Illinois Wesleyan, 1977
• 1976 Academic All-America® First Team
• 1977 Academic All-America® First Team
Jack Sikma was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 1998.
Jack Sikma, a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, was a star basketball player who went on to enjoy a successful NBA career after graduating.
Sikma was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 1977 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first season he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Over the remainder of his NBA career Sikma was elected to seven All-Star Games and won an NBA championship for the 1978-79 season as a member of the Sonics. Sikma concluded his NBA career as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks from 1986-91.
He holds the honor of leading the league in free throw percentage as a center, shooting an astounding 92.2% from the charity stripe and while averaging 84.9% over the course of his career. He led the league two times in defensive rebounds throughout his career (1981-82, 1983-84).
Sikma moved on to the coaching ranks after finishing his playing days in the league. He started out working as an assistant with his former team, the Sonics. He later worked as an assistant for the Houston Rockets, a job he took in 2007, acting as a tutor for Yao Ming in “big man” playing strategies.