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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 30-18.
One thing I miss about college basketball is getting to watch players develop throughout four years, which is a perfect segue to my 17th favorite Illinois men's basketball player of my 30-year fandom, the late Robert Archibald.
Coming to the U-of-I from Ballwin, Missouri via Scotland during the fall of 1998, the 6'11'' Archibald was skinny as a freshman, a developmental piece and part of one of my favorite Illini recruiting classes that included Lucas Johnson and Damir Krupalija among others.
As a freshman, Archibald was a role player off the bench on a young Illini team that finished last in the Big Ten but ended up advancing all the way to the Big Ten title game. While his body hadn't filled out, Archibald definitely had promise as a skilled big with a soft touch and good passing skills. His numbers may not have shown it, with Archibald averaging 3.0 points in 14.3 minutes per game, though the potential was there.
I remember reading an article in the Chicago Sun-Times about the freshman Archibald back during my junior year of high school, with Head Coach Lon Kruger saying he thought Archibald could eventually play in the NBA, which proved prophetic. Archibald would get drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft and play for them, the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors during a two-year career that spanned 44 games.
Archibald would continue to develop as a sophomore as Illinois brought in freshman Brian Cook and junior-college transfer Marcus Griffin, two McDonald's All-Americans. Archibald would only play one minute during the Illini's second-round loss to Florida during the 2000 NCAA Tournament. For the season, his scoring improved to 3.4 points while his minutes dropped to 12.1 per game.
Nowadays, a player like Archibald wouldn't have lasted at Illinois for four seasons. He would have gone portaling and ended up at another school, seeking more playing time. However, college basketball was much different back then.
With Kruger off to the NBA, Archibald took off as a junior under first-year Head Coach Bill Self. With his body having filled out, Archibald brought nasty physicality off the bench, backing up the sophomore Cook and senior Griffith, while averaging 7.2 points in 15.1 minutes per game. While I was a freshman at Illinois, I remember sitting in my dorm room at the Illinois Street Residences (ISR) watching Archibald have a big game off the bench as Illinois defeated Michigan State at home that season. I also remember him getting into it with various Arizona players during a victory at the United Center in December of that season.
Of course, Archibald exploded during the Illini's Elite Eight loss to Arizona, scoring 25 points on 6-for-7 from the field and 13-for-15 from the foul line. While Illinois would fall short of the Final Four, the program was definitely on the upswing, with Archibald ready to start as a senior with Griffin out of eligibility.
The 2001-02 Illinois team would not live up to lofty expectations, with The Sporting News having Illinois as the preseason #1 team, due to injuries and inconsistency. Honestly, Illinois missed departed seniors Sergio McClain and Griffin, though Archibald had a solid senior season at center, averaging a career-high 10.6 points in 22.1 minutes.
Illinois would ultimately end up as a #4 seed and reach the Sweet Sixteen, with a Regional Semifinal rematch against #1 Kansas set at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. As was the case all season long, Illinois could not get over the hump this night, though no fault of Archibald.
In his final game as an Illini, Archibald rallied the team late, taking over on the boards and cutting a 10-point deficit down to two points. Playing like a man possessed, Archibald put the Illini on his back, refusing to quit and giving Illinois a chance to take the lead. Unfortunately, Cook would miss a three to give Illinois the lead and Frank Williams would miss a baseline jumper to tie the game late.
Archibald would grab a team-high 10 rebounds and tie for a team-high 15 points on 4-for-4 from the field and 7-for-10 from the free throw line during his final game as an Illini, leaving the program as one of the toughest, meanest and gutsiest players in program history.
Sadly, Archibald would pass away in late January of 2020 at just 39 years old, joining Matt Heldman as former Illini who left the world far too young. Archibald's death was truly shocking, with Self noting his passing while at Kansas and even former Arizona Wildcat Richard Jefferson paying respects during the middle of an NBA game he was broadcasting for ESPN.
A player you loved to have on your team, and probably disliked as an opponent, "Arch" will always have a special place in my Illini heart as he played the game with a lot of heart, as seen in his performances below.
Coming to the U-of-I from Ballwin, Missouri via Scotland during the fall of 1998, the 6'11'' Archibald was skinny as a freshman, a developmental piece and part of one of my favorite Illini recruiting classes that included Lucas Johnson and Damir Krupalija among others.
As a freshman, Archibald was a role player off the bench on a young Illini team that finished last in the Big Ten but ended up advancing all the way to the Big Ten title game. While his body hadn't filled out, Archibald definitely had promise as a skilled big with a soft touch and good passing skills. His numbers may not have shown it, with Archibald averaging 3.0 points in 14.3 minutes per game, though the potential was there.
I remember reading an article in the Chicago Sun-Times about the freshman Archibald back during my junior year of high school, with Head Coach Lon Kruger saying he thought Archibald could eventually play in the NBA, which proved prophetic. Archibald would get drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft and play for them, the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors during a two-year career that spanned 44 games.
Archibald would continue to develop as a sophomore as Illinois brought in freshman Brian Cook and junior-college transfer Marcus Griffin, two McDonald's All-Americans. Archibald would only play one minute during the Illini's second-round loss to Florida during the 2000 NCAA Tournament. For the season, his scoring improved to 3.4 points while his minutes dropped to 12.1 per game.
Nowadays, a player like Archibald wouldn't have lasted at Illinois for four seasons. He would have gone portaling and ended up at another school, seeking more playing time. However, college basketball was much different back then.
With Kruger off to the NBA, Archibald took off as a junior under first-year Head Coach Bill Self. With his body having filled out, Archibald brought nasty physicality off the bench, backing up the sophomore Cook and senior Griffith, while averaging 7.2 points in 15.1 minutes per game. While I was a freshman at Illinois, I remember sitting in my dorm room at the Illinois Street Residences (ISR) watching Archibald have a big game off the bench as Illinois defeated Michigan State at home that season. I also remember him getting into it with various Arizona players during a victory at the United Center in December of that season.
Of course, Archibald exploded during the Illini's Elite Eight loss to Arizona, scoring 25 points on 6-for-7 from the field and 13-for-15 from the foul line. While Illinois would fall short of the Final Four, the program was definitely on the upswing, with Archibald ready to start as a senior with Griffin out of eligibility.
The 2001-02 Illinois team would not live up to lofty expectations, with The Sporting News having Illinois as the preseason #1 team, due to injuries and inconsistency. Honestly, Illinois missed departed seniors Sergio McClain and Griffin, though Archibald had a solid senior season at center, averaging a career-high 10.6 points in 22.1 minutes.
Illinois would ultimately end up as a #4 seed and reach the Sweet Sixteen, with a Regional Semifinal rematch against #1 Kansas set at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. As was the case all season long, Illinois could not get over the hump this night, though no fault of Archibald.
In his final game as an Illini, Archibald rallied the team late, taking over on the boards and cutting a 10-point deficit down to two points. Playing like a man possessed, Archibald put the Illini on his back, refusing to quit and giving Illinois a chance to take the lead. Unfortunately, Cook would miss a three to give Illinois the lead and Frank Williams would miss a baseline jumper to tie the game late.
Archibald would grab a team-high 10 rebounds and tie for a team-high 15 points on 4-for-4 from the field and 7-for-10 from the free throw line during his final game as an Illini, leaving the program as one of the toughest, meanest and gutsiest players in program history.
Sadly, Archibald would pass away in late January of 2020 at just 39 years old, joining Matt Heldman as former Illini who left the world far too young. Archibald's death was truly shocking, with Self noting his passing while at Kansas and even former Arizona Wildcat Richard Jefferson paying respects during the middle of an NBA game he was broadcasting for ESPN.
A player you loved to have on your team, and probably disliked as an opponent, "Arch" will always have a special place in my Illini heart as he played the game with a lot of heart, as seen in his performances below.
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