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2011 12 Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team photo by MrMcPhoto – Wikimedia commons

50 Best Illinois Basketball Players of All Time

It is universally recognizable that Illinois produces top-notch athletes, including some of the best basketball players in the nation. The fan base, historical events, and players from Illinois are legendary. Some of the greatest basketball players in history still call it home. The professional careers of these basketball players have been nothing short of spectacular.

Since the beginning of the game, players from Illinois have had a significant influence, and they have flourished even after leaving Illinois. Their contributions to the sport of basketball are unmatched, as are their successes, abilities, and on-court manoeuvres. These qualities have allowed them to dominate their rivals and earn many honours along the way to success.

Still, at the pinnacle of their game, Illinois doesn’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon in producing exceptional athletes and it’s a matter of time before another star athlete comes out of Illinois. Here are the 50 best Illinois basketball players of all time.

1. Nick Weatherspoon

For 37 years, until the 2005–06 season, Weatherspoon’s 1,431 points at Canton McKinley High School stood as the Bulldog scoring record. Before being selected by the Washington Bullets as the 13th overall choice in the 1973 NBA Draft, he was an All-American at the University of Illinois.

Weatherspoon, who was a member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1974, played in the NBA for a total of seven seasons with the San Diego Clippers, the Chicago Bulls, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Washington Bullets. Weatherspoon was chosen in 2004 for the “Illini Men’s Basketball All-Century Team.”

2. Dee Brown

Dee Brown at the Washington Wizards v/s Orlando Magic game photo by Keith Allison –

Between 2002 and 2006, Brown was a student-athlete at the University of Illinois. Co-captain of the 2005 team that finished with a record of 37 victories and competed for the national championship, Brown was unstoppable, scoring 1,812 points, dishing out 674 assists, and maintaining 231 steals. With 114 victories, Brown is tied with James Augustine for the most victories in Illinois history.

He also holds the record for the most minutes played (4,698) and the most games started (136) of any player in school history. James Augustine and Brown both played in 137 games during their careers. He ranks fifth in Big Ten history in his career assists. He ranks sixth in Big Ten history with his career 3-pointers and career steals. He owns the Illinois team records for career points (179) and career field goals (64) in the NCAA Tournament.

Check out: 10 Famous Basketball Players who played for Duke.

3. Bruce Douglas

Bruce Douglas started at the University of Illinois for four years. He led the team to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances as a point guard. The Illini won the Big Ten championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1983-84. The team fell just short of reaching its first final four since 1952, falling to the University of Kentucky in a contentious game.

Douglas had a stellar career with Illinois, where he was a statistical leader in numerous categories. He still maintains the Illini career steals (324) and assists (765) records. Douglas was selected for the Illinois All-Century Team in October 2004. He was selected by Illinois supporters as one of the top 20 basketball players for the Fighting Illini in the team’s 100-year history.

4. Nick Anderson

Nick Anderson photo by Back9Network –

Simeon Vocational Academy is where Anderson played high school basketball before moving on to play for the Fighting Illini team that won the NCAA Final Four in 1989 for three years while attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kendall Gill, Stephen Bardo, Kenny Battle, Lowell Hamilton, and Marcus Liberty were all teammates of Anderson’s who went on to play in the NBA, with only Hamilton missing out on playing in the NBA.

5. Cory Bradford

From 1998 to 2002, the 6’3″ guard played basketball for the University of Illinois. He was a member of Bill Self’s back-to-back Big Ten championship teams in 2000-01 and 2001-02. The 2000-01 team advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, with each team earning a spot in the competition.

Bradford played for the Fighting Illini and amassed a career total of 1,735 points, 275 assists, and 108 steals while shooting.389 from the field. Bradford’s most notable claim to fame was his 88-game streak, which set an NCAA record for the most consecutive games with a three-point field goal, before it was surpassed on February 13, 2001.

6. James Augustine

James Augustine photo by Hodyachih –

From 2002 through 2006, Augustine was a member of the University of Illinois men’s basketball team. Augustine started as a freshman for a team that placed second in the Big Ten. His time with the Illini includes playing both power forward and centre, setting numerous team records, making it to the national championship game, and winning numerous honours.

With 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, Augustine was the first player in school history and just the 12th player in Big Ten history. Augustine scored 1,383 points and grabbed 1,023 rebounds throughout his college career. His career field goal percentage of 61.7 per cent (534-865) is a school record and ranks fifth all-time in the Big Ten.

Having participated in 137 games, Augustine is tied with Dee Brown. During his college career, he started 134 of them, which is the second-highest number of games started in school history.

7. Deon Thomas

Thomas participated in collegiate basketball at Illinois. With 2,129 points scored throughout his career and an average of 18.0 points per game, Thomas completed his playing days as the Fighting Illini’s all-time top scorer. In Illinois men’s basketball history, Thomas is the only player with at least 2,000 career points. With 177 blocks, Thomas blocked more shots than any Illini player ever. In 2004, he was chosen for the “Illini Men’s Basketball All-Century Team.”

8. Kendall Gill

Gill attended the University of Illinois after being named to the six-player All-Tournament team while attending Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields. He played for the Fighting Illini for four seasons, starting three of them. The Fighting Illini were led by junior Gill to 1989 Final Four, where they fell to Michigan on a last-second shot.

Gill was nominated to the first-team All-American (UPI) and led the Big Ten in scoring as a senior. He graduated from Illinois as the school’s seventh-highest scorer ever. Every year he played, Gill’s Illini received NCAA bids. During his senior year, he also captured the NCAA Slam Dunk title at the Final Four. In 2004, Gill was chosen for the “Illini Men’s Basketball All-Century Team.”

9. Brian Cook

Brian Cook Clippers photo by Keith Allison –

Cook played 132 games for the University of Illinois over four years, each season leading the Illini in rebounds. Cook made use of his height to score in the post in a variety of ways and to make three-pointers when the opportunity arose.

Cook assisted in guiding the Illini to a top seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. The Illini then rolled to the Final 8, when the Arizona Wildcats upset them in a contentious and hard-fought contest. His leadership helped the Illini win the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, and in 2002–03, he was awarded the game’s best player. Cook graduated from Illinois as the third-highest scorer in school history with 1,748 total points, averaging 13.2 points per game.

10. Deron Williams

Deron Williams #8 of the Brooklyn Nets photo by Keith Allison –

From 2002 through 2005, he represented the Illinois Fighting Illini in collegiate basketball. Bill Self sought out Williams to join the University of Illinois basketball team for the NCAA 2002–2003 season. He began 30 of the 32 games he played as a freshman, finishing third in the Big Ten Conference in assists with 4.53 per contest.

Williams led the Fighting Illini to the NCAA championship game in 2005 as a junior starting point guard, but they fell to the University of North Carolina. The Illini were unbeaten during the season up until their one-point loss to Ohio State in the last regular-season game. Williams was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Chicago Regional in the NCAA Tournament and was a nominee for the Wooden Award. Williams received First-Team All-Big Ten honours in 2004 and 2005 when he was a junior.

11. Kiwane Garris

From 1993 through 1997, Garris played point guard for the University of Illinois’ collegiate basketball team. Garris was the Fighting Illini’s second-highest scorer as a freshman in 1993–94, trailing only Deon Thomas. Garris led the club in scoring and free-throw percentage for the following three seasons.

In the 1994–1995 and 1996–1997 seasons, Garris also held the team record for assists. Behind his former teammate Deon Thomas, Garris concluded his career at Illinois as the school’s second-leading scorer all-time. Garris concluded his career with 1948 points and a 16.8-point per-game scoring average.

12. Efrem Winters

After graduating from high school, Winters was accepted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he played varsity basketball from 1982 to 1986. Throughout his four years at Illinois, he participated in 129 of 130 games, missing just one game during his first year. After taking over for Bryan Leonard in the third game of the 1982–83 season, Winters started at power forward for the following four years.

With 853 rebounds at Illinois (since surpassed and now in third place), Winters concluded his collegiate career as the school’s all-time rebounding leader and third-best scorer.

13. Dave Scholz

From 1966 to 1969, he was a student at the University of Illinois. In December 1966, he was named the Illinois men’s basketball team’s starting point guard. In his debut game, he scored 22 points. Moreover, he was chosen for the first team of the Big-10 twice and the third team of the AP All-Americans. He emerged as the all-time top scorer in Illinois basketball history in March 1969. In three seasons at Illinois, Scholz averaged 20.5 points(second) and 9.7 boards per game, fifth-best in school history.

14. Demetri McCamey

Demetri McCamey signals a play photo by Joshua Beckman –

From 2007 until 2011, he was a student at Illinois. He was named to the third team of the 2008–09 Big Ten Conference by both the coaches and the media as a sophomore after leading the team in scoring average during that season. He had the most assists per game in the Big Ten during his junior season. He currently holds the Illinois assist per game (7.06) and single-game assists (16) records.

He was chosen as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection by the coaches and the media following the 2009–10 regular season. During the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season, he became the first Fighting Illini to average more than seven assists per game throughout an entire season. He was chosen for the 2010–2011 Big Ten season’s third team AlAll–Bigen as a senior. However, as a senior, he had fewer assists but higher shooting percentages.

15. Johnny Kerr

In the fall of 1950, Kerr committed to Illinois, and for the 1950–51 season, he played on the freshman squad. The 1950–51 Fighting Illini varsity team, on which he played as a freshman, finished third in the NCAA tournament in addition to winning the Big Ten Championship.

Although Kerr’s senior season was the greatest of his three varsity seasons, the team would go on to have the least successful run during the same period. Kerr scored 1,299 points in his three varsity seasons, averaging 18.6 points per game overall. In 2004, he was selected for the “All-Century Team” at the University of Illinois.

16. Frank Williams

Williams played three seasons for the Fighting Illini while a student at the University of Illinois, helping the team to numerous NCAA Tournament berths. Williams won the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball award and was voted the Big Ten player of the year after the 2000–2001 campaign. Williams and his colleagues made it to the Elite 8 in 2001 while still attending Illinois.

In 2004, he was chosen for the “Illini Men’s Basketball All-Century Team.” Williams was selected as one of the “100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament” in 2007, in honour of his outstanding play during that tournament.

17. Dave Downey

Dave Downey (NCAA 1963 program) photo by NCAA – Wikimedia commons

 Downey played college basketball at the University of Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team from 1960 to 1963. On February 16, 1963, he set the Illinois single-game scoring record with 53 points against Indiana.

Downey’s career scoring average of 18.9 is fourth in school history, while his career rebounding average of 11.0 ranks third, with 790 career rebounds ranking seventh. Downey received the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor in 1963 for his achievements in both academics and athletics. In 2004, Downey was named to the Illini Men’s Basketball All-Century Team.

18. Ken Norman

Ken Norman game worn Los Angeles Clippers away uniform from the 1991-92 season photo by Amin Eshaker –

Ken Norman, was a powerful rebounder who averaged 9.8 rebounds per game in his final season at Illinois, but his scoring was an even bigger contribution to the team. He averaged 20.7 points per game and finished his career second in school history with a.609 field goal percentage.

He did not achieve much success in the NBA after being picked 19th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1987 NBA draft.

19. Mike Davis

Davis played basketball for Illinois in college after graduating from high school. He was the only Illini to start every game of the 34 during his senior year, and he finished second on the team in scoring with an average of 12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 33 minutes.

When he graduated, he ranked third in school history for games played with 138 and was second all-time at Illinois in terms of rebounding (909), scoring (1,279 points) at number 22, and games played 138 which put him at third.

20. Luther Head

Luther Head of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) photo by
Keith Allison –

Illinois was his alma mater from 2001 to 2005. He contributed to the Illinois team’s 37 victories in 2005 and helped it advance to the national championship game by making a lot of three-pointers. On his way to making 209 three-pointers for his career, he set a school record in 2005 by making 116 of them (sixth in school history). He scored 15.9 points on average per game.

21. Steve Bardo

Steve Bardo photo by TonyTheTiger –

From 1986 until 1990, he was an Illinois student. Bardo had 909 points and 495 assists during his exceptional career at the University of Illinois. He was a member of the Flyin’ Illini basketball team, which advanced to the 1989 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four. In 1989, Bardo won the Big Ten defensive player of the year award. Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Lowell Hamilton, Kenny Battle, and Marcus Liberty were among the other starters on that team in addition to Bardo.

22. Mike Tisdale

Tisdale is an Illinois native who spent 2007–2011 as a student at the University of Illinois. Tisdale concluded with 176 career blocks to place second in school history and 1,243 points to rank No. 25 all-time for the Illinois Fighting Illini. He also had 139 games played at the end of his career, which he shared with Demetri McCamey as the most games played by any player in the University.

23. Roger Powell

From 2001 until 2005, he was a collegiate athlete at the University of Illinois. Powell had a 2.9-point and 1.8 rebound average in 27 games as a true freshman. He had a season-high 12 points against Western Illinois in his first year. Powell was chosen as an honourable mention All-Big Ten selection during his final season by both the league’s coaches and media. He played for the Illini, who finished second in the country and tied an NCAA record with 37 victories.

On February 6, he scored his 1,000th point against Indiana, and he finished his career with 1,178 points to place 26th all-time among Illini scorers. Also, with a career field goal percentage of 57.2 per cent (456-797), he is fifth in school history.

24. Richard Keene

Richard Keene gave 459 assists during his career at Illinois and he ranks eighth in its history. He managed 237 three-pointers which was a school record at the University at the time of his graduation. Unfortunately, he was not drafted into the NBA and never got a chance to show his skills at the grandest stage.

25. Marcus Griffin

In his senior season, he led Illinois to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Eight. Marcus averaged 11.3 points per game and was the second-highest scorer for the Illini team. He emerged as a crucial member of the 2001 Elite Eight defence, finishing third in school history in career blocks per game with 1.4. Griffin had a good shooting touch, but his post-up talents weren’t NBA-caliber. He was not picked and never played in the league.

Read more: 10 Famous Basketball Players who played for UNC.

26. Andy Phillip

Illini Starting Five – 1946-47 photo by D. Kirk – Son of Walton Kirk Jr. –

From 1941 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1947, Philip attended the University of Illinois. He gained notoriety for his abilities and the Fighting Illini’s triumphs in the two seasons (1941–1943 and 1946–1947), which were interrupted by the world war. The basketball team Phillip captained was undoubtedly the best in the country and served as its unofficial captain.

Based on the army’s selection of Mathisen, Menke, and Smiley, Phillip and his teammates would decide not to take part in either the NCAA or NIT tournament. For 20 years, his 40-point outburst as a sophomore would stand as the school record.

27. Skip Thoren

Simmenthal Milano – Ignis Varese 1965-1966 championship, Skip Thoren with the ball, Flaborea and Riminucci recognize each other photo sourced from

From 1961 through 1965, Thoren decided to play college basketball at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His 830 career boards were a school record for 15 years, and he owns the two highest single-season rebounding averages in Illinois history (14.5 and 13.8 boards per game).

The Illini finished with an 18-6 record during Thoren’s senior year, placing third in the Big Ten with a 10-4 record. The squad finished the year with a coach’s rank of 16, winning the Kentucky Invitational Tournament during the season. Thoren was voted team MVP, first-team All-Big Ten, and first-team All-American following the season. Thoren’s teams at Illinois won 51 of 74 games and the 1963 championship when he was a player there.

28. Eddie Johnson

Professional basketball player Eddie Johnson photo by United States Forest Service –

Johnson studied history from 1977 to 1981 at the University of Illinois. He is likely most known among Fighting Illini supporters for his game-winning shot against Michigan State University. Michigan, captained by NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, was unbeaten and ranked number one in the country at the time, but Illinois was also unbeaten at 14-0. With the win, Illinois improved to 15-0 and was ranked second nationally, but Michigan went on to win the eventual national championship.

In 2004, he was chosen for the “Illini Men’s Basketball All-Century Team.” He was chosen to be a part of the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame’s 2019 class.

29. James Griffin

James Griffin was able to dominate while playing for the University of Illinois thanks to his physical attributes. With the Illini, he averaged more than seven rebounds per game, and his 156 career blocks were excellent to place him fourth in the all-time at the university.

30. Sergio McClain

McClain attended the University of Illinois with high school teammates Marcus Griffin and Frank Williams from 1997 to 2001. They anchored one of the Big Ten’s top teams during their time there, and the Illini eventually earned a number one seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Elite 8. His intimidating stature allowed McClain to perform explosively on the court, assisting the team in official matches.

31. Robert Archibald

Robert Archibald photo by Elemaki –

Scottish basketball player Robert Archibald played power forward and centre for the University of Illinois from 1998 to 2002. He only started one season at Illinois, but during that season he averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting.659 from the field, setting an Illini record.

32. Derek Harper

Harper played at Illinois for three seasons, with his finest year coming in 1982–1983 where he led the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game. In 1983, Harper was chosen to the First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-American teams, while in 1981 and 1982, he received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition. Over his undergraduate career, he averaged 4.7 assists per game and led Illinois in that category in 1981–1982. In 2004, Harper received a spot on the Illini Men’s Basketball All-Century Team.

33. Doug Altenberger

Altenberger played for Illinois from 1982 to 1987. He managed to achieve 1,271 career points and subsequently held a three-point shooting percentage of .472 through the four seasons he was at Illinois. He was gifted on the offensive side of the game which was an important aspect that allowed Illinois to soar to its highest levels.

34. Jeff Dawson

During his playing career, Dawson averaged 32.5 points per game as a senior. Dawson played on a Duke University freshman team in 1970 that went unbeaten. Dawson transferred to Illinois after his sophomore year and was chosen to the 1974 All-Big Ten team as well as an academic All-American. He was the Fighting Illini team captain in 1973–74. One of the best performances by an Illinois player was his 35 points against Michigan State in January 1974.

35. Bill Burwell

In the early 1960s, Illinois had a physical presence in the middle thanks to Bill Burwell. As a sophomore, Burwell made an immediate impact and served as the middle anchor for Illinois’ 1963 Big Ten winning squad. Throughout his three seasons as a player, Burwell averaged 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore, 18.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as a junior, and 15.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a senior.

36. John Wessels

In the fall of 1957, Wessels enrolled at the University of Illinois and started playing basketball for the freshmen squad. He started at centre for the 1958–59 Fighting Illini squad, which concluded with a 12–10 record and fifth-place finish in the Big Ten. Wessels continued to play centre as a junior in the 1959–60 campaign for a group that placed third in the conference with a 16–7 overall record.

The highlight of his career was the 1960–61 campaign when Wessels was honoured as an All-American honourable mention on an Illinois squad that concluded the regular season with a 9–15 overall record, enough for seventh place in the Big Ten. Wessels averaged 13.4 points per game while playing in 60 games, grabbing 521 total rebounds, and scoring 803 points across his three years of varsity basketball.

37. Chester Frazier

Under the direction of head coach Bruce Weber, Frazier spent four seasons at the University of Illinois (2005–2009). He was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and received an honourable mention for the Big Ten. In 2009, he graduated from Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in recreation management. His career total of 484 assists ranks seventh in school history given to him being a lethal defender.

38. Don Ohl

From 1955 through 1958, Don Ohl attended Illinois. The point guard, who was 6 feet 3 inches tall, averaged 14 points per game. The Philadelphia Warriors selected him in the fifth round, 36th overall, of the 1958 NBA Draft. Throughout his 10-year pro career, Ohl averaged 15.9 points per game, demonstrating how well his scoring ability transferred to the NBA.

39. Kenny Battle

From 1987 through 1989, Battle competed in collegiate sports at the University of Illinois. He served as the team captain for Illinois’ Flyin’ Illini squad in 1989. The squad advanced to the Final Four before Michigan defeated them. Battle’s hustle and amazing slam dunks made him a fan favourite. The player who displays the most hustle throughout the season is given the Kenny Battle Inspirational Award by the Illini. As a senior, he averaged 16.6 points per game from his cutting drives while also setting a school record with 89 steals for the year with his freakishly athletic body.

40. Marcus Liberty

Liberty participated in college basketball at the University of Illinois, where he played for the 1989 NCAA Final Four-bound team. The Fighting Illini team came to be known as the “Flyin’ Illini.” The Denver Nuggets then selected him in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft, 42nd overall. The 1991–1992 NBA season was his greatest year as a professional; he played in 75 games for the Nuggets and averaged 9.3 points per game.

41. Mark Smith

When playing for the Illinois team, Mark Smith averaged more than 6.1 rebounds and four assists. Smith scored 1,635 points and had 161 steals throughout his college career. With these statistics, he tied for eighth place in school history for steals. With his record number of points in a career, he also placed eighth all-time among Illini.

42. Rennie Clemons

Guard Rennie Clemons of Illinois occasionally stood out while playing basketball. Clemons was the most reliable predictor for the 1992 12-12 Illini, who travelled to Bloomington, Indiana, with a 4-1 record to face Bob Knight’s second-ranked Hoosiers (20-4) and faced them. In their 12 triumphs throughout the season, he scored 14.8 points on average. He scored 6.5 points on average in their 12 defeats.

43. George Bon Salle

Before playing for the University of Illinois, George Bon Salle was a star at the Loyola Academy in Chicago, Illinois. His 17.3 points per game rank as Illinois’ eighth-best career average. In 1957, Bon Salle received All-American recognition as a senior and was chosen by the NBA’s Syracuse Nationals in the 1957 draft.

44. Nick Conner

Conner spent the majority of his collegiate career playing the centre position out of position, but he more than made up for it with his amazing leaping abilities. His best performance while wearing an Illinois uniform was on December 30, 1972, when the Illini faced off against the top-ranked Bruins of UCLA in the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans. Conner did more than held his own against one of the greatest players in college basketball history Bill Walton, who was practically invincible, as he was frustrated by his quickness and jumping abilities en route to scoring 17 points on 8 of 14 field goal attempts.

45. ​ Donnie Freeman

Professional basketball player Donnie Freeman’s photo sourced from

From 1963 to 1966, Freeman was a student at the University of Illinois. Throughout his three varsity seasons at Illinois, he amassed 1449 points while averaging 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds each game. He now ranks 12th all-time in Illinois scoring after concluding his collegiate career as the most prolific scorer in school history. In 1965–66, he averaged 27.8 points per game and established the record for most points in a season (668). The same season, he was named to the first team of the Big Ten and the All-American teams. He was selected for the University of Illinois’ All-Century Team in 2004.

46. Andy Kaufmann

While playing for the Fighting Illini’s Final Four squad in 12 games as a freshman in 1988–89, Kaufmann averaged 4.3 points per contest. Kaufmann scored 9.8 points per game in 29 games as a sophomore in 1989–1990.

In 1990–91, Kaufmann led the squad as a junior scoring average of 21.3 ppg. The Fighting Illini’s second-highest single-season point total in history was scored by him that season when he scored 660 points. As a senior in 1992–1993, Kaufmann averaged 17.3 points per game.

47. Greg Jackson

Greg Jackson was a powerhouse during his time in Illinois. His career average of 8.3 rebounds per night matched him for eighth place on the school’s all-time list. He averaged 17 points per game while playing for Illinois. As a senior, Jackson’s scoring fell to 11.9 points per game, despite his toughness on the court.

48. Rich McBride

While playing for Illinois, McBride led the Fighting Illini to the NCAA Final Four in 2005 and was named to the All-Big 10 honourable mention team. Rich McBride was one of the great pure shooters in Illinois history. In his college career, he made 216 three-pointers, which ranks fifth all-time among Illini players. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association in 2019.

49. Jerry Hester

He attended Illinois between 1993 and 1998. In his time at Illinois, Jerry Hester averaged 4.6 boards per game. To finish off a career in which he scored 1,415 points, which ranks as the 15th-best total for an Illini player all-time, he helped lead a conference title run in 1998.

50. Derek Holcomb

Derek received a scholarship to attend Indiana, but he then changed schools and played three years of varsity basketball at the University of Illinois. For the University of Illinois, Derek averaged 10 rebounds per game while also setting records for blocked shots with 88 in a single season and 11 in a single game. The Portland Trail Blazers acquired him in the NBA draft as a third-round pick. 

 Also, Read 60 Best College Basketball Players of all tTime