1980-81 Arby’s University of Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Card Team Set
1980-81 Arby’s University of Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Card Team Set
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The 1980-81 Arby’s University of Illinois Fighting Illini basketball card team set provides the opportunity to get the first cards of Hall of Fame Coach Lou Henson and former NBA Standouts Derek Harper and Eddie Johnson.
The Overview
Join me on a trip in the “way back machine”. We’re going all the way to 1980 when the State Farm Center was the Assembly Hall, the Chief danced at halftime, the shorts were short, and the socks were high.
The local Arby’s Roast Beef restaurants sponsored a basketball card team set for the Illini. It included 10 players, 4 staff, and 1 team photo for a total of 15 cards. If you look closely at the team photo, there are 12 players pictured. It seems Mitch Arnold and Sherrod Arnold did not get individual cards.
Notable Names in the Set
1980-81 Arby’s Fighting Illini Team Card
Yes, every Illini player has a special place in our heart, but let’s take a look a few names those outside the Illini Nation may be familiar with.
Derek Harper
Derek Harper’s first basketball card is found in the set. After three years at Illinois, Harper was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks as the 11th pick of the 1983 draft. He went on to play 16 seasons in the NBA and is thought of as one of the best players to never be selected for the All-Star Team. At times this can be a tough card to find, but it often sells on eBay for $20-$30.
Eddie Johnson
Eddie Johnson is another former NBA player who also got his first card in this set. After a standout Illini career, he played 17 seasons in the NBA. Like Harper, he never made an All-Star team. He played in 1,199 games and scored 19,202 points putting him at 62nd in the all-time scoring list.
1980-81 Arby’s Fighting Illini Lou Henson
Coach Lou Henson
Coach Henson had a Hall of Fame coaching career and is the winningest coach in Fighting Illini history. I remember watching his orange sport coat roaming the sideline as a young fan. He’s one of my favorites and this card is the first of only four Lou Henson basketball cards. You can find one for about $10-$15 on eBay.
Mark Smith
Smith had a standout career at U of I and was the first player in team history to record a triple double on Feb 1st, 1979.
1980-81 Arby’s Illinois Derek Harper
James Griffin
Derek Harper
Lou Henson
Derek Holcomb
Eddie Johnson
Bryan Leonard
Dick Nagy
Perry Range
Quinn Richardson
Mark Smith
Neale Stoner
Craig Tucker
Tony Yates
Team Photo
Front and Back images of the 1980-81 Arby’s Illini Basketball Card team set