Hall of Fame
Former NBA player and coach and current NBC Sports Commentator, Doug Collins is the first recipient of the valley’s “Institutional Great Award”. A consensus 1973 first-team All-American according to nine different publications or voting bodies, Collins is Illinois State’s all-time scoring leader with 2,240 points, averaging 29.1 points per game during his three-year collegiate career.
A first-team Academic All-American in 1973, Collins connected on 82.3 percent (452-of-549) of his free throws during his career (1970-1973). A member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team, the Benton, IL native made two three throws in the final seconds that appeared to give the United States a one-point victory over Russia in the gold medal game.
Collins has also been named to the GTE/College Sports Information of Directors Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Collins, a former NBA No. 1 draft pick, played eight seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers. Following his playing career, he served as head coach for the Chicago Bulls (1986-89) and later served as the head coach and director of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons (1995-97), prior to joining NBC Sports.