Top 10 Fighting Illini men’s basketball players of all time

2. Andy Phillip

Perhaps a lesser-known player than his colleagues on this list, Phillip is currently the only Fighting Illini to earn a spot in the National Basketball Hall of Fame as a player when he was inducted in 1961. As the leader of the famed Whiz Kids, Phillip was named The Sporting News National Player of the Year in 1943 and earned first-team All-American honors in both 1942 and 1943. He also earned first-team All-America honors in 1947 after two war-interrupted seasons.

While many statistics like assists and steals were not recorded during his time with the Illini, Phillip still left his mark on the record book as he was the first Illinois player to score more than 40 points in a game. Though his career was ultimately interrupted by the onset of World War II, Phillip is still among the best players to ever put on the Orange & Blue.