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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini players of the 2010’s decade

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: The Lou Henson signature is seen on the court before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 30: The Lou Henson signature is seen on the court before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 30, 2018, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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12 March 2015: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Rayvonte Rice (24) in action during a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center, in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
12 March 2015: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Rayvonte Rice (24) in action during a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center, in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /

5. Ravyonte Rice (16.5 pts, 6.5 rebs, 1.8 asts)

The Illinois basketball team only had the privilege to host guard Rayvonte Rice for two seasons of his collegiate career. He transferred in from Drake and didn’t disappoint. His abilities on the court were sensational in the short stint in Champaign.

In Rice’s time with the Illini, the team failed to make the postseason. The first year they ended up going to the NIT where they beat Boston in the first round but fell to Clemson by one point in the second round. They only ended up with 18 wins in the regular season that year as well.

The following year was much of the same. Illinois finished with 19 wins in the regular season and then were blown out by Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. This sealed their fate of making another NIT. Illinois was handled easily in the NIT, though. Alabama beat the Illini by 21 points and it wasn’t even that close. This was the jumping off point for me with the current coaching regime.

Despite Illinois not having postseason success – or even getting there – Rice still had a great two-year run with the Illini. He averaged 15.9 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 assists during his junior year, and then he averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game during his senior campaign.

Rice stepped into a leadership role on this Illinois team. He wasn’t the reason they were missing postseason berths. He was a bulldog of a player who could get to the rim but could also shoot from the outside. That is why Rice goes down as one of the top five Illini players of the 2010’s.

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