Hall of Fame
Eric Palm was the key component in the success of the McKendree men's basketball program in the late 2000s. His knack for consistently hitting long-range shots and his ability to rise to the occasion in big games helped the Bearcats solidify their status as one of the top teams in the American Midwest Conference and the NAIA Division I ranks during that span.
Eric finished his four-year playing career at McKendree by scoring 2,066 points, which ranked fifth in program history at the time of his induction. He was one of just seven players to top the 2,000-point mark for the Bearcats. Eric averaged 15.4 points per game and was able to score in a variety of ways, including through his accuracy both from three-point range and at the free throw line. He closed his McKendree playing career ranked third with 532 made free throws and fourth with 254 three-point field goals. At the foul line, Eric is sixth in career free throw percentage at .851. He also ranks in the Bearcats' career top 10 with 298 assists and 131 steals.
Throughout his career, Eric had several memorable individual performances on the court for McKendree. Perhaps his biggest one came in the Bearcats' regular-season finale at Columbia College in his junior season of 2007-08. With the scored tied in the closing seconds, Eric scored on a driving lay-up and was fouled with three seconds left. He made the free throw to seal a 73-70 victory that gave McKendree the AMC regular-season title and capped a performance that saw Eric score 22 of his game-high 30 points in the second half.
Post-season accolades were plentiful for Eric. He was a two-time first-team All-America selection in NAIA Division I. He also earned the American Midwest Conference Player of the Year award as a junior and senior, and was a three-time, first-team All-Conference honoree. At the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship, Eric helped guide McKendree to the quarterfinals of the 2009 event as a senior and was named to the All-Tournament team. He also received the Charles Stevenson Hustle Award for his efforts in the 2008 event.
