| John Schommer | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1884 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 1960 (aged 75) |
| Career information | |
| College | Chicago (1905–1909) |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1910–1911 | Chicago |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
John Joseph Schommer (January 29, 1884 – January 11, 1960) was an American multi-sport athlete in the 1900s. He is considered by some to be the first basketball superstar and one of the first great all-around athletes. [1] The Chicago, Illinois native was the first athlete in University of Chicago history to win 12 letters in American football, basketball, baseball and track. [2] This earned him the nickname "Mr. Everything". Schommer was a four-time All-American in basketball and led the Maroons to three straight Big Ten championships (1907–09). [3] He was named the Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year for the 1908-09 season. One of his most famous moments was when he made an 80-foot field goal which helped lift Chicago over University of Pennsylvania in the final game of the 1907–08 regular season, winning them the championship. He was one of the first four players inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.
Thomas Joseph Gola was an American basketball player and politician. He is widely considered one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all time. Gola was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International YMCA Training School (1890–1891), the University of Chicago (1892–1932), and the College of the Pacific (1933–1946), compiling a career college football record of 314–199–35 (.605). His undefeated Chicago Maroons teams of 1905 and 1913 were recognized as national champions. He was also the head basketball coach for one season at Chicago (1920–1921), and the Maroons' head baseball coach for twenty seasons.

Louis Boudreau, nicknamed "Old Shufflefoot", "Handsome Lou", and "the Good Kid", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons, primarily as a shortstop on the Cleveland Indians, and managed four teams for 15 seasons including 10 seasons as a player-manager. He was also a radio announcer for the Chicago Cubs and in college was a dual-sport athlete in baseball and basketball, earning All-American honors in basketball for the University of Illinois.

John Robert Thompson Jr. was an American college basketball coach for the Georgetown Hoyas men's team. He became the first African-American head coach to win a major collegiate championship in basketball when he led the Hoyas to the NCAA Division I national championship in 1984. Thompson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen, D.O. was an American basketball coach and physician. Known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching," he served as the head basketball coach at Baker University (1905–1908), the University of Kansas, Haskell Institute—now Haskell Indian Nations University (1908–1909), and Warrensburg Teachers College—now the University of Central Missouri (1912–1919), compiling a career college basketball record of 746–264. In his 39 seasons at the helm of the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program, his teams won 24 conference championships and three national titles.
James Clifford Pollard was an American professional basketball player and coach. As a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Pollard was considered one of the best forwards in the 1950s and was known for his leaping ability, earning him the nickname "The Kangaroo Kid". A five-time NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Star, Pollard spent his entire eight-year professional career with the Minneapolis Lakers.

John Graham Kerr, also known as Red Kerr, was an American basketball player, coach, executive and broadcaster who devoted six decades to the sport at all levels. The affable 6'9", 230-pound center starred for the University of Illinois (1951–1954) before he became a three-time All-Star and one-time league champion in the NBA (1954–66), primarily as a member of the Syracuse Nationals.

Thomas Dwight "Dike" Eddleman was an American athlete who was generally considered the greatest athlete in the history of athletics at the University of Illinois. Eddleman participated on the university's basketball, track and field, and football teams between the years of 1942 and 1949. Eddleman earned a combined 11 varsity letters in his career at the university, during which he also became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Eddleman was born in Centralia, Illinois, and attended Centralia High School. On October 24, 2008, Eddleman was named a Distinguished Alumni of Centralia High school. He, along with five others, including James Brady, were the first to be named Distinguished Alumni. His wife, Teddy Eddleman, accepted his award.
Ann Meyers Drysdale is an American retired pro basketball player and a sportscaster. She was a standout player in high school, college, the Olympic Games, international tournaments, and at professional levels.

Delmer William Harris is an American basketball coach who is currently the vice president of the Texas Legends, the NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. He served as a head coach for the NBA's Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Legends. He was also an assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Houston Rockets.

Andrew Michael "Handy Andy" Phillip was an American professional basketball player. Born in Granite City, Illinois, Phillip had an 11-year career and played for the Chicago Stags of the Basketball Association of America and the Philadelphia Warriors, Fort Wayne Pistons and Boston Celtics, of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference. KU athletic teams have won fifteen national championships all-time, with twelve of those being NCAA Division I championships: four in men's basketball, one in men's cross country, three in men's indoor track and field, three in men's outdoor track and field, and one in women's outdoor track and field. Kansas basketball also won two Helms Foundation National Titles in 1922 and 1923, and KU Bowling won the USBC National Title in 2004.
Jennifer Marie Rizzotti is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player, and former Division I coach at George Washington University. She is the president of the Connecticut Sun. Rizzotti was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Dale Duward Brown is an American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the LSU Tigers for 25 years, and his teams earned Final Four appearances in 1981 and 1986. Brown is also remembered as one of the most vocal critics of the NCAA, saying it "legislated against human dignity and practiced monumental hypocrisy."

Timothy Paul Stoddard is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A right-handed pitcher, he played for six different teams in Major League Baseball between 1975 and 1989, and was a member of the 1983 Baltimore Orioles championship team. He is currently the pitching coach for the baseball team at North Central College. Stoddard is one of only two men to have played in both a World Series and a Final Four of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, along with fellow East Chicago Washington High School alumnus Kenny Lofton.
Charles Carroll "Stretch" Murphy was an American basketball player.
Eugene "Squeaky" Melchiorre was an American basketball player. A point guard, he was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets and was the first overall pick in the 1951 NBA draft. Melchiorre never played an NBA game due to his lifetime ban from the league for point shaving when he was a college player.
Ilario Enrico "Eli" Pasquale was a Canadian basketball player and two-time Olympian. Considered one of the best basketball players in Canada's history, Pasquale was the starting point guard and co-captain of the Canada men's national basketball team during, arguably, Canada's greatest era of basketball. During this time, Pasquale competed in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, two World Student Games, four FIBA World Championships and two Pan American games.
David Masur is a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and USISL. He is the head coach of the St. John's University men's soccer team. He was the 1996 NCAA Division I Coach of the Year and led the Red Storm to the 1996 NCAA national championship.
The 1908–09 Chicago Maroons men's basketball team represented the University of Chicago in intercollegiate basketball during the 1908–09 season. The team finished the season with a 12–0 record and was retroactively named the national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. This was the third consecutive season for which Chicago was later named the Helms national champion. The team played their home games on campus at Frank Dickinson Bartlett Gymnasium.