Illinois Basketball's Best of the Century: No. 8 Luther Head

The Illini have produced a number of stars over the past 25 years, and in this Illinois on SI series we highlight the best of the best

Oct 30, 2009; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Luther Head (13) shoots while being covered by the Miami Heat center Joel Anthony (50) in the third quarter at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Miami won 96-83. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-Imagn Images | Frank Victores-Imagn Images

Today marks another entry in our ongoing Illinois on SI "Best of the Century" series featuring the top 10 Illini players over the past 25 years. In our selection process, we considered individual production, career length (must have played at least two seasons since 2000), team accomplishments and intangibles.

No. 7: James Augustine
No. 9: Frank Williams

No. 10: Malcolm Hill

No. 8 Luther Head (2001-2005)

Career averages: 10.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Best season averages (2004-05): 15.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists

Illinois basketball's turn-of-the-century heyday under Bill Self and Bruce Weber is often remembered as being driven by a Batman-and-Robin combo of Dee Brown and Deron Williams (or vice versa, depending on your preference).

But those Illini squads – and, really, we're talking mostly about the 2004-05 national championship runner-up – were actually built more like the NBA Detroit Pistons' title-winning team from around the same time: a powerful, slippery, many-tentacled kraken with more weapons than a foe could hope to account for. One of Illinois' most dangerous weapons on that juggernaut of a club was wing Luther Head.

Kids today will never understand how great Luther Head was 💯

We're taking a look back at the former star's clutch plays in @IlliniMBB's iconic OT win over Arizona in the 2005 Elite Eight 👇#B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/h08EHVTxs2

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) May 12, 2025

While Brown and Williams would, respectively, squirt by and body up opponents, Head was all daggers and drives to the hole. He was an elite shooter as a senior that season, averaging 3.0 threes on 41.0 percent shooting, playing perfectly off Brown and Williams as offensive triggermen and making the most of extra spacing from rangy center James Augustine.

Head became a more potent long-range shooter and a more dynamic player as his college career wore on, getting up significantly more shots and making passes that led to teammates' buckets at a much higher rate as a senior while improving his efficiency numbers. His 3.8 assists per game (against 1.8 turnovers) was wild production from a third ball-handler – and we haven't even yet discussed his defense (1.7 steals per game).

Of course, most college basketball heads from two decades ago will likely recall him best for that sweet shot-making:

Luther Head goes off for 15 of his 21 points in the 2nd half...this team never quit #illini pic.twitter.com/uD5b9wZdsa

— 🆃ⓐ🅹🅷 ♕ (@Recru1t1ng_Guru) April 5, 2025

It was also Head's clutch gene, however, that should be part of his lasting legacy with the Illini. He delivered no small number of big performances and huge shots – especially given that he was more of a bit player in his first two seasons – and none of them were more colossal than his 20 points, five threes and four steals in a historic comeback win over Arizona in the Elite Eight (which the NCAA, based on a fan poll, named the most memorable moment in March Madness history).

Illinois vs Arizona was a Classic 💯

The Fighting Illini spearheaded by Deron Williams & Luther Head led Illinois all the way to the title game & went 15-1 in Big ten play! pic.twitter.com/9iij0e3pwA

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 9, 2023

In fact, Head did his best impression of the Human Torch for all six of Illinois' games in that brilliant run through the 2025 NCAA Tournament, in which he averaged 16.7 points and 3.8 threes (on 39.7 percent shooting). Over the final three games, which included the final against North Carolina, Head scored at least 20 points and had five threes in each.

A couple months later, Head was selected in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft, along with Deron Williams – the only other occasion Illinois has had two first-round selections in a draft after the selection of Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley in June – and went on to a productive six-year NBA career (averages: 8.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 threes on 38.8 shooting). But around Champaign, it will be Head's March heroics in orange and blue that live on in memories longest.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Illinois Basketball Holds Unique Edge in Recruitment of Top 2026 Prospect

Who Is New Illinois Basketball Assistant Coach Camryn Crocker?

Top Three NBA Landing Spots for Illinois Forward Will Riley