Who is the best boys basketball player from Peoria?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: The high school athletes and sports figures who shaped and helped define communities.
First, we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports. The list for Peoria’s all-time football players is here.
Here are the stars of the hardwood. These are our selections for the boys basketball players who defined Peoria. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and professional levels.
We even saved a spot for you to submit a write-in candidate that we may have overlooked or that you feel strongly about.
Doug Altenberger, Richwoods
The 1982 grad scored 55 points in his final regular-season game to capture the Mid-State 10 Conference scoring title with 27.0 points a game. He averaged 9.2 rebounds and shot 60 percent from the field. His 1,522 points put him at No. 6 all-time on the M-S 10 career list. Altenberger went on to star at Illinois where he scored 1,271 career points over five seasons and 132 games. The all-Big Ten Conference third-team pick was the 1985 Fighting Illini team MVP. Altenberger was then selected by the Chicago Bulls in the sixth round — 125th overall — of the 1987 NBA draft.
David Booth, Manual
The 1988 grad helped lead the Rams to three consecutive Class AA state finals. His senior season featured a state third-place finish where he led the Mid-State 10 Conference in scoring (23.0) and rebounding (11.0). Booth continued his playing career at DePaul where he became the first-ever player to have 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 blocks. His 1,933 points remains as No. 2 all-time in DePaul program history. Booth went on to play professionally for 13 seasons overseas. He currently serves as the NBA Vice President of Basketball Operations.
A.J. Guyton, Peoria High
The 1996 grad was a consensus all-stater, averaging 23.8 points and 4.8 rebounds during his senior year. He went to star at Indiana where he was the 2000 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and a first-team all-American, posting 19.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists a game. Guyton scored 2,100 career points and left the Hoosiers as the program’s fourth all-time leading scorer. He was then selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round — 32nd overall — of the 2000 NBA draft. Guyton played in 80 NBA career games with the Bulls and Golden State Warriors.
Shaun Livingston, Peoria High
The 2004 grad led Central to back-to-back Class AA state championships (2003-2004), being named Illinois Mr. Basketball, Parade All-American and a McDonald’s All-American. During his senior season, the 6-foot-7 point guard averaged 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists as a Duke commit. Livingston decided to forgo the Blue Devils and was highest-ever drafted prep point guard — No. 4 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. He overcame a devastating knee injury to play 14 NBA seasons and become a 3x NBA champion (2015, 2017-18) with the Golden State Warriors.
Sergio McClain, Manual
The 1997 grad left Manual as the only four-year starter in IHSA history with a perfect postseason record (32-0) and four consecutive Class AA state titles (1994-97). He was named Illinois Mr. Basketball and Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, averaging 18.0 points and 5.7 rebounds for the No. 1-ranked team in the final USA TODAY national boys basketball rankings. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward and teammate Marcus Griffin went on to play for Illinois. During his senior season, McClain and the Fighting Illini were the No. 1 seed and made a run to the 2001 Elite Eight.
Howard Nathan, Manual
The 1991 grad was the first player from Peoria to be named Illinois Mr. Basketball as well as play in the NBA. Nathan led the Rams to a 1991 Class AA state second-place finish. He averaged 19.7 points and 4.5 assists in his senior season. The 5-foot-10 guard was named a 1991 McDonald’s All-American. Nathan played a season at DePaul before landing at Louisiana-Monroe two years later. He averaged 14.0 points and 7.8 assists in his final Division-I campaign. Nathan signed two 10-day contracts with the Atlanta Hawks, playing five games during the 1995-96 season.
Chris Reynolds, Peoria High
The 1989 grad was a two-time all-Mid-State 9 Conference guard, leading Central to the 1989 Class AA state runner-up finish. He was a consensus all-state selection and an all-American, who played in the McDonald’s all-star game. Reynolds went on to play at Indiana, winning Big Ten Conference championships in 1991 and 1993. He was also a member of the 1992 Final Four team. Reynolds ranks among the top 15 in Indiana history in career steals (135) and career assists (356). Reynolds has served as the head of the Bradley University athletics department since 2015.
Mike Robinson Jr., Richwoods
The 1996 grad left the Knights as Peoria’s all-time leading scorer and sixth-best in state history with 2,944 career points. He passed his dad, Mike Robinson Sr. for the scoring crown. Robinson Jr. averaged 30.0 points and 10.0 rebounds as a senior, finishing his four-year career with a 26.5 point per game average. He was ranked the No. 1 high school player in 1996 by SLAM Magazine, named Parade and McDonald’s all-American as well as the Midwest Region Gatorade Player of the Year. Robinson Jr. scored 1,322 points and grabbed 658 rebounds from 1996-2000 at Purdue.
Chris Williams, Richwoods
The 1975 grad became the first Mid-State 9 Conference in the 17-year history of the league to be named all-conference three times. He averaged 24.3 points and 12.5 rebounds his senior year. This came after a junior campaign where the 6-foot-5 forward put up 21.9 points and 11.6 rebounds a game. As a sophomore, ‘Sugar’ came on the Peoria hoops scene by averaging 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds a game. Williams completed his career as Peoria’s all-time leading scorer with 1,869 points, averaging 21.5 points in 87 career games with the Knights.
Frank Williams, Manual
The 1998 grad was a part of the 1996 and 1997 Class AA state championship teams, earning all-tournament teams honors each season. As a senior, the 6-foot-3 point guard averaged 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in being named a McDonald’s All-American and Illinois Mr. Basketball. The 2001 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year scored 1,440 career points at Illinois. Williams was then selected by the New York Knicks in the first round — 25th overall — of the 2002 NBA draft. He played in 86 games with the Knights and Chicago Bulls in three seasons from 2002-2005.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Vote for who is Peoria’s all-time best boys basketball player
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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