BASKETBALL • 1964-66

One of the most explosive scorers in Illinois basketball history, Don Freeman finished his Fighting Illini career as Illinois’ all-time leading scorer with 1,449 points. His 20.1 career scoring average is still third best in school history while he also averaged 10.3 rebounds per game to finish third on the UI career list. He earned First-Team All-America honors in 1966 after setting school records for points in a season (668) and scoring average at 27.8 points per game, a mark that stands more than 50 years later. Freeman earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 1966 after being named to the Third-Team in 1965. In 2005, he was named to the Illinois All-Century Team. Following his sterling Illini career, Freeman spent eight seasons in the ABA and one season in the NBA. He scored 11,544 points during his ABA career to rank seventh all-time in the ABA and appeared in five ABA All-Star Games. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975, averaging 10.8 points per game before retiring. Combined, he averaged 18.9 points per game during his pro career. Freeman currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska.