Illinois basketball great George BonSalle has died.
He was 80.
According to an obituary that appeared in the Miami Herald, BonSalle passed away Monday at his home in South Miami.
A three-year starter at center, the Chicago big man led Illinois to a Top 10 national ranking in 1955-56, averaging 19.5 points en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors. In 1956-57 — when he was a senior — BonSalle was declared ineligible midway through the season, derailing a Big Ten title quest for a team that also featured Harv Schmidt, Roger Taylor and Don Ohl. Bon Salle played 14 games that season, averaging 19.