CHAMPAIGN – There he was, sitting along on the concrete floor with his back against the wall. Deon Thomas, the program’s all-time leading scorer, had just finished his college basketball career in Oklahoma City in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. A loss to Georgetown ended it.

It was 1994. Looking at Thomas slumped there against that wall down the tunnel from the court had the feeling of finality.

It seemed so sad for a player so heralded, so surrounded by controversy early in his Illinois basketball career. Nobody scored more points than Thomas, who carried the Illini for four seasons after the NCAA hit the Illini with recruiting sanctions, in part because of an investigation into the recruitment of Thomas.

Nothing was found directly with Thomas, but the Illini were slapped with a lack of institutional control. Throughout his Illini career, Thomas always found himself in the middle of a crowd of reporters. This time, he was alone. The few of us spoke with him briefly, thanked him for all of his time spent with us and walked away.

Thomas’ time with the Illini was done – until Wednesday. The athletic department announced Thomas would join the Illini Radio Network as the color analyst, replacing the retired Jerry Hester. A former junior college coach who also spent the last two seasons on the staff at Illinois-Chicago, Thomas will bring insight to the microphone, and it will be great to hear his calm voice again.

There have been cameo appearances over the years, but the former star is finally back home again.

“I’m an Illini,’’ Thomas said. “Anything I can do to help the situation. It’s the radio. There’s no huge financial gain to it. What I can bring back is not just a personality during games but being able to interact with players now and incoming players. I can help them understand what you should expect and what you should expect of yourself.’’

After redshirting his first season in Champaign, Thomas quickly became a Big Ten Conference star. A three-time Illini MVP and four-time all-Big Ten selection, Thomas is still the only player in program history to surpass 2,000 points in his career by scoring 2,129. He finished as the school’s second-leading rebounder with 846, a total that still ranks him fourth. He also was the school’s all-time leader with 177 blocks, though he now stands second.

Thomas wore the No. 25 jersey to extend the tradition of Simeon players in the number worn by former prep star Ben Wilson. Thomas lived up to the hype of that prestigious number. When Thomas was done with it, his career was so memorable it was a no-brainer to hang it above the Illini court.

Undersized for the NBA, Thomas made a name for himself and a career in Europe, playing overseas for 14 seasons. When he returned to the United States, Thomas coached basketball and served as athletic director at Lewis & Clark College, a community college in Godfrey, just north of Alton.

After the last two seasons with UIC, Thomas was ready to step back, enjoy time with his two daughters and allow his wife the opportunity to chase some dreams she’s put on hold.

His wife, Dafna, is an Israeli Thomas met during the final years of his playing career.

“She’d done a lot before I tied her down,’’ Thomas said. “She’d traveled extensively around the world. She was a young professional. She had owned her own business at 21. She’s quite fascinating. I’m blessed to have met her. She’s put herself and her life on hold for me and our daughters.’’

Thomas oldest daughter, Gabrielle, is a junior at Nequa Valley High School in Naperville. She’s a budding star, her father said, and one reason why Thomas doesn’t mind sitting on the sidelines this fall rather than coaching.

“She’s expecting to have a breakout year, which is one of the reasons I wanted to step away from coaching,’’ Thomas said. “She has her dreams. She wants to play college ball. She’s joked with me. She wants to hang her name right next to mine in the (State Farm Center) rafters. It’s incumbent on me as a father to do everything I can.’’

Liel Thomas is a seventh grader who is the volleyball player in the Thomas household. She’s also got her father’s height, already standing 5-foot-9 as a 12-year old.

Of course, Thomas would “never say never’’ to getting back into coaching with the right opportunity, but he doesn’t want anyone looking over his shoulder. Illini coach John Groce had plenty of chances to hire Thomas already. It’s easy to wonder how the school’s all-time leading scorer from Simeon could help the program.

But Thomas is content in his current position as radio analyst while also working for the Big Ten Network as a studio analyst.

Returning to the Illini as a coach “has always been a goal of mine,’’ Thomas said. “It’s a goal of any player that loves their institution as much as I do. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m lurking around waiting from somebody to lose their position. That’s not the case. If you love something, you want to make it the best it can be.’’

But, Thomas said, “I love the game. The right situation will get me back into it. Right now, I need to take a little time for my family.’’

As a player, Thomas did his best work near the basket. At this point in his life after years working with junior-college and Division I players, he’s happy working from perimeter.

“I want to be in the business of helping young people grow, which is the reason I got into coaching,’’ Thomas said. “I wanted to get in there. This allows me that avenue as well.’’

Thomas felt he could help the Illini make better decisions. Last year, Illinois made as much news off the court with arrests as they did it on the floor while failing to reach the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.

“Particularly after things that happened last year,’’ Thomas said. “That’s not John, that’s not what John’s staff is about. When we were kids, we were told we were in the limelight every time we walked out of our dorm rooms or the classroom. We weren’t the same as everyone else. That’s what they told us. There’s a little bit more expected of you.’’

Thomas looks forward to serving as a mentor to his children and perhaps a few Illini along the way. For now, that keeps him satisfied on the sidelines while working gigs as a basketball analyst. For Thomas and those who know him well, it’s great to see him back with the Illini.

John Supinie is a columnist for Orangeandbluenews.com. During the day, he’s an Audi Brand Specialist at Green Audi in Springfield. Call or text him at 217-377-1977 if you’re looking for an Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota or preowned car. Ask for the Illini deal.