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Best Illinois basketball players: All-time Illini starting lineup

By Cody Williams

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 05: Dee Brown #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini brings the ball upcourt on his way to a career high 34 points against the Michigan State Spartans on January 5, 2006 in the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. Illinois defeated Michigan State 60-50. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 05: Dee Brown #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini brings the ball upcourt on his way to a career high 34 points against the Michigan State Spartans on January 5, 2006 in the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. Illinois defeated Michigan State 60-50. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Best Illinois basketball players
Illinois basketball (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

In terms of where he should have actually been slotted give his size and build, it’s likely that Deon Thomas should have been a true power forward. And yet, the big man started at center for the Fighting Illini. Of course, that didn’t stop him from dominating in the early 1990s as one of the best two-way forces that the program has ever seen.

An immediate starter at Illinois, Thomas averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as a freshman and only got better from there. He improved to 19.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks as a sophomore and stayed consistent throughout the rest of his career, going for 18.3/8.0/1.3 as a junior and then 19.6/6.9/1.3 as a senior.

The fact that Thomas never really earned any awards or accolades throughout his career with Illinois basketball doesn’t make a ton of sense, other than it was a stacked time for the sport and he just wasn’t an otherworldly talent. But in the scope of the program, he cemented himself as one of the unquestioned greats to ever suit up.

Thomas remains the all-time leading career scorer in Illinois basketball history with 2,129 points, fourth in career rebounds (846) and second in career blocks (177). Though he may not have enjoyed the team success of other greats in the history of the program, his individual dominance simply can’t be ignored and he’s a must-add to this all-time starting five.