Ray James Woods (February 2, 1895 – October 1965) was an American college basketball standout for Illinois in the 1910s. A guard, Woods helped lead the Fighting Illini to two Big Ten Conference championships in 1915 and 1917, with the former being an undefeated 16–0 season that resulted in a retroactive national championship. In all three seasons he played at the school, Woods was named an All-American and was honored as the Helms Foundation National Player of the Year as a senior in 1916–17. He was Illinois' first-ever All-American in basketball and teamed up with his brother, Ralf (a forward), in guiding the school to their first era of basketball dominance.
Honors
1917 – Helms National Player of the Year 1915, 1916, 1917 – First Team All-American 1915, 1916, 1917 – First-team All-Big Ten 2004 – Elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team" September 13, 2008 – Honored jersey which hangs in the State Farm Center to show regard for being the most decorated basketball players in the University of Illinois' history.
Statistics SeasonGamesPointsPPGBig Ten recordOverall recordPostseason1914–1516583.6Helms Foundation National ChampionsPremo-Porretta National ChampionsBig Ten Conference Champions1915–1616523.25 –1916–1716382.4Big Ten Conference ChampionsTotals481483.1
References