Ray Woods

Who was Ray Woods?

Ray James Woods 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, in guiding the school to their first era of basketball dominance. Woods was elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team" in 2004.

Prior to matriculating at the University of Illinois, Woods and his brother Ralf attended Evanston High School in Evanston, Illinois.