| Your Source For Northern Illinois High School Sports Since 2004 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
| NISB Message Board Talk high school sports with the best fans in the area! |
C o d y' s
o
r
n
e
r
o
r
n
e
r
Columns and More
from the guy behind
the website ...
from the guy behind
the website ...
| NBA and ABA Players Born in Northern Illinois |
American Basketball Association (ABA) players who were born in Northern Illinois. This
listing pertains to those birthplaces that are in the NISB coverage area. There are some
players who were "from" Northern Illinois and played high school ball at Northern Illinois
high schools, but they are not on this list. Five of the nine players listed played for
Northern Illinois high school teams, two of the nine played in the ABA, and three of the
nine played overseas (Italy).
This listing focuses mostly on the professional spotlight of their careers, although their
collegiate careers are noteworthy as well. The nine players here advanced to the next
level in play.
This listing was created on July 4, 2005 and if there is another NBA player from
Northern Illinois (within the NISB boundaries) drafted and playing in the NBA in the
future, their name will be on here as well. This listing is due for an update sometime
within the 2008-09 sports season.
References: http://www.basketball-reference.com, 100 Legends of Illinois High School
Basketball, and the Rockford Register Star.
**ELMER BENKE (Rockford) (1929 - ):
Benke played center for the 1952 Milwaukee (now Atlanta) Hawks and played
collegiately at Bradley University. In four games and 55 minutes played, Benke was
6-for-22 from the field and 4-for-7 from the charity stripe. He also had 17 rebounds and
four assists.
**A.J. BRAMLETT (DeKalb) (1977 - ):
Bramlett was born in DeKalb, but moved to Albuquerque where he attended high school
at La Cueva (a 1995 alum). In the 2000 season, he played eight games for the
Cleveland Cavaliers playing 61 minutes as a center. He was 4-for-21 from the field with
22 rebounds. He was drafted by the Cavaliers in 1999.
Bramlett's biggest basketball highlight was being a member of the 1997 NCAA
Tournament Champions Arizona Wildcats. He was in the starting five and had six
rebounds and three points in their 84-79 overtime win over Kentucky. His 62 rebounds
and 10.3 rebounds per game led the whole 1997 NCAA Tournament.
Currently, Bramlett is playing on the Tucson Summer Pro League.
**BRIAN EVANS (Rockford) (1973 - ):
Evans was born in Rockford, but moved to Terre Haute, Indiana where he attended
Terre Haute South High School (a 1991 alum). Drafted out of Indiana University, where
he played for Bobby Knight, by the Orlando Magic, he played in the NBA from 1997 to
1999 with the Magic, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. In 102 total games,
he scored 375 points, going 144-for-378 from the field. Evans was the 1996 Big Ten
Conference Athlete of the Year finalist from Indiana. He is now playing in Italy on
Rome's Reggio Calabria team of their A-1 league.
**CHAD GALLAGHER (Rockford) (1969- ):
A product of Steve Goers' Boylan Titans from 1984-1987, Gallagher attended college
at Creighton University and played for the 1994 Utah Jazz with Karl Malone and John
Stockton. He only played two games, but never missed a shot in the NBA, going 3-for-3
from the field.
Gallagher was a star player on Boylan's 1986 and 1987 state qualifying teams.
**KIM HUGHES (Freeport) (1952 - ):
Hughes played on two of Farrell Benefiel's Regional Championship teams at Freeport
High School and played at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One of two Northern
Illinois players to play for the ABA, he played with Julius Erving on the 1975-1976 New
York Nets for 84 games and went 300-for-566 from the field, his best season ever.
After the ABA folded, Hughes played for the New York (later Jersey) Nets from
1977-1978 and then the Denver Nuggets from 1979-1981 and spent the rest of the
1981 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his professional career, he played 425
games and scored 1,624 points with a field goal percentage of 48%.
After playing in the NBA, Hughes played for Rome's Reggio Calabria team and Milan's
Innocenti team until retiring in 1989. He also played in Italy before coming to the ABA in
1975.
Hughes is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers and also coached
with the Denver Nuggets. He also worked with the Milwaukee Bucks program.
**STEVE KUBERSKI (Moline) (1947 - ):
A member of the Maroons' 1965 25-3 State Qualifying team under Herb Thompson,
Kuberski played for the 1974 and 1976 NBA Champion Boston Celtics. A product of
Bradley University, Kuberski played from 1970-1978 spending his first five seasons at
Boston. In 1975 he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and spent the first half of the 1976
season with the Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers). In 568 total games, he
scored 3,114 points and had a field goal percentage of 42%.
Kuberski played at Bradley University in his college days and currently owns a locker
company for schools and warehouses in Woborn, MA. In 1974, he was enshrined in the
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
**GLENN MCDONALD (Kewanee) (1952 - ):
The forward-guard was born in Kewanee, but played high school at Jefferson High
School in Los Angeles (a 1970 alum). After playing in college with Cal State-Long
Beach, he played with Kuberski (above) on the 1976 NBA champion Boston Celtics. He
started his career with Boston in 1975 and ended it in 1977 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
In three seasons and 146 games, he scored 609 points and went 191-for-456 from the
field.
**JOE RUKLICK (Princeton) (1938 - ):
For three years with the Philadelphia Warriors (now Golden State Warriors), the
forward-center played 114 games. He also played on Don Sheffer's state qualifying
PHS teams in 1954 and 1955 before playing at Northwestern. Ruklick scored 398 points
and went 176-for-481 from the field.
Ruklick is a 2002 Inductee of the Bureau County Sports Hall of Fame.
**SKIP THOREN (Rockford) (1943 - ):
One of the best ABA players to come out of Illinois, and one of the best prep players in
IHSA History, Duane Thoren played for Rockford East's 1961 state qualifying team
under coach Art Sadler. The center played at the University of Illinois before joining the
ABA in 1968. In 1969, he was the ABA's leader in offensive rebounds with 391 and third
in defensive rebounds with 655 for a total of 1,046 which ranked second. He had 13.4
rebounds per game that year as well.
Drafted by the Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) in 1965, his American
career started with the Minnesota Muskies in 1968 before the team became the Miami
Floridans (known for their skin-clad ball girls) in 1969, where he became an all-star for
the ABA Eastern Division. His career ended in 1970 with the Floridans.
In 170 games, he scored 2,239 points and had a field goal precentage of 47%.
Thoren was named to the Illini All-Century Basketball team in 2005 (he's ranked 25th
on the all-time scoring list) and was a first-team All-American his senior year at
Champana.
Thoren turned down the Bullets $6,500 offer to play for Olympia Milan in Italy, where he
was a teammate of future NBA star and congressman Bill Bradley. The duo helped
Olympia Milan win the European Cup of Champions.
listing pertains to those birthplaces that are in the NISB coverage area. There are some
players who were "from" Northern Illinois and played high school ball at Northern Illinois
high schools, but they are not on this list. Five of the nine players listed played for
Northern Illinois high school teams, two of the nine played in the ABA, and three of the
nine played overseas (Italy).
This listing focuses mostly on the professional spotlight of their careers, although their
collegiate careers are noteworthy as well. The nine players here advanced to the next
level in play.
This listing was created on July 4, 2005 and if there is another NBA player from
Northern Illinois (within the NISB boundaries) drafted and playing in the NBA in the
future, their name will be on here as well. This listing is due for an update sometime
within the 2008-09 sports season.
References: http://www.basketball-reference.com, 100 Legends of Illinois High School
Basketball, and the Rockford Register Star.
**ELMER BENKE (Rockford) (1929 - ):
Benke played center for the 1952 Milwaukee (now Atlanta) Hawks and played
collegiately at Bradley University. In four games and 55 minutes played, Benke was
6-for-22 from the field and 4-for-7 from the charity stripe. He also had 17 rebounds and
four assists.
**A.J. BRAMLETT (DeKalb) (1977 - ):
Bramlett was born in DeKalb, but moved to Albuquerque where he attended high school
at La Cueva (a 1995 alum). In the 2000 season, he played eight games for the
Cleveland Cavaliers playing 61 minutes as a center. He was 4-for-21 from the field with
22 rebounds. He was drafted by the Cavaliers in 1999.
Bramlett's biggest basketball highlight was being a member of the 1997 NCAA
Tournament Champions Arizona Wildcats. He was in the starting five and had six
rebounds and three points in their 84-79 overtime win over Kentucky. His 62 rebounds
and 10.3 rebounds per game led the whole 1997 NCAA Tournament.
Currently, Bramlett is playing on the Tucson Summer Pro League.
**BRIAN EVANS (Rockford) (1973 - ):
Evans was born in Rockford, but moved to Terre Haute, Indiana where he attended
Terre Haute South High School (a 1991 alum). Drafted out of Indiana University, where
he played for Bobby Knight, by the Orlando Magic, he played in the NBA from 1997 to
1999 with the Magic, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. In 102 total games,
he scored 375 points, going 144-for-378 from the field. Evans was the 1996 Big Ten
Conference Athlete of the Year finalist from Indiana. He is now playing in Italy on
Rome's Reggio Calabria team of their A-1 league.
**CHAD GALLAGHER (Rockford) (1969- ):
A product of Steve Goers' Boylan Titans from 1984-1987, Gallagher attended college
at Creighton University and played for the 1994 Utah Jazz with Karl Malone and John
Stockton. He only played two games, but never missed a shot in the NBA, going 3-for-3
from the field.
Gallagher was a star player on Boylan's 1986 and 1987 state qualifying teams.
**KIM HUGHES (Freeport) (1952 - ):
Hughes played on two of Farrell Benefiel's Regional Championship teams at Freeport
High School and played at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One of two Northern
Illinois players to play for the ABA, he played with Julius Erving on the 1975-1976 New
York Nets for 84 games and went 300-for-566 from the field, his best season ever.
After the ABA folded, Hughes played for the New York (later Jersey) Nets from
1977-1978 and then the Denver Nuggets from 1979-1981 and spent the rest of the
1981 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his professional career, he played 425
games and scored 1,624 points with a field goal percentage of 48%.
After playing in the NBA, Hughes played for Rome's Reggio Calabria team and Milan's
Innocenti team until retiring in 1989. He also played in Italy before coming to the ABA in
1975.
Hughes is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers and also coached
with the Denver Nuggets. He also worked with the Milwaukee Bucks program.
**STEVE KUBERSKI (Moline) (1947 - ):
A member of the Maroons' 1965 25-3 State Qualifying team under Herb Thompson,
Kuberski played for the 1974 and 1976 NBA Champion Boston Celtics. A product of
Bradley University, Kuberski played from 1970-1978 spending his first five seasons at
Boston. In 1975 he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and spent the first half of the 1976
season with the Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers). In 568 total games, he
scored 3,114 points and had a field goal percentage of 42%.
Kuberski played at Bradley University in his college days and currently owns a locker
company for schools and warehouses in Woborn, MA. In 1974, he was enshrined in the
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
**GLENN MCDONALD (Kewanee) (1952 - ):
The forward-guard was born in Kewanee, but played high school at Jefferson High
School in Los Angeles (a 1970 alum). After playing in college with Cal State-Long
Beach, he played with Kuberski (above) on the 1976 NBA champion Boston Celtics. He
started his career with Boston in 1975 and ended it in 1977 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
In three seasons and 146 games, he scored 609 points and went 191-for-456 from the
field.
**JOE RUKLICK (Princeton) (1938 - ):
For three years with the Philadelphia Warriors (now Golden State Warriors), the
forward-center played 114 games. He also played on Don Sheffer's state qualifying
PHS teams in 1954 and 1955 before playing at Northwestern. Ruklick scored 398 points
and went 176-for-481 from the field.
Ruklick is a 2002 Inductee of the Bureau County Sports Hall of Fame.
**SKIP THOREN (Rockford) (1943 - ):
One of the best ABA players to come out of Illinois, and one of the best prep players in
IHSA History, Duane Thoren played for Rockford East's 1961 state qualifying team
under coach Art Sadler. The center played at the University of Illinois before joining the
ABA in 1968. In 1969, he was the ABA's leader in offensive rebounds with 391 and third
in defensive rebounds with 655 for a total of 1,046 which ranked second. He had 13.4
rebounds per game that year as well.
Drafted by the Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) in 1965, his American
career started with the Minnesota Muskies in 1968 before the team became the Miami
Floridans (known for their skin-clad ball girls) in 1969, where he became an all-star for
the ABA Eastern Division. His career ended in 1970 with the Floridans.
In 170 games, he scored 2,239 points and had a field goal precentage of 47%.
Thoren was named to the Illini All-Century Basketball team in 2005 (he's ranked 25th
on the all-time scoring list) and was a first-team All-American his senior year at
Champana.
Thoren turned down the Bullets $6,500 offer to play for Olympia Milan in Italy, where he
was a teammate of future NBA star and congressman Bill Bradley. The duo helped
Olympia Milan win the European Cup of Champions.