–5	0–1
Northwestern	182	140	42	.769	71–14	64–28	5–0
Ohio State	187	108	80	.574	62–27	43–49	3–3
Penn State	49	30	19	.612	14–8	13–10	3–1
Purdue	192	90	102	.469	59–36	29–63	2–3
Rutgers	12	9	3	.750	5–0	2–3	2–0
Wisconsin	202	113	89	.559	69–28	41–58	3–3

Facilities[]

Kenney Gym (1905–1925)[]

Kenney Gym Annex is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena which is the practice facility for the Fighting Illini gymnastics team. Prior to the opening of Huff Hall in 1925, Kenney Gym housed the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team. It also was home to the Women's Volleyball program from 1974 until 1989, after which the program moved to Huff Hall in 1990.

Huff Hall (1925–1963)[]

Huff Hall is a 4,050-seat multi-purpose arena in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The arena opened in 1925 and was known as Huff Gymnasium until the 1990s. It is named after George Huff, who was the school's athletic director from 1895 to 1935. Huff Hall is home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini volleyball and wrestling teams. Prior to the opening of Assembly Hall in 1963, it was home to the basketball team as well.

State Farm Center (1963–present)[]

The State Farm Center was originally opened as The Assembly Hall on March 2, 1963, and is known for its unique design. This is where the men and women's basketball teams hold their home games. The architect of the Building was Max Abramovitz and he is an alumnus from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. The stadium has been described as one of the toughest places to play because of the student section dubbed the "Orange Krush" that is located around one of the baskets. It has become customary for the fans of the stadium to wear orange to the games aligning themselves with the fans that started the trend. The stadium is the third largest dome in the state of Illinois following only the United Center and All-State Arena. The Illinois High School Association has also taken advantage of its size hosting numerous events including the men and women's state championships, along with the wrestling state championships. The stadium has also recently been named a landmark and joins Wrigley Field as the only two athletic sites on the list. With its latest update, finished fall of 2016, the Orange Krush sits on three sides of the court, including around each basket.

Ubben Basketball Complex (1998–present)[]

The 2-story, 40,000 square foot building is home to the University of Illinois Men's and Women's basketball programs. The facility includes offices, locker areas, weight training facilities and team meeting rooms in addition to the practice basketball courts.

Men's basketball records at Kenney Gym and Huff Hall[]

Season	Wins	Losses	Win pct.	Total attendance		Season	Wins	Losses	Win pct.	Total attendance
1905–06	6	0	1.000	N/R		1925–26	6	3	0.667	N/R
1906–07	0	4	0.000	N/R		1926–27	8	3	0.727	61,590
1907–08	3	2	0.600	N/R		1927–28	3	5	0.375	48,202
1908–09	5	1	0.833	N/R		1928–29	8	3	0.727	30,139*
1909–10	3	2	0.600	N/R		1929–30	5	4	0.556	49,418*
1910–11	3	2	0.600	N/R		1930–31	7	3	0.700	52,440
1911–12	4	3	0.571	N/R		1931–32	8	2	0.800	57,000
1912–13	6	2	0.750	N/R		1932–33	8	3	0.727	34,500*
1913–14	5	2	0.714	N/R		1933–34	9	1	0.900	55,500
1914–15	9	0	1.000	N/R		1934–35	8	2	0.800	62,000
1915–16	6	1	0.857	16,644*		1935–36	7	3	0.700	78,028
1916–17	9	1	0.900	6,417*		1936–37	7	2	0.778	63,238
1917–18	7	1	0.875	5,066*		1937–38	7	2	0.778	63,600
1918–19	3	5	0.375	10,739		1938–39	9	1	0.900	57,933
1919–20	6	1	0.857	24,250*		1939–40	10	1	0.909	55,513
1920–21	6	4	0.600	34,875		1940–41	8	2	0.800	52,751
1921–22	10	2	0.833	40,112		1941–42	12	1	0.923	65,357
1922–23	6	3	0.667	8,424*		1942–43	10	0	1.000	62,648
1923–24	8	3	0.727	41,848		1943–44	6	4	0.600	29,812
1924–25	9	0	1.000	36,222		1944–45	7	3	0.700	44,951
Kenney Gym Totals	94	39	.707	224,597*		1945–46	11	2	0.846	66,553
Kenney Gym Facts						1946–47	10	1	0.909	77,808*
Fighting Illini played 20 years in Kenney Gym						1947–48	11	1	0.917	78,388
Attendance averaged 2,739 fans per game						1948–49	14	0	1.000	49,036*
Single game attendance record: January 24, 1925 vs. Iowa–4,725						1949–50	11	2	0.846	83,736
Hosted 3 Big Ten Champions (1915, 1917, 1924)						1950–51	12	1	0.923	75,116
Hosted 1 National Champion (1915)						1951–52	12	0	1.000	57,788*
Produced 6 All-Americans						1952–53	12	1	0.923	79,957*
Developed 2 National Players of the Year						1953–54	10	3	0.769	77,378
						1954–55	9	2	0.818	64,721
Huff Hall Facts						1955–56	12	0	1.000	63,912
Fighting Illini played 38 years in Huff Hall						1956–57	9	2	0.818	68,448
Attendance averaged 7,025 fans per game						1957–58	10	3	0.769	76,032
Single game attendance record: February 22, 1937 vs. Wisconsin–9,000						1958–59	9	3	0.750	68,292
Hosted 8 Big Ten Champions (1935, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963)						1959–60	10	2	0.833	74,719
Hosted 1 National Champion (1943) & 3 Final Four teams (1949, 1951, 1952)						1960–61	7	3	0.700	60,457
Produced 33 All-Americans						1961–62	8	4	0.667	75,376
Developed 1 National Player of the Year						1962–63**	9	0	1.000	61,025
Combined Totals	433	116	.789	2,507,959*		Huff Hall Totals	339	77	.815	2,283,362*

Notes:

• *Denotes incomplete or partial records.
• **Played 9 games at Huff Hall but played final 2 games at Assembly Hall.
• (N/R) denotes no records^[61]

See also[]

• NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coaches
• ACC–Big Ten Challenge

References[]

External links[]

• Official website