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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Illini players to ever wear the No. 13

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN , IL - NOVEMBER 13: The Illinois Fighting Illini logo on the floor before a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the State Farm Center on November 13, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
CHAMPAIGN , IL - NOVEMBER 13: The Illinois Fighting Illini logo on the floor before a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the State Farm Center on November 13, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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Illinois basketball
08 Mar 2002: Cory Bradford #13 of the Illinois Fighting Illini guards his player during game seven of the BIG 10 Tournament against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Fighting Illini defeated the Golden Gophers 92-76.Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Getty Images /

2. Cory Bradford

  • Best: 15.4 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 1.9 Ast
  • Career: 12.9 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 2 Ast, 38.8% 3PT
  • 98-99 B1G ROY, 3 NCAAs, 1 Elite 8, 2 Sweet 16

This is the moment you have all been waiting for. The two big No. 13s for the Illini. It was tough, but I ended up going with Cory Bradford as the No. 2 player on the list of the best Illinois basketball players to wear No. 13.

Bradford is easily one of the best shooters in program history. He was hitting three-pointers at a clip that was way ahead of the times. He also held the record for the most consecutive games with a three-pointer made in NCAA history. That has since be broken.

The numbers Bradford put up were solid. His best season consisted of him averaging 15.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He would finish his Illinois career averaging 12.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 38.8% from three-point range.

In the one season where Bradford started and Illinois didn’t make the NCAA tournament, the team still had a Cinderella run to the Big Ten Tournament title game. The Illini would go on to make three NCAA tournament appearances, two Sweet 16 trips, and we would get to the Elite 8 one season.

I honestly believe Bradford was born about 10 years too early. If he was a college athlete in the 2010s, he would have dominated from three-point range. He was one of the best to ever put on the No. 13 for the Illini.

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