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After a successful collegiate and professional basketball career, Steve Henson begins his coaching debut this season as the newest member to Lon Kruger's staff. This marks a reunion with Kruger, for whom Henson played under at Kansas State from 1987-90.
Henson serves many roles as an assistant, including on-the-floor coaching, scouting, administrative aspects related to recruiting, and organizing and coordinating the highly successful Fighting Illini summer basketball camps.
Henson, who hails from McPherson, Kansas, etched his name into the history books as one of Kansas State's all-time greatest athletes. He was a four year starting guard who was the first player in KSU history to play in four NCAA tournaments. Henson averaged nearly 20 points per game his junior and senior seasons as he racked up All-Big Eight and honorable mention All-American honors. He was a deadly scorer from anywhere on the floor, making 44.7 percent of his threes and shooting 44.2 from the field. Above all he was automatic from the free throw line, averaging 90 percent for his career. Henson was only the second player in school history (Kruger was the first) to win the program's most inspirational player award three times. He left Kansas State with 11 Big Eight records and 21 school records. Even more impressive was the fact that Henson spent the offseasons competing in the decathlon for the K-State track team.
After earning his kinesiology degree in May of 1990, Henson was drafted in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks. He spent two seasons with the Bucks before moving on to the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets.
He spent 1994 with CBA franchises in Rapid City and Fargo, before jumping back into the NBA with the Portland Trailblazers. Henson then spent two seasons in Europe, starring for Virtus Rome, before coming back to the U.S. to play for the Detroit Pistons. He finished his professional career with Scavolini Pesaro in Europe in the spring of 1999, prior to accepting the coaching position with the Illini.
Steve and his wife Cindy live in Champaign with their two sons Quinton and Pearson.
The Henson File
Graduated - Kansas State, 1990
Professional Playing Experience:
| 1990-99 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1992 | LaCrosse Catbirds (CBA) |
| 1992-93 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1993 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 1994-94 | Rapid City Thrillers (CBA) |
| 1994 | Fargo Fever (CBA) |
| 1994-95 | Portland Trailblazers |
| 1995-97 | Virtus Rome (Europe) |
| 1997-98 | Grand Rapids Hoops (CBA) |
| 1998-99 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1999 | Scavolini Pesaro (Europe) |
