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Illinois adds 12 former stars to Hall of Fame

scott richey, the news-gazette, champaign-urbana, ill.
·5 min read

May 9—Soaring for dunks. Running by opposing Big Ten defenses. Winning an NCAA title. Hitting lots of home runs. The 2023 class

for the Illinois athletics Hall of Fame did all of that. And more. Staff writer Scott Richey spotlights the 12 latest honorees:

Kenny Battle, Men's basketball (1988-89)

Battle spent just two seasons at Illinois after transferring from Northern Illinois, but he came to epitomize the Flyin' Illini in the late 1980s with his highlight-reel worthy dunks. Battle finished his Illinois career with 1,112 points — a milestone he also hit at NIU — and played four seasons in the NBA after being selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA draft.

Al Brosky, Football (1950-52)

Brosky still holds the NCAA record for career interceptions with 29 seven decades later. A consensus First Team All-American in 1951 and Second Team All-American in 1952, the former Illinois defensive back helped lead the Illini to the 1951 Big Ten title and 1952 Rose Bowl. Brosky, who died in 2010 at 82, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Aja Evans, Track and field (2008-10)

Evans was a five-time All-American and three-time Big Ten shot put champion during her college career and still holds school records in the weight throw and shot put. It was her post-Illini athletic exploits, though, that put Evans on the international map. Evans switched sports to bobsled and won bronze medals at the 2014 Olympics and 2017 world championships

Nicole Evans Cazley, Softball (2014-17)

Evans capped her time at Illinois with the best season of her career. She hit 19 home runs and finished with 58 RBI — both the second-best in a single season in program history — in 2017. Evans earned Third Team All-American honors that year and wrapped up her career with the program record in home runs (53), RBI (176) and slugging percentage (.675).

Melissa Fernandez, Women's gymnastics (2008-11)

Fernandez was a four-time All-American during her Illinois career, earning First Team honors on balance beam in 2009 and 2011, Second Team in all-around and floor exercise in 2011. Her highest finish at the NCAA championship was fifth place in the balance beam in 2011. Fernandez was also a four-time Scholastic All-American in her time with the Illini.

Mike Hebert, Volleyball (1983-95)

Hebert is the all-time winningest coach in program history with a record of 323-127 in 13 seasons with the Illini. Illinois won four Big Ten titles and made two Final Four appearances under Hebert, who died in 2019 at 75, before he left for Minnesota, where he won another Big Ten title and made three Final Fours with the Gophers. He was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2006.

Ken Holtzman, Baseball (1965)

Holtzman played just a single season at Illinois before being selected in the fourth round of 1965 amateur draft. It was quite the season, though, with the left-handed pitcher striking out 72 in 57 innings and leading the Illini with six wins. Holtzman went on to a 15-year MLB career and won three straight World Series titles with the Oakland Athletics from 1972-74.

George Kerr, Track and field (1958-60)

Kerr won back-to-back NCAA championships in 1959 (880-yard run) and 1960 (800-meter run) as part of his middle distance dominance with seven total Big Ten championships. Kerr participated in two Olympics, winning bronze in the 800 and 1,600-meter relay for British West Indies in 1960 before representing an independent Jamaica in its first Olympics in 1964.

Rashard Mendenhall, Football (2005-07)

Mendenhall earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Third Team All-American honors in 2007 after rushing for 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns and leading Illinois to the Rose Bowl. The running back was selected No. 23 in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft by Pittsburgh, played six seasons in the league and won Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers.

Thomas Pieters, Men's golf (2011-13)

Pieters started the string of Belgians playing for Mike Small that has lasted a decade. He helped Illinois win Big Ten titles from 2011-13, won the 2012 NCAA title and was the 2013 Big Ten champion when the Illini finished as national runners-up. Pieters has seven professional wins and represented Belgium at the 2016 and postponed 2020 Olympics.

Don Sunderlage, Men's basketball (1949-51)

Sunderlage started for two Big Ten championship teams that reached the Final Four in 1949 and 1951. His senior season saw him earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors in addition to a Second Team All-American selection. Sunderlage was a first-round NBA draft pick in 1951 and played two seasons. He and his wife, Janice, died in a tragic car accident in 1961.

Jack Trudeau, Football (1983-85)

Trudeau led Illinois to a Big Ten title and a perfect 9-0 record in conference play in 1983 — the only time in Big Ten history one team beat every other team in the league in a single season. The Illini also played in the Rose Bowl that year. Trudeau wound up a second-round pick in the 1986 NFL draft and played 10 seasons in the league with three teams.