Though the borough of Brooklyn, N.Y., is best known as the longtime home of professional baseball’s Dodgers, its most prolific contribution traditionally has come from high school basketball. Brooklyn’s Boys High School, located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, has produced an amazing collection of prep stars who went on to become world famous, including Hall of Famers Connie Hawkins and Lenny Wilkens.
Bill Burwell, another standout player from Boys High, became a prominent member of the University of Illinois’ 1963 Big Ten champions. At 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, Burwell was, by far, the biggest Illini player on coach Harry Combes’ squad.