Illinois Basketball: Remembering the careers of the Illini seniors

Feb 11, 2017; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Tracy Abrams (13) and Penn State Nittany Lions forward Lamar Stevens (11) compete for a loose ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Penn State beat Illinois 83 to 70. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Tracy Abrams (13) and Penn State Nittany Lions forward Lamar Stevens (11) compete for a loose ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Penn State beat Illinois 83 to 70. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports
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Jan 17, 2017; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Tracy Abrams (13) tries to get a shot off over Purdue Boilermakers center Isaac Haas (44) in the first half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sandra Dukes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2017; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Tracy Abrams (13) tries to get a shot off over Purdue Boilermakers center Isaac Haas (44) in the first half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sandra Dukes-USA TODAY Sports

Tracy Abrams

Everyone has a ‘what if’ in life and this is one of them for me. What if Tracy Abrams didn’t get injured for two straight seasons? What if he would have been healthy and been the starting point guard when the team needed it the most?

Those are all questions we are not going to get answered because Abrams is now done in Champaign. He had a career that started off promising but ended really bad.

Abrams averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists the year before his injuries happened. That is some solid production that could have been useful in the two years he missed.

I will always remember Abrams for how resilient he was throughout his entire career. He could have given up after the first injury but didn’t. He could have given up after the second injury but didn’t.

Abrams came back at the age of 25 as a sixth-year senior and showed that he could still play the game. He didn’t play bad coming off two terrible injuries but he was clearly not the same player.

No matter what, though, Abrams has a bright future in whatever he wants to do. He is a fighter and someone that will never give up and I appreciate that.