Yes. That's the guy.

His Dad worked for UofI from 1973-2003 but UofI couldn't get him.

In his defense, I wanted to get away from my parents at that age also.

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You know me like that.

Indiana always had those 6'7" white guys who seemed like they were there for six or seven seasons, Kitchel, Wittman, Isenbarger, Risley, etc.

I'm pretty sure Ted Kitchel's dad, Steve used to train a few harness horse and would show up at Sportsman's Park once in awhile to drive one. Also, former Illini great Otho Tucker from Paris, Illinois was the world's tallest harness driver. I'm still not sure how he sat in a race bike.

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Don't take it personally.

Wow... I’ve never been on the opposite rooting interest of RFDC. Now I see why you all think he’s such an asshole.

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We weren't allowed that many players. Sergio was one of my all-time favorites.

Can't leave Cory Bradford, Brandon Paul, or Frank Williams off that list. Also, James Augustine was one of the best big men getting up and down the floor that I've ever seen. He just fouled everyone. But, man, he could run the break.

I thought Robert Archibald was effective in the minutes that he played.

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You know me like that.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

The refs should have made the cover of SI for that one.

First NCAA Championship game I've seen them win.

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You know me like that.

I'll bet they called 3 fouls on Powell on that play.

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You know me like that.

As I recall, if Tim Floyd hadn't been scammed by Crumbs, Hinrich & Collison would have gone to Iowa State. Hinrich was an unbelievable college player. Wasn't LaFrentz better than Collison & Gooden?

Iowa State
Marcus Fizer
Melvin Ejim
Kelvin Cato
Fred Hoiberg
Jamaal Tinsley

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Soccer 1,2,3
Spanish Honor Society 1,2,3,4
Forensics 1,2,3,4

"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

I don’t keep up anymore, but when I was a kid, the amount of talent that came out of Peoria (accounting for its size) was ridiculous. And if it hadn’t been for Wayne McClain, Illinois would have whiffed on all of it.

Howard Nathan
AJ Guyton
Sergio McClain
Marcus Griffin
Frank Williams
Jerrance Howard
Shaun Livingston
Brian Cook (LIncoln but close enough)


And I’m forgetting a ton more. Illinois has always sucked at recruiting its own backyard.

Peoria aside, the guys I grew up idolizing never went to Illinois...

Darius Miles
Quentin Richardson
Corey Maggette
Joey Range
That dipshit white boy who went to Duke

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LaFrentz was better than Collison. I'd say Gooden was better than both of them.

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You know me like that.

I thought about all three of those guys.

Sergio will always be my favorite Illini. Dude was a linebacker playing basketball. Four high school state championships. I loved him. He just didn’t have next level talent.

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Peoria was key.

But this 25 year thing prevents me from going to -

Bruce Douglas
Doug Altenberger
Ken "The Snake" Norman
Efrem Winters
Eddie Johnson
George Montgomery
Kendall Gill
Steve Bardo
Lowell Hamilton
Nick Anderson
Kenny Battle
Olaf Blab

Can we go back 35 years?

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You know me like that.

I love salty Doc.

Chin up Doc, maybe one day you can get a nice NCAA championship banner to hang in your place.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I was once named “Athlete of the Week” for my sad local newspaper in high school, and one of the questions they asked me was who was my favorite player. Jordan was old at this point, and I didn’t want to be cliche’, so I said Robert Archibald. I just saw the clipping a few months ago when we were at my parents and I was looking through old scrapbooks. No one besides dedicated Illinois fans would even know who he is now.

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1915 and 1943

The Flyin’ Illini were the shit. I was just slightly too young to remember them. But the first sporting event I remember watching with my dad and brother was the Illini when Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill were there.

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You got the good Blab brother. Be glad.

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You know me like that.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

This is a fun topic. Brings back memories.

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Your picture doesn't qualify for this thread either.

Keith Smart isn't walking through that door.

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You know me like that.

I love the story of Blab coming back to campus to see the team after he was done. He had his hair in a pony tail and an ear ring. Knight completely ignored him and would not talk to him. Told the team in the locker room later that if any of them ever came back to campus looking like that he was going to kick their ass

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Lucky for you.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

That really narrows it down.

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Don't take it personally.

Scheyer

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School of Life

Kobe
Lebron
McGrady
Garnett
Malone

This is going to cause me to be sad the rest of the day, but here goes....


Howard Nathan (I still remember where I was when I found out he failed out of school)
David Booth
Tommy Kleinschmidt (my old drinking buddy)
Quentin Richardson
Bobby Simmons

Sixth man = Wilson Chandler

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David Booth was a great college player.

So was Tommy K. (guess we can't be as enthusiastic about who he drank with)

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You know me like that.

Any three Demons from '78-'83 plus two nuns would wipe the floor with those five guys. I wish they'd get back to that, rather than having their occasional good season win them a two-week stay in the Top 25 (usually peaking at # 24). Kleinschmidt should have went to U of I. Or anywhere else.

I loved those late '70s/ early '80s DePaul teams. That's what got me into college basketball.

Tyrone Corbin is one of my all-time favorite players.

Aguirre walking back to the hotel after the NCAA loss in his uniform is an amazing story. Kevin Holmes, Marty Embry, Skip Dillard, the disappointment of Dallas Comegys, Bernard Randolph, Terry Cummings, Clyde "The Glide" Bradshaw, Kenny P, loved those teams.

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You know me like that.