1996–97 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 1996–97 Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team represented the University of Illiniois.
Team
| No. | Player | Hometown | Class | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Victor Chukwudebe | Springfield, Illinois Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area... |
Fr. Freshman A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a... |
Forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
| 4 | Fess Hawkins | Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area... |
Fr. | Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
| 5 | Halim Abdullah | Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay... |
Jr. Junior (education) "Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman... |
Guard |
| 21 | Matt Heldman | Libertyville, Illinois Libertyville, Illinois Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760... |
Jr. | Guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
| 22 | Kiwane Garris Kiwane Garris Kiwane Garris is an American former professional basketball player. He was listed as a 6'2" , 183 lb point guard.... (capt.) |
Chicago, Illinois | Sr. Senior (education) Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:... |
Guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
| 25 | Brian Notree | Chicago, Illinois | Jr. | Guard |
| 32 | Jerry Gee | Chicago, Illinois | Jr. | Forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
| 33 | Kevin Turner | Chicago, Illinois | Jr. | Guard |
| 34 | Brian Johnson | Des Plaines, Illinois Des Plaines, Illinois Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It has adopted the official nickname of "City of Destiny." As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,720. It is a suburb of Chicago, and is next to O'Hare International Airport... |
Jr. | Forward Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
| 35 | Carvell Ammons | Champaign, Illinois Champaign, Illinois Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of... |
So. Sophomore Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a... |
Forward |
| 40 | Jerry Hester (capt.) | Peoria, Illinois Peoria, Illinois Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated... |
Sr. | Forward |
| 42 | Herb Caldwell (capt.) | Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County.... |
Sr. | Forward |
| 45 | Chris Gandy | Kankakee, Illinois Kankakee, Illinois Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County... |
Sr. | Forward |
Player stats
| Player | Games Played | Field Goals | Three Pointers | Free Throws | Rebounds | Assists | Blocks | Steals | Points |
| Kiwane Garris | 30 | 161 | 73 | 181 | 108 | 163 | 2 | 52 | 576 |
| Chris Gandy | 30 | 119 | 12 | 68 | 174 | 16 | 19 | 27 | 318 |
| Matt Heldman | 30 | 99 | 61 | 45 | 104 | 60 | 1 | 41 | 304 |
| Kevin Turner | 30 | 113 | 59 | 16 | 68 | 63 | 1 | 31 | 301 |
| Brian Notree | 30 | 90 | 10 | 58 | 112 | 41 | 1 | 21 | 248 |
| Jerry Gee | 30 | 83 | 0 | 22 | 117 | 21 | 10 | 13 | 188 |
| Brian Johnson | 30 | 55 | 31 | 49 | 119 | 61 | 13 | 20 | 160 |
| Victor Chukwudebe | 30 | 32 | 0 | 12 | 65 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 76 |
NCAA basketball tournament
- Southeast regional
- Illinois 90, Southern Cal 77
- Tennessee-Chattanooga 75, Illinois 63
Team players drafted into the NBA
| Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |