| Position | Guard-Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 230 lb (100 kg) |
| League | NBA D-League |
| Team | Asheville Altitude |
| Born | November 2, 1978 Peoria, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| College | University of Illinois |
| Pro career | 2001–2002 |
| Career history | Asheville Altitude |
| Awards |
Sergio McClain (born November 2, 1978 in Peoria, Illinois) is a former professional basketball player and NJCAA coach. He was the 1997 winner of the prestigious Illinois Mr. Basketball award.
In high school, Sergio was the star player on one of the top high school teams in the nation, Peoria Manual High School, and led them to an unprecedented four consecutive state titles, a feat that stands alone in the IHSA record book. Sergio was a three time all-state selection, and Conference Player of the Year in 1997. Ultimately, he was named 1997 Illinois Mr. Basketball, receiving 1361 votes. McClain is one of only two players (with teammate Marcus Griffin) to play in a maximum 16 state tournament games and win all of them. The final three championships were won with father Wayne McClain as the head coach. In those 16 games, McClain scored 201 points and grabbed 89 rebounds. In 2007, McClain was voted one of the "100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament," recognizing his superior performance in his appearances in the tournament.[1]
McClain later played for Lon Kruger and Bill Self at the University of Illinois, along with his high school teammates Marcus Griffin and Frank Williams. "The Peoria 3" anchored one of the Big Ten's top teams during their time there and the Illini ultimately earned a number one seed in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Elite 8. His intimidating stature led Illini football coach Ron Turner to approach him about trying out for his team as a linebacker or safety, but after a few practices, McClain decided to focus on basketball.
McClain's father, Wayne, coached Manual High School during its title run, and after Sergio graduated from Illinois, Wayne joined Bill Self's staff as an assistant coach, where he remains to this day under Bruce Weber. Sergio, often referred to as a physical and cerebral player, followed in his father's footsteps, having served as a player-coach in the ABA and was the head coach of the men's basketball program at Parkland College [1] in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois from 2008 - 2009.
Said McClain about his father's influence on him: