MEN'S BASKETBALL • 1981-83

Derek Harper earned Second-Team All-America and First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 1983 after leading the Illini to the NCAA Tournament. Following his outstanding junior season, Harper declared himself eligible for professional basketball and was the No. 11 overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, who retired his No. 12 jersey in 2018. During his 16-year NBA career as a point guard, Harper played with the Mavericks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, playing in 1,199 games, scoring 16,006 points and averaging 5.5 assists per game. He was selected to the Illinois All-Century Team in 2005. Harper currently resides in Plano, Texas.