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Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-8.
In the grand scheme of things, Illinois has had more talented and highly-regarded freshmen than Keaton Wagler, my 7th favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom, though the program will never see another freshman season like the one Wagler just provided. As Wagler continues his amazing journey this last calendar year, from three-star recruit to one-and-done in Champaign to likely top-five NBA Draft pick in a few weeks, there is not much to say but "Thank you and good luck Keaton." You were a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime player, leading Illinois to the Final Four for the first time in 21 seasons. Please read the following post to understand why Wagler cemented himself as one of my favorite Illini of all time: Wagler will surely climb higher on this list with time, definitely at some point next season when I inevitably think, "Man, I wish Wagler was still on this team" or "Things aren't just the same without Keaton." In those moments I might have to turn to these videos below to relive Wagler's incredible season at Illinois and cope with the fact that he is no longer around to save the Illini when needed. :-)
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-9.
I can write all day long about the on-court accomplishments of my eighth favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom, Terrence Shannon Jr. Simply look at Shannon's scoring run late during his super senior season with the Illini, scoring:
What I want to write about is Shannon the human, how he revealed himself to be a person of great character during the most difficult of circumstances. Amazingly, none of the above on-court performances seemed possible after Shannon was suspended from the Illini basketball team earlier that December after serious criminal charges were filed against him. In the moment the charges against Shannon seemed surreal, questionable and impossible, as Terrence had always come off as such a respectful, positive and soft-spoken man. Over time such charges, which should never be discounted in terms of the seriousness and impact on victims, proved in a court of law to be trumped up and flimsy, if you could even go that far. Regardless of how those charges affected Shannon's playing career, they could have forever changed his character. Shannon did not let that happen, doing more than just setting a single-season Illinois scoring record of 737 points but showing the power of perseverance, positivity and honesty. While leading the Illini to the Elite Eight, Shannon most importantly led by example, showing others how to handle adversity, compartmentalizing his life on and off the court in a way that not many adults can do. Beyond being a great basketball player, Shannon has to be in my top-10 list simply based upon his character, which was never more apparent than during his tumultuous last season and ensuing jersey-retirement ceremony. Somehow, Shannon's banner was upside down when it was revealed, an embarrassing situation that was trivial in the grand scheme of things. Rather than making a stink, Shannon simply laughed off the moment, taking it for what it is.  Here's what it is in regards to TSJ Jr. When his reputation and character were being driven through the mud, Terrence rose above the muck, staying true to himself, working harder than ever before, and coming out of these unfortunate circumstances a greater player and teammate, and more importantly, a better person!
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-10.
Before my 10th favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom, David Mirkovic, could walk, my 9th favorite Illini, Damir Krupalija, had to crawl. In many ways Mirkovic and Krupalija were quite similar players, four men who played with absolutely no fear, whether out on the perimeter or in the paint, and could stroke the ball from deep. Out of Rockford Boylan High School, Krupalija was a bit of an under-the-radar recruit for Lon Kruger's Illini at a time when Illinois high school basketball was absolutely loaded. While I remember reading that some kid named Krupalija was going to Illinois, I don't remember him being listed as one of the top high school basketball players in the Chicago Sun-Times at the time. On a rebuilding Illinois team that lost 13 games in conference, a freshman Krupalija was someone I loved instantly, always playing hard, sometimes to his detriment with a little too much reckless abandon. Next to Cory Bradford, Krupaljia was my favorite player on that 1998-99 Illinois team. I especially remember a cold Sunday in January of 1999 when Krupalija played well during an Illinois loss at Indiana, with CBS announcer Billy Packer impressed by Damir's lack of fear. It was clear that the potential was certainly there with Krupalija, who was like a piece of clay that needed to be molded. After starting his fair share of games as a freshman, including during the Illini's surprising run to the Big Ten Tournament title game, Krupalija came off the bench for much of his last three seasons as Illinois had a loaded frontline of Marcus Griffin and Brian Cook. Always providing instant energy and physicality, Krupalija certainly made the most of his minutes, never hesitant to take an open shot, crash the glass, and get up into an opponent. An energizer bunny and wreckling ball, Krupalija was a key reserve on the 2000-01 Illinois team that was so deep that fellow juniors Lucas Johnson and Robert Archibald were also reserves. Krupalija especially stood out during the championship game of the Maui Invitational that season, a loss to Arizona during which he rallied the Illini late in the first half with his defensive activity in the passing lanes and recklessness going to the hoop. Apparently, Krupalija was named the MVP of the Illini's 2001-02 preseason tournament in Las Vegas, during which the Illini beat Southern Illinois. I totally did not know this fact, as these games were not televised from what I could remember. Sadly, Krupalija got hurt late during his senior season during a Super Bowl Sunday loss at home to Michigan State. While able to return for the NCAA Tournament, the oft-injured Krupalija was clearly limited physically. Unfortunately, Johnson suffered a similar fate his last season with Illinois. Ultimately, Krupalija was a starting-caliber big who accepted his role off the bench on the deepest Illini teams I have ever seen. Illinois fans could always count on Damir bringing energy and impacting the game in some positive way, whether hitting a shot, hustling down a rebound or annoying an opponent with a hard yet clean foul. Looking at my last three Illinois favorite players in #11 Johnson, #10 Mirkovic and #9 Krupalija, several themes emerge:
To me, Krupalija was all of the above and more, a very talented and underrated player who got overshadowed on a team full of stars but always provided an emotional lift and played his role to perfection. Whenever Damir stepped on the court, one thing was guaranteed: the game was about to get a whole lot more interesting.
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-12.
Back in 1998, I was a sophomore in high school, languishing on the bench of my school's junior varsity basketball team coached by Gene Heidkamp, the now accomplished head coach at Benet Academy. Despite not playing much, I was a basketball fanatic, playing any time I got the opportunity to and reading about and watching as much NBA, college and high school basketball as possible. As a student at an all-boys school, I think basketball was my means for coping not being around girls that often. Anyway, Illinois high school basketball was quite incredible during this time period. Eventual state champion Whitney Young had Quentin Richardson, Dennis Gates and Cordell Henry while defending four-time champion Peoria Manual still had future Illini Frankie Williams. In the Chicago-land area, one player especially stood out to me, Fenwick's man-child Corey Maggette, a senior who would go to Duke for one season before getting drafted by the Seattle Supersonics and traded to the Orlando Magic for Horace Grant. At that time in my life, Maggette was the best non-professional basketball player I had ever seen in person. Since eighth grade, I would attend my eventual high school's annual Thanksgiving tournament to see Maggette up close and personal. When I was a freshman, Maggette's Friars knocked out my school in the state playoffs, only to lose to a loaded Thornton team that would eventually be ousted by Williams, Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin and the rest of Wayne McClain's Peoria Manual juggernaut. During my sophomore year of high school, Fenwick played my school in the title game of our Thanksgiving Tournament, with Maggette having one of the greatest missed dunks I had ever seen. During a tight game early in the third quarter, Maggette took off from the wing for a windmill dunk when some helpless soul on my school's team tried to step in and take a charge. Ultimately, Maggette got a bit undercut, clanking the dunk so hard off the back iron that it shot down all the way to the opposing free throw line. Nearly everyone in the gym gasped in awe at the missed dunk, a projectile missile landing about 70 feet away. Fenwick would go on to win that game and eventually advance downstate, where it would play a Maine West team featuring my 11th favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom, Lucas Johnson. Maine West had a good team, including an Xavier commit named Kevin Frey who I believe was considered a better recruit than Johnson, headed to Illinois to follow in the footsteps of his brother Brian. Despite having two Division-I players, Maine West was an underdog in my book against Maggette and Fenwick, which had a great point guard named Chris Williams who went to Loyola Chicago and a 6'8'' big man named Jabari Harris who played for UIC. Somehow, someway, Maine West pulled off the upset, with my high school buddy Rich calling me later that weekend to fill me in on the game. Since he was a kid, Rich and his father would drive downstate to watch the IHSA state finals. That Sunday night Rich called me, I had an immediate question for him. "How the hell did Fenwick lose to Maine West?" I asked Rich. "Oh man, Lucas Johnson got under the skin of Maggette all night," Rich responded. "He was flopping all over the place. He was kind of dirty." "Really?" I responded, surprised to hear this about Johnson, whom I had never seen play in high school but had read about in the newspapers. In fact the only time I had seen Johnson on television was as a spectator during an Illinois game that season against Clemson at the United Center. Sitting behind the Illini bench, Johnson was shown several times laughing at his brother Brian, who had made a mistake on the court. Lucas definitely gave off those annoying little brother vibes so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to hear my buddy Rich's description of him. At Illinois, Johnson could be described as a pest, in the best of ways, though. During either his first or second game as an Illini at Madison Square Garden, Johnson was already generating some controversy, getting interviewed after the game about apparently elbowing an opponent on Wake Forest or Georgetown (sorry, I can't remember). Johnson denied the elbow, which Lon Kruger addressed and said was unacceptable. Ultimately, Lucas Johnson was that guy you loved to have on your team and hated to have as an opponent, unafraid to mix it up. Still, Johnson was not a goon but actually a quite skilled basketball player. While lacking foot speed, Johnson had good positional size, able to play the two through four, and a nice shooting stroke when getting his feet set. As a freshman at Illinois, Johnson started putting it together late in the season during a magical Big Ten Tournament run where the Illini, the worst conference team in the regular season, advanced to the title game before losing to Michigan State. Johnson was huge during the Illini's semifinal upset of an Ohio State team that would make the Final Four, eventually getting named to the Big Ten Tournament's first team. The more I watched Johnson, the more I liked. Essentially, he was the Illini version of Purdue forward Brian Cardinal, a guy I hated on the Boilermakers but would have loved to have at Illinois, where his Dad Rod was the longtime athletic trainer. Simply put, Johnson was a very heady player, someone who would do whatever it takes to win. As a sophomore, Johnson moved from starting shooting guard to starting power forward come the NCAA Tournament. I absolutely loved Johnson's versatility and role as a connecting piece/glue guy. On a loaded Illinois team with stars like Williams, Cory Bradford, Brian Cook and Griffin, Johnson was a game wrecker, similar to his teammates Damir Krupalija and Robert Archibald. Johnson would dive for loose balls, take charges, hit timely shots, play physical defense, and get under the skin of opponents, just like he did to Maggette back in the state playoffs. As a junior, Johnson proved to be a key piece off the bench as Illinois earned a number-one seed and advanced to the Elite Eight to play #2 Arizona, which was the preseason number-one team in many publications. Earlier that season, Illinois had lost to Arizona in Maui before beating the Wildcats at the United Center in December, with Johnson causing his normal havoc and drawing the ire of Lute Olson. I also got to witness Johnson's glorious madness earlier that month during an epic Illini comeback against Seton Hall at the Assembly Hall. During the Elite Eight game, Illinois got behind quickly as Arizona's Gilbert Arenas went off in the first half. However, the Illini would rally in the second half, with Johnson making it seem that Illinois could actually pull off this comeback. As I watched in my dorm room with my aforementioned buddy Rich, Johnson hit two huge threes in the second half to give Illinois brief leads, getting the Illini crowd fired up and propelling Rich and I to run around my dorm room like maniacs. Unfortunately, Illinois would fall short that game, with six players fouling out and Arizona shooting 56 free throws to the Illini's 25. By the way, Johnson's two threes were his only two shots of the game! While the 2000-01 Illinois team was so close to the Final Four, the following season offered much promise with everyone returning except McClain and Griffin. Sadly, things got off to a bad start when Johnson injured his knee during preseason workouts. I remember hearing the rumors on campus at the time, that Johnson had suffered a bad injury, and was devastated to learn this was true. Ultimately, the 2001-02 Illinois team had an up-and-down season, with an early-season loss at eventual national champion Maryland especially embarrassing. Illinois looked outclassed from the jump ball of this game, getting their butts kicked as Johnson watched in street clothes. The next night I actually saw Johnson outside the McDonald's in the six-pack dorms. "What the hell was that last night?" I wanted to ask Lucas, though I kept my mouth shut, best avoiding an elbow or worse from the Illini forward. At one point during the 2001-02 season, I was starting to wonder if this Illinois team could miss the tournament after three straight brutal losses. Of course, that was never a possibility, though losing three games in a row was unthinkable for such a talented squad. Ultimately, the Illini would rally and finish the season strong, with Johnson accelerating his rehab and coming back. Clearly not the same player, Johnson wanted to finish what he started with his Illinois teammates, providing limited minutes off the bench. Sadly, the 2001-02 Illinois team would lose in the Sweet Sixteen to Kansas, with Johnson scoring two points in ten minutes during his final game. Man, how I wanted that group of seniors (Johnson, Bradford, Williams, Krupalija and Archibald) to get to a Final Four! In all honesty, Johnson should have probably taken a medical redshirt his last season, but it is understandable why he didn't. Still, part of me wonders what the 2002-03 Illini team would have looked like with Johnson starting at the three, senior Brian Cook and freshman James Augustine down low and freshmen Deron Williams and Dee Brown in the backcourt. That would have certainly been an even more entertaining team than it already was. Years later, Johnson is still one of the most beloved Illini players for fans of that time period as evident just a few years ago. At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, I attended the Illinois game at Marquette. After Illinois blew the game late, morose Illini fans started filing out in the hallways. Suddenly, the energy changed when fans spotted a very tall man ahead. "Lucas! Lucas!" the crowd shouted out. Johnson turned around with a big smile and waved to the crowd before taking pictures with fans. The last time I heard Johnson was a high school math teacher, which as a teacher myself, makes me incredibly happy to hear. As a player, Johnson was like that annoying kid in class who would get on your nerves but you couldn't get too mad at because of his good nature and talent, in other words, a lovable jerk in the nicest sense of the term. One of the more memorable characters and fiercest players in Illinois basketball history, Lucas Johnson is a player that every team needs, a guy who left it all on the court and yet kept things loose. If you never saw Johnson play for the Illini, I would compare him a bit to David Mirkovic, in terms of not their games but definitely their larger-than-life personalities (and maybe their foot speed, just kidding). Hopefully, the Johnson family legacy will continue at Illinois with his daughter, the highly-rated Liv of Carmel High School, playing for the Illini women's team in a few seasons. It would certainly be great to see Lucas back at the State Farm Center, this time as a proud father as opposed to his playing career as a perpetual spark plug and instigator.
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-14.
It's time to complete the Peoria Manual trilogy, with Sergio McClain my 13th favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom and the perfect bridge for this story about my recreational basketball playing days as a student in Champaign. I was finally getting my chance to prove my basketball playing chops. During the fall of 2001 I was a sophomore playing some pickup ball at IMPE when former Illini basketball player Sergio McClain showed up on the court for a weeknight run. McClain had just finished his storied Illini career the prior March, with Illinois falling one game short of the 2001 Final Four with a loss to Arizona during the Elite Eight. After hearing about McClain's legendary high school career and then watching him be a rock for the Illini for four seasons, I wanted to leave an impression on McClain that I could play a little ball myself. With McClain on the opposing team, I decided to strike first. On the first possession of the game, I got free off a cut on the wing, caught the ball, dribbled past my defender and came to a quick jump stop at the free throw line. I put up a one-handed floater, a la Mike Miller at Florida, surprising McClain and his teammates with the quickness of my move. Brick. The shot hit front iron, and it would be the last attempt I would get as my team was run off the court quite quickly. Apparently, I wasn't the only player on my ragtag team looking to impress McClain as what ensued was little passing or ball movement, the worst nightmare when playing with four random players. Probably playing at about 50% effort, McClain was seemingly there to get a workout, not looking to score or dominate, rather just fitting in on his team. Late in the game, I found myself in a rather dubious position, the lone man back on a 2-on-1 break, with McClain on the wing. I knew what was coming, a lob to Sergio for a dunk on me, a fitting conclusion to a brutal game. I decided that was not going to happen. As the opponent with the ball took his final dribble, I jabbed toward him before quickly sagging off, perfectly timing the lob pass and ripping it out of the air, denying McClain the dunk and me the embarrassment. A possession later, Sergio's team scored, and the game was over before it even began. I had really shown Sergio my basketball skills as my team slunk off the court. As a student at Illinois, I always got excited when Illini basketball players would rarely show up to play at the recreation center. Whether it was McClain that one night. Or Nick Smith. Or Deron Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown the Monday after Illinois lost to Duke in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Or Calvin Brock and Warren Carter prior to the historic 2004-05 season. As decent of a basketball player that I was, my skills were relative, especially when getting to see real Illinois players up close and personal. Once I played in a pickup game against Illinois backup point guard Jerrance Howard, surprising the guard with a quick baseline move, dribbling out and then back to the rim, hitting a floater off the hesitation move. A few possessions later Howard absolutely cooked me on a fast break, staring me down and driving through me for an easy basket. At the end of the day Illini players were men amongst boys when plying their trade at IMPE, with that especially apparent when McClain showed up and played that one night. With his future Illinois teammates Marcus Griffin and Frank Williams, McClain won four straight state championships at Peoria Manual High School, with the last three coming under his father Wayne as the head coach. While not the most talented or best player on his team, McClain was always the most important, a defensive rock, a connector, an ultimate winner. That was quickly apparent as McClain came to Illinois, serving as a reserve on a senior-laden team that won a share of the Big Ten title during the 1997-1998 season. As a sophomore, McClain and redshirt freshman Cory Bradford were constants on a young team that finished last in the Big Ten but nearly stole an NCAA Tournament bid with a run to the 1999 Big Ten title game. As an upperclassmen, McClain was finally joined by Griffin and Williams, and the Illini were ready to take off as a program. McClain's junior season saw Illinois earn a four seed and lose to the aforementioned Miller and Florida during the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. With Bill Self arriving in Champaign for his senior season, McClain was the physical and emotional glue of an Illini team that would earn a number-one seed and come oh so close to a Final Four. Ultimately, McClain was the perfect fifth starter on that team, locking up the opponent's best player, doing all the little things, needing little offense to be run through him. McClain's departure was especially seen the following season, when Illinois was preseason #1 in The Sporting News. Without McClain and Griffin, Illinois lacked that one connector/glue guy who kept the team together. Illinois nearly landed Damien Wilkins from Georgia to fill McClain's spot and started the year with junior college transfer Blandon Ferguson as McClain's replacement. Ferguson would not last long in that role, with freshman Luther Head eventually starting by the end of the year. McClain was that missing puzzle piece for the 2001-02 team, the one player Illinois could not replace. While not a guy who wowed with his scoring or jumping ability, McClain impacted the game in so many little ways, proving to be a winner at every level and one of the most impactful role players the Illini have had during my fandom.
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-15.
I am going to keep drilling into the Peoria, Illinois pipeline as Marcus Griffin is my 14th favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom. By the time I entered high school during the 1995-96 school year, Griffin was an All-American senior center for Peoria Manual. As I became a high school basketball fanatic, reading about Illinois prep hoops as much as possible in the Chicago newspapers, I remember hearing about Peoria Manual and its stud trio of Sergio McClain, Griffin and Frankie Williams. Sadly, I never got to see the Manual teams, which won four straight state championships, play in person. Each March my buddy Rich would go downstate with his father to watch the Illinois state finals, giving me insight as to how good Peoria Manual was. During the semifinals that season, Manual would match up with undefeated Thornton Township, featuring Melvin Ely, Antwaan Randle-El and Napoleon Harris. A game of stars, Peoria Manuel would give Thornton its first loss of the season and then beat West Aurora for its fourth-straight title! Following high school, McClain would be a key reserve on the 1997-98 Illinois team that won a share of the Big Ten title while Griffin would have to spend two seasons in junior college. I remember reading a Chicago Sun-Times article during this time, describing Griffin patiently biding his time to get to Illinois. I couldn't wait for the big man to arrive, though two seasons seemed like forever back then. Griffin ultimately arrived in Champaign prior to the 1999-2000 season, coming in with his high school teammate, the redshirt freshman Williams, and recruits Brian Cook and Sean Harrington. The loaded Illini looked like a team that would be reckoned with, ultimately being a bit up and down that season and losing in the second round to Florida during the 2000 NCAA Tournament. By Griffin's second and final season in Champaign, the seeds for a Final Four run were ready to germinate. Often overshadowed by Cory Bradford, Williams, Cook and others, Griffin was a 6'9'' beast down low, an efficient scorer who just knew how to play the game on both ends. During a memorable season that resulted in a #1 seed and Elite Eight appearance, Griffin especially stood out for his improbable game-winning layup against Wisconsin at the Assembly Hall. The day after, my aforementioned buddy Rich saw Griffin on campus and said "Nice shot, Marcus." Marcus fist-bumped Rich and said, "Thanks, man!" Personally, I especially enjoyed Griffin banging down low against Arizona three times that 2000-01 season, going toe to toe with the Wildcats' Loren Woods and Michael Wright. Whether going to work on the block or doing the dirty work, Griffin was such a solid piece of an incredibly deep team, with a mile-wide smile and engaging personality that made him a fan favorite. Even with some troublesome knees, Griffin always seemed to me like he could play in the NBA. I remember one mock draft site projecting him as a late second-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2001 NBA Draft, which I was excited to see. I also remember reading an interview where Griffin said that he was going to make the NBA because he promised his Mom he would do so. Ultimately, Griffin never got to the NBA, though he remains a high school and college legend in Illinois. Perhaps on a different team, with a little more exposure, Marcus would have made it to the league. He certainly had the ability. Yet as was the case with any team Griffin played on, he was a consummate teammate, an ultimate winner who would do whatever it takes to contribute to success. With Cook, Griffin formed as talented of a front-line duo that Illinois basketball has ever had. While Griffin's two seasons in Champaign went fast, they were certainly memorable, building up to great things for the program. Nowadays, Griffin is an awesome contributor on the Illini Guys podcast, giving his insight about how Illinois must pound the ball inside. Once a big man, always a big man, Big Griff was an old-school center whose teams were simply hard to beat when he was on the floor. I just wish Griffin could have gotten that 2001 Final Four to go with his four state titles. :-)
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-17. Following the loss of Eric Gordon to Indiana as part of the 2007 Illinois men's basketball recruiting class, Illinois fans were obviously upset at Kelvin Sampson and worried about the talent that was coming in under Head Coach Bruce Weber. For restless Illinois fans, the 2010 recruiting class of Jereme Richmond, Meyers Leonard and Crandall Head was supposed to be the game-changer, though we all know how that went. Even when Illinois brought in a solid 2009 class of D.J. Richardson, Tyler Griffey, Joseph Bertrand and Brandon Paul, my 16th favorite Illini of my 30-year fandom, fans were looking ahead to 2010. Of course, the 2009 class would be far greater than the disappointing 2010 class with Richmond lasting only one year, Head transferring by the midway point of his sophomore year, and Leonard declaring for the NBA Draft after his sophomore year, which would be Weber's last season in Champaign. To me, I greatly respected the 2009 class, with Paul becoming the best player of that group. In fact, three of the four players from the class are in my favorite 30 Illini of all time, with Bertrand a close omission. From Warren High School in Gurnee, Paul lost his last high school game to his future Illini teammate Richmond, who hit an improbable halfcourt shot after the Warren star put his team up one point at the free throw line. With Paul, Richmond and a bunch of other touted recruits heading to Champaign, Illinois looked like it would be a team to reckon with again in college basketball. Of course, that would not prove to be the case, though no fault of Paul, Richardson, Griffey and Bertrand. Like Richardson, Paul was an instant starter at Illinois. Rocking a faux hawk as a freshman, Paul showed a lot of potential on a team that would just miss the NCAA Tournament. Paul especially impressed during an improbable comeback at Clemson that season, scoring 20 points. A versatile guard who could shoot from three, get to the rim and bring activity on defense, Paul had underrated star potential in my book. As a sophomore, Paul transitioned to a sixth-man role, finishing fourth in scoring on the team at 9.0 points per game, as Illinois inserted Richmond into the three spot and slid previous Big Ten freshman of the year Richardson to the two. Of course, Illinois would not live up to its potential that season, with Richmond essentially suspended for the NCAA Tournament for conduct detrimental to the team and then declaring for the NBA Draft, during which he would not be selected. With better team chemistry, at least at the start of Paul's junior season, Illinois got off to a hot start before things cratered during the Big Ten Season. Illinois would miss the 2012 NCAA Tournament and Weber would be fired, with the lone bright spot of that season being Paul's performance against Ohio State on January 10, 2012. En route to a career-high 43 points, Paul would outscore Ohio State 15-8 in the game's final 2:40. He also hit 8-of-10 threes that night during one of the greatest individual performances by an Illini that I had seen. In fact, I had flashbacks of Paul this past season when Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler scored 46 points at Purdue. With Jon Groce hired before his senior season, Paul got off to a hot start, winning MVP of the Maui Invitational after Illinois defeated Butler in the tourney title game. Paul would also have a big game during a huge road win at Gonzaga and hit the game-winning shot against Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament. Paul would leave it all on the court during his final game as an Illini, scoring a team-high 18 points during a near upset of #2 seed Miami (FL). By the end of his career, Paul would finish as the eighth-highest scorer in program history with 1,654 points. While BP3 wasn't CP3, he was a damn good college basketball player, a rock for the Illini during four tumultuous seasons, someone Illinois fans could count on to play hard and with character. As was the case with Richardson, Griffey and Bertrand, Paul will always have my respect for sticking with the Illini through thick and thin, representing the University the right way, and getting Illinois back to the NCAA Tournament before a long drought was in store for the program. Even better, Paul persevered and eventually made it to the NBA, playing 64 games with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2016-17 season!
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-19. Last week the college basketball world was taken aback by the actions of LSU Head Basketball Coach Will Wade, who secured the commitment of an Israeli basketball player named Yam Madar to the Tigers. Drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 47th pick in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, Madar is already 25 years old and will turn 26 during December of this year. As many college basketball pundits criticized Wade, LSU fans naturally stood up for their disgraceful coach. I heard one LSU YouTuber say that if Brad Underwood can bring in international players, it's okay, but when Will Wade does it, it's a crime. Sadly, the names of all of the Illini's international players were thrown into this LSU fan's discussion, including center Tomislav Ivisic, my 18th favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my fandom. Ultimately, I found the LSU fan's comments so disingenuous, especially when invoking big Tomi, who came to Illinois as a 21-year-old sophomore and will be completing his final season at the age of 24. Unlike Madar, who is being used to circumvent the rules at a $5 million price tag, Ivisic will be completing his third season at Illinois and leaving at a reasonable age. In other words, big Tomi is not just some rental player like Madar. He has been a key part of the Illini culture the past two seasons, helping Illinois get back to a Final Four last season and returning next season with bigger team goals in mind. When Tomi announced on May 15th with his twin brother Zvonimir and good friend Jake Davis that they would be returning to Illinois next season, I couldn't have been happier. I wrote a piece about what Tomi's return means for the Illini. I highly suggest you read it as it explains why Ivisic is one of my favorite Illini of all time: In short, Tomi is the quiet soul of the Illini, a big man who made a lot of sacrifices during a difficult sophomore season but came up big when Illinois needed him most during the NCAA Tournament. In my opinion when Ivisic is playing well, Illinois is pretty much unbeatable. He could be the most important player on the team next season if Illinois is going to get back to a Final Four. As Illinois lost to UCONN during the Final Four, big Tomi walked off the court, with tears in eyes, showing a kid who cares about being an Illini. Tomi is hardly some mercenary being employed for the biggest payout possible but rather someone with a lot of sweat equity invested in the program. LSU fans can rationalize Wade's actions all they want, just don't compare your situation to big Tomi!
Let's continue with my countdown of my 30 favorite Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players of my fandom, spanning from the 1996-97 season until present day. Here are numbers 30-20. After securing highly-regarded transfers Matthew Mayer and Terrence Shannon Jr. following the 2022-23 season but not necessarily having the best results en route to a first-round exit during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Illinois Head Coach Brad Underwood changed his approach to bringing in players from other programs. Rather than focusing upon stars, Underwood signed veteran role players whom he thought would fit in with the 2023-24 team, including Utah Valley's Justin Harmon, Oregon's Quincy Guerrier and Southern Illinois' Marcus Domask, my 19th favorite player of my Illinois fandom. While playing just one season in Champaign, Domask certainly maximized his time in the Orange and Blue, teaming up with Shannon to lead Illinois to the second weekend of the 2024 NCAA Tournament for the first time since the glorious 2004-05 season when the Illini advanced to the national title game. A shrewd, under-the-radar addition, Domask was a perfect teammate who helped steady the team while Shannon dealt with unfortunate legal issues. Of course, Domask broke out early during the 2023-24 season, having his coming out party on the biggest stage of all, at Madison Square Garden against Florida Atlantic, a program that reached the Final Four the prior tournament. On that glorious Tuesday night, Domask scored a career-high 33 points on an amazing 14-for-21 from the field. In the second half of that game, Domask employed what Illinois fans would affectionately call "Booty Ball," posting up smaller opponents and going to work with his back-down and fadeaway game. Getting on as impressive of a heater as any Illinois player has had in recent memory, with the exception of Keaton Wagler's 46 point performance at Purdue this past season, Domask elevated the Illini that night and the rest of the season. Low maintenance and all about the team, the talented Domask was a revelation at Illinois after playing four seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference, scoring:
Of course, Domask saved his best for the postseason, scoring 26 points against Wisconsin in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament, earning a triple double (12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) against Morehead State during the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, and posting 22 points during a second-round victory against Duquense. In my opinion, Domask's most important game was his performance against Iowa State during the Sweet Sixteen . Against Iowa State's blitzing and trapping defense, Domask kept his cool, being strong with the ball, stepping through double teams and not turning the ball over. His final stat line of 7 points, 6 rebounds and team-high 5 assists do not speak enough about how great Domask played in the half court that night. On a team that did not have a true point guard, Domask's ability to sustain and initiate offense was a big reason why the Illini upset the Cyclones. While Illinois would lose big to UCONN during the Elite Eight, Domask acquitted himself quite well, scoring a team-high 17 points. At one point, Illinois had the game tied at 23 with about five minutes left in the first half, with Domask accounting for much of the Illini offense. All in all, as the season went on, Domask just got better and better, a model of consistency, someone Illinois fans could count on every single night. While Shannon may have been the superstar on the 2023-24 team, Domask was a very close second, far exceeding his expectations when arriving from Southern Illinois. Ultimately, Domask is a great reminder of how finding the right guys, rather than just getting the highest-rated players, is so important in today's transfer portal era. From day one on campus, Domask was grateful to be at Illinois and proved that he more than belonged at this level. Domask's lone season in Champaign was so impressive that he will first and foremost be remembered as an Illinois Fighting Illini despite playing four seasons at Southern Illinois and being Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin! In my humble opinion Domask is the most impressive portal find of the Underwood era, a player who set a high bar that will be hard to reach by future underrated Illini transfers who wow more with their game than their name.
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