1960s All-Decade Team: Illinois High School Basketball Legends

I am excited to share the decade of the 60s with you. This is MY decade; I graduated as an All-State player from Galatia in 1962. I have many, many great memories of my playing days in the Greater Egyptian Conference and playing against great players at other schools like McLeansboro, Eldorado, Harrisburg, Sesser, Carrier Mills, West Frankfort, and Benton. So, I can apply the "eye test" as well as statistics and publications as part of my evaluation since I saw almost every one of these players play.

Before I get to my candidates, ten years is a long time, and a lot of outstanding players pass through a state like Illinois in ten years. I want to take a minute and acknowledge some of the great players that I played against that did not make my list. In the GEC there were outstanding players like Jerry Douglas at Cave-In-Rock, Gary Carr and Gary Beavers at Rosiclare, Chuck Cotton and Tom Suttner at Ridgway, Don Bradley, Jim Crayne and Garry Patton from Shawneetown, Mike Titsworth of Pope County, and Bill Moore of Equality. Outside of the conference I played against Jerry Sloan (best high school player I ever played against), Curt Reed, David Lee, Jim and John Burns all of McLeansboro, Steve Kotner and Joe Kingery at Eldorado, Gary Taborn and Marshall Stewart at Carrier Mills, Ed Cannon and Guy Lee Turner of Harrisburg, Bob Brown and Dave Pike from West Frankfort, Tom Whittington, Terry Thomas and Wiley Hall at Benton, Jeff Richey of Crab Orchard (Union) and Don Duncan from Centralia (Murray State). The area known as "Little Egypt" had a lot of outstanding players.

The 1962 All-State Team pictured below features Cazzie Russell and Don Freeman, both of whom made my All-Decade Team.

The All-Decade Team

Jerry Sloan — McLeansboro (1960)

6'4" G/F, College (Evansville). All-State, HS All-American. 1,720 career points and 1,096 rebounds. 710 points as a senior for a 27-point per game average. McLeansboro was 26-3 Sloan's senior year, 19-6 his junior year. Evansville won 2 NCAA college division titles and Sloan was 2xAll-American, averaging 15.7 points and 13.1 rebounds for his career. Drafted by the Bullets but moved to the Chicago Bulls where he made the All-Defensive Team 6 times and was a 2xAll-Star. Finished his NBA career after 11 years with 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds average. The Bulls retired his jersey as an "Original Bull." Hall-of-Fame as an NBA coach (23 years and 1,221 wins, fourth on the All-Time list).

Don Freeman — Madison (1962)

6'3" G/F, College (Illinois). All-State. Team was 47-6 his junior and senior seasons. Averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds as a senior at Madison. Team was 24-0 and ranked 3rd in the state during his junior year. Freeman averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game for his 3-year career playing for the Illini. All-Big Ten. Played in the ABA for 8 years, 5xAll-Star in the ABA, voted to the All-Time ABA Team.

Cazzie Russell — Chicago (Carver)

6'4" G/F, College (Michigan). 2xAll-State, Parade HS All-American, Mr. Basketball USA. 2nd place in the 1962 state tournament. 25.2 points per game average as a senior. Played every position on the court. The Wolverines won 3 consecutive Big Ten Championships and reached the finals of the NCAA in '65. Averaged 30.8 points a game in '66 and named POY. 3xAll-Big Ten, 2xAll-American. Averaged 27 points a game for his 3-year career (2,164 points). #1 overall NBA draft pick by the Knicks. 12 years in the NBA. All-Star team in '72. Championship with the Knicks in '70. Averaged 15.1 points for career in the NBA.

Skip Thoren — Rockford East (1961)

6'10" Center, College (Illinois). All-State, Parade HS All-American. Averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game in his junior and senior seasons (1,145 career points). Lost in the state quarter-final in '61. Team was 47-7 his junior and senior years. At Illinois, Thoren was Big Ten MVP and 2nd Team All-American. Scored 1,164 points (15.7 average) in his career at Illinois and averaged 11.2 rebounds. 4th round draft pick by the Bullets but played in the ABA for 3 years. ABA All-Star team in '69. For his ABA career, Thoren averaged 16.6 points and 13.9 rebounds.

Jim Ard — Harvey Thornton (1966)

6'9" Center, College (Cincinnati). 1966 State Champions (31-2). The 1965 Thornton team finished 4th in the state (28-3). 59-5 in Ard's junior and senior seasons. 20.1 points, 12+ rebounds. 2xMVP in Missouri Valley Conference (averaged 19.5 pts., 15 rebs. senior season). 1st round draft pick. Played 6 years in the NBA. Championship with the Boston Celtics in 1976.

Dan Issel — Batavia (1966)

6'9" Center, College (Kentucky). All-State, Parade All-American. Dan did not start on the varsity team until his junior year. Averaged 25.8 points his senior season with a 26-3 record. Batavia won back-to-back Regionals in his junior and senior years. Averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds for his career at Kentucky. 3xAll-Big 8. 1969-70 POY. 1970-71 All-Region. 3rd round pick by the Celtics. Played 4 years in the ABA and 9 years in the NBA (averaged 22.4 pts., 9.4 rebs.).

Greg Starrick — Marion (1966 & 67)

6'2" Guard, College (Kentucky/SIU). 2xAll-State, Parade HS All-American. 1,975 career points. 5th all-time in career average in Illinois with a 27.0 average (33.7 in '67). 72 points in a single game. Only player in my top 10 with a losing record in high school (22-26). Played one year at Kentucky and finished his college career at SIU. Career average of 20.3 points and a career .909 FT%.

Tom Parker — Collinsville (1967 & 68)

6'7" Center, College (Kentucky). 2xAll-State, Parade HS All-American. Scored 2,041 points in his career. 12th all-time in Illinois history with a career average of 23.7 points. 1967-68 averaged 32.9 points and 2nd most field goals made in a season in state history. The 1965-68 Kahoks were 107-11. 2xAll-SEC. SEC POY in '71-72. Scored 1,238 points in his career (15.5 average). 660 rebounds in career with the Wildcats. Drafted by the Cavaliers in the 6th round.

Rich Yunkus — Benton (1966 & 67)

6'9" Center, College (Georgia Tech). 2xAll-State, Parade HS All-American. Benton was 61-2 his last two years. Averaged 25.4 points and over 10 rebounds a game in '67. 26.6 points and 11.4 rebounds for his 3-year career at Georgia Tech (2,232 points — still #1 in Tech basketball history). 2nd Team All-American. 3xAcademic All-American. 3rd round draft pick of the Cincinnati Royals.

Les Taylor — Carbondale (1968 & 69)

6'4" C/F, College (Murray State). 2xAll-State, HS All-American. Elite 8 in '69 (25-4). 45-14 record for his junior and senior years. Averaged 29.4 points and 14 rebounds as a senior. Had 38 rebounds in one game against Harrisburg. 2xOVC MVP at Murray State. 21.1 points per game average for his career as a Racer. Nicknamed "Skywalker" for his tremendous leaping ability. Drafted by the Cavaliers. Many high school basketball fans say Taylor was the best player to ever come out of Southern Illinois.

Jim Brewer — Proviso East (1969)

6'8" Center, College (Minnesota). All-State, Parade HS All-American. 1969 Illinois state championship (30-1). Brewer was 59-14 in his career. Averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds in his junior and senior seasons. Great leaper and defensive player. 2xAll-Big Ten. 1972-73 All-American. Played on the '72 Olympic team. Averaged 12.1 points and 9 rebounds for his 4-year career at Minnesota. 1st round draft pick of the Cavaliers in '73. Played 9 years in the NBA. 2xAll-Defensive Team. Averaged 6 points and 6 rebounds for his career. NBA Championship in '82 with the Lakers.

*George Wilson — Chicago (Marshall) 6'8" Center. I mistakenly listed Wilson with the 1950s decade; he graduated in 1960. Please see his full profile in the 1960s listing.