Basketball • 2003-05

Deron Williams is the most internationally decorated Fighting Illini basketball player in school history. He helped lead the U.S. Olympic team to gold medals at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games. Williams earned consensus 2005 Second-Team All-American honors after helping lead the Illini to the national championship game and school-record 37 victories. He was a two-time All-Big Ten first-team selection before entering the NBA Draft after his junior season and becoming the third overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, highest ever by an Illini player. Williams was a three-time NBA All-Star and named All-NBA Second Team twice. Williams was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team and played 12 seasons in the NBA. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he played for Besiktas of the Turkish Basketball League, where his uniform number 8 was retired. His game-tying three-point shot near the end of regulation, and go-ahead three-pointer in overtime in the 2005 NCAA Regional Final victory over Arizona are considered two of the iconic shots in Fighting Illini basketball history. Williams was named the Most Outstanding Player of that Chicago Regional and would go on to be named to the All-Final Four team in St. Louis the next week. He also helped the United States win gold at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship and bronze at the 2002 FIBA Americas U18 Championship tournament. Williams scored 13,804 (16.3 ppg) points while handing out 6,819 (8.1 apg) assists during his NBA career.