Lowell Hamilton facts for kids

Lowell Hamilton (born May 3, 1966) is an American former basketball player. He was a talented center known for his strong play in high school and college. Hamilton helped his teams achieve great success, including a state championship and a trip to the NCAA Final Four.

High School Basketball Star

Lowell Hamilton was an amazing basketball player at Providence St. Mel School in Chicago. He led his team, the Knights, to many victories. From 1982 to 1985, they won four straight sectional championships in Illinois. They also reached the "Elite-Eight" (top 8 teams) three times in a row.

Winning a State Championship

In 1984, Hamilton's team made it to the "Final-Four" (top 4 teams). The next year, in 1985, they won the state championship! This was a huge achievement for the Knights. In his four years, Hamilton's teams won 116 games and only lost 14. That's an amazing winning percentage of 89.2%!

Tournament Highlights

Lowell scored 165 points in 11 state tournament games, averaging 15 points per game. He was named to the all-tournament team as a center in 1983, 1984, and 1985. During his senior year, the Knights were ranked #1 in Illinois. They dominated the state championship game, winning 95 to 63. Hamilton scored 21 points in that final game.

Becoming an All-American

After his senior season, Lowell Hamilton was chosen as a McDonald's All-American. This means he was one of the best high school players in the entire country. He played in the 1985 McDonald's All-American game, scoring 13 points. In 2007, the Illinois High School Association honored him as one of the "100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament."

College Career at Illinois

After high school, Hamilton played college basketball for the University of Illinois from 1985 to 1989. He was a key player for the Fighting Illini.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

As a freshman in the 1985–86 season, Hamilton played in 24 games. He scored 88 points and grabbed 41 rebounds. In his sophomore year (1986–87), his playing time increased a lot. He started 22 out of 31 games and averaged 10.8 points per game. He also had the second-most blocked shots on the team with 31.

The "Flyin' Illini" Team

During his junior year (1987–88), new talented players joined the team. This meant Hamilton's starting role changed, but he still contributed a lot. He averaged 10 points per game and was third in blocked shots.

His senior year (1988–89) was very special. Hamilton was a vital part of the famous "Flyin' Illini" team. This team made it all the way to the NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four. Hamilton started 33 games and played in all 36 that season. He was third in scoring with 13.6 points per game and second in rebounding with 5.7 rebounds per game. He also had 31 blocked shots. His strong play helped the team average 86.4 points per game, which was their highest since 1966. Hamilton was a co-captain of this exciting team.

Overall, Lowell Hamilton scored 1,241 points in his college career. He also had 87 blocked shots and a great shooting percentage of .534.

Honors and Achievements

High School Honors

• 1983 – IHSA All-Tournament Team
• 1984 – IHSA All-Tournament Team
• 1984 – Parade Magazine 2nd Team All-American
• 1985 – All-State 1st Team
• 1985 – IHSA All-Tournament Team
• 1985 – Parade Magazine 1st Team All-American
• 1985 – McDonald's All-American
• 1998 – Inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame
• 2007 – Named one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament

College Honors

• 1987 – Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
• 1989 – Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
• 1989 – Team Captain

College Statistics