In 2004, he was chosen for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team. He was chosen to be a part of the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fames 2019 class. quality girls basketball players over the years. Altenberger was. From 1998 to 2002, the 63 guard played basketball for the University of Illinois. He was the Fighting Illini team captain in 197374. On February 16, 1963, he set the Illinois single-game scoring record with 53 points against Indiana. His follow-up dunk at the buzzer to beat West Aurora in the semifinals capped off a game in which Alexander had 37 points, 26 rebounds, five blocks and 10 rim-rattling dunks. Simmenthal Milano Ignis Varese 1965-1966 championship, Skip Thoren with the ball, Flaborea and Riminucci recognize each other photo sourced from Wikimedia commons. Ty Rodgers Thornton Township (Harvey . You will now be able to customize your experience on our website. In the fall of 1957, Wessels enrolled at the University of Illinois and started playing basketball for the freshmen squad. Unfortunately, he was not drafted into the NBA and never got a chance to show his skills at the grandest stage. They anchored one of the Big Tens 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. 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. The 6-2 guards record-breaking individual performance helped lead Stevenson to Peoria for three straight years, including winning a state championship as a senior. 1. From 1993 through 1997, Garris played point guard for the University of Illinois collegiate basketball team. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. Led the Tigers to a 28-5 record heading into the Class 4A sectional final. CENTRALIA Centralia couldn't get any closer than seven points in the second half and fell to East St. Louis, 53-39, in the first semifinal of the IHSA Class 3A Centralia boys basketball . McDonald's All-American. 6'10". A ranking of the 2001 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. Best Version Media, LLC. Thompson (41), Tyrone Johnson (17). 10 Famous Basketball Players who played for Duke. 1 and No. And while, yes, individual talent obviously matters, a winning pedigree and accomplishments do come into play. Career highlights: 3x NBA all-star, 2x NBA champion Aguirre was voted both the AP and Naismith Player of the Year his final season at DePaul (1979-80) and was the first overall selection in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. 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. Momcilovic, 6-foot-8, averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 2021-22 and picked the Cyclones over offers from Minnesota, UCLA, Creighton and Virginia, among others. He is already committed to playing for new Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang, who has already made inroads with many of the top recruits in the midwest. Douglas was selected for the Illinois All-Century Team in October 2004. 64 greatest Illinois high school basketball teams ever Mar 07, 2018 at 8:30 am Expand Autoplay 1 of 64 Chicago's first state champions. The combo guard has moved back to Illinois after a year away and offers the type of backcourt size college coaches covet. Last update: 2/26/2023, Minimum Games Played . Now there are some fresh faces joining those three top 10 fixtures. Erick Dampier Jr Mississippi. As a senior he averaged 31.2 points and had seven games of 40-plus points. He had a season-high 12 points against Western Illinois in his first year. Oak Forest's Robbie Avila (21) maintains possession of the ball during the game against DePaul Prep at the . Rnk: Athlete: POS: Rookie Yr: School: Overall Rank: 1: George Mikan: C: 1947: Archbishop Quigley (Chicago) 12: 2 . Has turned into an intelligent floor general who is comfortable commanding an offense. 7 Iowa's game against No. And forget about the ranking as Parker was the No. High School: Cathedral High School (Indianapolis). The fan base, historical events, and players from Illinois are legendary. 10 min read. It is universally recognizable that Illinois produces top-notch athletes, including some of the best basketball players in the nation. Prep girls basketball action remains in full . We also wanted to know or did we? He was a key member of the "Bad Boy" back-to-back NBA champion Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990. Post-high school career:He played just one season at Kansas, playing just 17 minutes a game and averaging 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds while also being suspended due to eligibility issues. Biliew, a five-star prospect Top 10 recruit for the Class of 2023, has a pro-ready body at 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds and picked Iowa State over Kansas, Oregon and the G-League Ignite. HONORABLE MENTION (23): Denver Anderson, Mt. . 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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 Knights second-ranked Hoosiers (20-4) and faced them. Robert Archibald photo by Elemaki Wikimedia commons. Specifically, Illinois Class of 2023 will showcase several future Division I and Power 5 college basketball players who will look to further prove themselves in 2022-23. Bryce Curry Ohio. Marcus averaged 11.3 points per game and was the second-highest scorer for the Illini team. Professional basketball player Donnie Freemans photo sourced from Wikimedia commons. The Philadelphia Warriors selected him in the fifth round, 36th overall, of the 1958 NBA Draft. He is likely most known among Fighting Illini supporters for his game-winning shot against Michigan State University. 10 Famous Basketball Players who played for UNC. High School: St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Michigan). He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 U19 World Championship as he led Team USA to a gold medal. In 199091, Kaufmann led the squad as a junior scoring average of 21.3 ppg. James Augustine and Brown both played in 137 games during their careers. The understated Randle has one heck of a career rsum, including a Class 3A state championship as a senior and sharing the states Mr. Basketball Award that same year with another all-decade performer, Ryan Boatright. Vote for the girls high school Player of the Week in southwestern IL from Feb. 20-24. He served as the team captain for Illinois Flyin Illini squad in 1989. During his senior year state title run, the first in Rock Island history, Randle averaged 21.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. With 853 rebounds at Illinois (since surpassed and now in third place), Winters concluded his collegiate career as the schools all-time rebounding leader and third-best scorer. Anthony Mauro New Jersey. Based on the armys selection of Mathisen, Menke, and Smiley, Phillip and his teammates would decide not to take part in either the NCAA or NIT tournament. Having participated in 137 games, Augustine is tied with Dee Brown. These are the best high school boys basketball players in every state headed into the 2022-2023 season for the midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin. A ranking of the 2004 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. During his senior year, he also captured the NCAA Slam Dunk title at the Final Four. 13. He also plays with a competitive edge and confidence. He gained notoriety for his abilities and the Fighting Illinis triumphs in the two seasons (19411943 and 19461947), which were interrupted by the world war. 0. Davis was the consensus college National Player of the Year while leading Kentucky to a national championship as a freshman. Castillo averaged 24.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists as a junior for Bartlesville, as his team went 9-9. Here are 20 players who have had a national MVP-worthy season thus far. Ahmad Lathan. Bottom Line: If Gabe Cupps looks familiar or his name sounds familiar, that tracks he's the kid who went viral after he got into a 3-point shooting contest against the father of one of his AAU teammates when he was 14 years old that father being NBA superstar LeBron James. Weatherspoon was chosen in 2004 for the Illini Mens Basketball All-Century Team., Dee Brown at the Washington Wizards v/s Orlando Magic game photo by Keith Allison Wikimedia commons. All players listed include height, year in school, position and points earned. Plus, Ethan Happ and Keita Bates-Diop were second-team All-Americans. The highlight of his career was the 196061 campaign when Wessels was honoured as an All-American honourable mention on an Illinois squad that concluded the regular season with a 915 overall record, enough for seventh place in the Big Ten. 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. A ranking of the 2004 Best NFL Basketball Players in Illinois. Recommended Lists: Badminton Players Baseball Players 5 Shaquille O' Neal (Basketball player) 135 32 Birthdate: March 6, 1972 Sun Sign: Pisces Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States Shaquille O'Neal is an American former basketball player who currently works as a sports analyst. Super Bowl Odds 2023 - Best Odds To Win Super Bowl 57; Tickets; Players Born In Peoria (IL), United States. Williams was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Chicago Regional in the NCAA Tournament and was a nominee for the Wooden Award. However, the fact Richmond played just one year in the decade hurt his case. Griffin had a good shooting touch, but his post-up talents werent NBA-caliber. There was a stretch during the first half of the decade where the state was churning out generational talent, many who left their mark on the sport forever. Deon Johnson Ohio. Post-high school career:Richmond, who spent four years committed to Illinois while in high school, spent just one season playing for the Fighting Illini. The Top Ranked Basketball Players of All-Time from Illinois High Schools . He averaged 20.7 points per game and finished his career second in school history with a.609 field goal percentage. In his debut game, he scored 22 points. Thoren was voted team MVP, first-team All-Big Ten, and first-team All-American following the season. Ranking the Class of 2022: How the seniors stack up heading into July. Interested in high school basketball? 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. WNBA greats from Illinois include Candace Parker, Yolanda Griffith and Tamika Catchings. 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. 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. David Oyona-Ibandzo. HONORABLE MENTION (19): Ensley Tedeschi, Benton (6-1, Sr., PG/SG) 30; Natalie Peterson, Freeburg (6-0, Sr., G/F) 18; Kaitlyn Coombes, Paris (5-4, Sr., PG) 15; Dalia Dejesus, Deer Creek-Mackinaw (5-11, Fr., F) 15; Addison Swadinsky, Deer CreekMackinaw (5-7, Sr. PG) 13; Lauren Miller, Central-Southeastern (5-10, Soph., G/F) 11; Campbell Schrank, Winnebago (5-9, Sr., G/F) 11; Sophie Bormann, Metropolis Massac County (5-9, Sr., SG) 9; Clair Hulke, Rock Island Alleman (6-0, Jr., F) 9; Mady Kibelkis, Peotone (5-8, Sr., SG) 9; Madi Schroeder, Peotone (5-11, Jr., PG/PF) 9; Blair Eftink, Quincy Notre Dame (5-8, Sr., G) 8; Grace Roland, Elmhurst Timothy Christian (6-2, Sr., C) 8; Kyla Elsbury, Sherrard (Sr., F) 6; London Walker George, Chicago DePaul Prep (5-9, Soph., F) 6; Jenna Hunter, Peotone (5-11, Sr., F) 6; Mya Janssen, Stillman Valley (6-1, Jr., F) 6; Whitney Rumbold, Tremont (5-10, Sr., F) 6; Layne Rupert, Hillsboro (5-7, Sr., G) 6. Video Center See top plays & highlights of the best high school sports. In three seasons at Illinois, Scholz averaged 20.5 points(second) and 9.7 boards per game, fifth-best in school history. Both Yorkville Christians Jaden Schutt and Glenbard Wests Braden Huff are nipping at his heels with both of their individual recruitments heating up. He scored 2,335 points for teams that went 94-9, including undefeated regular seasons in 1975 and. With five players ranked in the 2023 ESPN 100 and four more ranked in the 2024 . Thompson (41), Tyrone Johnson (17). He also helped the USA Basketball 18U team to a gold medal. He scored a school record 2,335 career points, including averaging 23 points and 6.8 assists as a senior. If a team repeated as champion, we tried to pick the better one with the exception of the 1991 and 92 Proviso East teams that won with almost entirely different lineups. 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. Chicagos first state champions. 9. 1. The Manual and Simeon four-peat teams got two each. However, as a senior, he had fewer assists but higher shooting percentages. Thank you for submitting a news tip to BVM Sports! Williams and his colleagues made it to the Elite 8 in 2001 while still attending Illinois. Discover Walks contributors speak from all corners of the world - from Prague to Bangkok, Barcelona to Nairobi. Jordan Fisher Canada. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Thorens teams at Illinois won 51 of 74 games and the 1963 championship when he was a player there. Gabe Phillips, Beavercreek, senior, 6'8" The Fighting Illinis second-highest single-season point total in history was scored by him that season when he scored 660 points. February 24, Scott Burgess The Milwaukee Bucks selected Parker with the No. Cook graduated from Illinois as the third-highest scorer in school history with 1,748 total points, averaging 13.2 points per game. Johnson studied history from 1977 to 1981 at the University of Illinois. Last season he played in 49 games for the Wizards, averaging 15 minutes and 5.5 points. Here are the 50 best Illinois basketball players of all time. Downey played college basketball at the University of Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team from 1960 to 1963. Willie Darden Jr Connecticut. So here they are: The best of the best from each part of the state. Moreover, he was chosen for the first team of the Big-10 twice and the third team of the AP All-Americans. He scored 15.9 points on average per game. He ranks fifth in Big Ten history in his career assists. Note: All data is from the high school database on Basketball Reference. While the high-level consistency remains a work in progress, Casey still boasts the biggest upside in the class. From 2001 until 2005, he was a collegiate athlete at the University of Illinois. 2023 BVM Sports. Log in In 2009, he graduated from Illinois with a bachelors degree in recreation management. Rich McBride was one of the great pure shooters in Illinois history. Smith scored 1,635 points and had 161 steals throughout his college career. Hes a big who can space the floor with his shooting or run an offense through with his passing and ballhandling. As a bonus, Okafor was huge in Youngs biggest games: 35 points and 13 rebounds in a sectional final win over St. Rita; 33 points and 14 rebounds in a state semifinal win over Stevenson; 22 points and 23 rebounds against Providence (Fla.) in the City of Palms Classic; and he averaged 31 points and 12.5 rebounds in the loaded Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon. Illinois was his alma mater from 2001 to 2005. (The first girls state tournament was in 1977; the boys tournament started in 1908 at the Oak Park YMCA.) Cupps was named Mr. Ohio Basketball and Ohio MaxPreps Player of the Year as a junior and is committed to playing for Indiana. He now ranks 12th all-time in Illinois scoring after concluding his collegiate career as the most prolific scorer in school history. As a junior he was named AP College Basketball Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year and won the Wooden Award. Williams received First-Team All-Big Ten honours in 2004 and 2005 when he was a junior. The final spot in the state championship game for the IHSA 3A Tournament is set between second-ranked Lincoln (35-0) and fourth-seeded Deerfield (29-5) today. 3 in their respective draft classes. Davis played basketball for Illinois in college after graduating from high school. "Streaming Central Wisconsin Christian vs Oakfield - WIAA High School Boys Basketball Live @ OakfieldStream On : http://4ty.me/c17fcbThanks For Watching And . [1] [2] Throughout the state, 281 individuals were nominated and were chosen by geographic region and tournament era. One of the best performances by an Illinois player was his 35 points against Michigan State in January 1974. Cupps has become a star in the three years since that video blew up the internet, leading Centerville High to a Division I state runner-up finish in 2022, as he averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds. Teams; CBS Sports; CBS SPORTS HQ; SportsLine; MaxPreps; Shop; StubHub; Follow 247Sports. In 1957, Bon Salle received All-American recognition as a senior and was chosen by the NBAs Syracuse Nationals in the 1957 draft. Bottom Line: Elliot Cadeau will be in a new state and at a new school for his junior season with Link Academy the five-star recruit and No.