Liberty starred for Chicago King and the University of Illinois before his NBA career.

One could say that as an athlete Marcus LIBERTY was a man of fierce passion, extreme drive, commitment, competitive spirit, vivacious spirit and sheer tenacity – and one would be right. ESPN Magazine hails LIBERTY as one of "Illinois' all-time best players." For years on the court Marcus LIBERTY had been thrilling Fans, yet off the court he yearned for something even greater than the love of the game that consumed every breath for as long as he'd remembered. LIBERTY was just an average student, but one who had an incredible dream. For as long as he could remember, basketball was going to be his lottery ticket out of the Chicago projects he grew up in. He never cared much about school, but knew that his love for the game would be his escape into a new reality far richer than any goal his childhood friends could even imagine.

Though LIBERTY never quite dreamed he would ultimately make it to the NBA he did know that driving the ball to the hoop gave him more happiness, comfort and inner satisfaction than any feeling he received elsewhere in his life. Palming the ball gave him joy, no matter if he played on the wood or on the asphalt. And finding a way to help financially support his family was the only thing that stood competed with his passion. Little did LIBERTY know at the time that his dream would change his life in more ways than just one.

LIBERTY went on to become an all-state player at Martin Luther King High School in Chicago, and led his school to Chicago Public High School League championships in 1986 and 1987, and to an Illinois Class AA state championship in 1986. The first person to ever being named as Tournament Most Valuable Player two consecutive years and to win two tournament scoring titles, "Mr. Basketball" guided Martin Luther King to three Final Fours, their first-ever Proviso West championship title and later went on to capture the State title of that year. Both Sports Illustrated, Parade Magazine and USA Today ranked him the #1 high school player in the country, which led him to be recruited by the University of Illinois where he was selected as a member of the Big 10 Freshmen team and a star leader of the 1989 "Flying Illini" that reached the NCAA Final Four. In 1990, he made an early exit from college when he was recruited in the 2nd round of the 1990 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets and later played for
the Detroit Pistons, playing a total of four seasons in the NBA before additional years in Puerto Rico, Japan, Turkey, Philippines, Sweden, Dominican Republic, Chile, France and Greece.

Read more...

Sergio and teammates hoisting the IHSAA State Championship Trophy.

Sergio McClain (born November 2, 1978 in Peoria, Illinois) was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 1997 while playing for Peoria Manual High School, receiving 1361 votes. Sergio was the star player on one of the most heralded high school teams in the nation in 1997, as he led Peoria Manual to its fourth-consecutive state title, a mark that stands alone in the high school state record book. Sergio was a three time all-state selection, Player of the Year in 1997 in the Mid State 6 Conference, Gatorade Midwest region, and State.

McClain later played for Lon Kruger and Bill Self at the University of Illinois, along with high school teammates Marcus Griffin and Frankie Williams, (a.k.a. "The Peoria 3") where they were one of the Big Ten's top teams annually and ultimately earned a number one seed in 2001, advancing to the Elite 8. McClain's father, Wayne, coached Manual High School during its title run, and after Sergio played for the Illini, Wayne joined Bill Self's staff at the University of Illinois as an assistant coach, where he remains to this day.,

After a brief visit in the NBDL due to injury McClain went back to the University of Illinois and received his degree in Communications in 2002. Sergio, often referred to as a physical and cerebral player, followed in his father's footsteps and went back to Peoria Illinois to become an assistant coach at his alma mater(Peoria Manual). After two years in Peoria he returned to Champaign and worked as an attendance outreach worker at Central High School and 7th grade Franklin Middle School coach in 2005. In the spring, he spent a season in the ABL and then came back to Champaign and volunteered as top asssistant at Central High School in 2006. He then served as a player-coach in the ABA for the Peria Kings 2007-2008, In 2008 he became a Basketball Instructor at Metler athletics before becoming the head coach of the men's basketball program at Parkland College in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois during the 2008-2009 season. He tendered his resignation on April 20, 2009. Currently Sergio is attending school pursuing a Masters in Business at Kaplan University. He is a proud father and continues to help young athletes reach their potential. What Sergio McClain said about his father's influence on him:

"I've been an apprentice to a Jedi my whole life," Sergio said of his father. "Now I've graduated and I'm the Jedi master. Now I have the apprentices