Head coach Harry Combes Fighting Illini basketball team returned to their winning ways for the 1964-65 season.

Even though they were not ranked in the pre-season top 20 of college basketball teams, they peaked at #6 during the course of the season in the Associated Press and finished the season ranked #16 in the coaches poll.

It also saw the return of team seniors Tal Brody, Bogie Redmon, Bill McKeown as well as Juniors Don Freeman, Jim Vopicka and Larry Hinton to their lineup.

It also included sophomores Jim Dawson, Bob Johansen and future Dallas Cowboy, Preston Pearson.

The starting lineup included Skip Thoren at the center position, Tal Brody and Jim Dawson at guard and Don Freeman and Bogie Redmon at the forward slots.