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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 30-14.
- #30 Morez Johnson Jr.
- #29 Marcus Arnold.
- #28 Matthew Mayer.
- #27 Kevin Turner.
- #26 Mike Davis.
- #25 Trent Frazier.
- #24 D.J. Richardson.
- #23 Tyler Griffey.
- #22 Will Riley.
- #21 Dain Dainja.
- #20 Jack Ingram.
- #19 Marcus Domask.
- #18 Tomislav Ivisic.
- #17 Robert Archibald.
- #16 Brandon Paul.
- #15 Frankie Williams.
- #14 Marcus Griffin.
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.
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.
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