This week marked 33 years since one of the greatest Hawkeye basketball players of all time passed away.
Christopher Michael "Chris" Street was born on Groundhog Day — Feb. 2, 1972. He grew up with his parents, Mike and Patty, and younger sisters, Sarah and Betsy, outside Humeston in southern Iowa.
>> WATCH: 40 FOREVER: The story of Iowa basketball legend Chris Street
Sarah says her brother was always active — playing Wiffle Ball, basketball, whatever they could. He also loved the outdoors, taking advantage of any time he could spend hunting or fishing with his family.
Before his junior season at Indianola, Chris verbally committed to play basketball for the University of Iowa. His decision was, at the time, the earliest commitment ever to the Hawkeye basketball program.
Chris enrolled at Iowa in the fall of 1990. His teammate Wade Lookingbill said he was a standout from the start. "In the pre-cellphone, pre-internet days, they wanted to bring the freshmen in slowly. But Chris could have started right away. In fact, I think by his fourth or fifth game, he was starting."
Chris ended up starting 15 games that year, and kept a lock on his starting forward position his entire sophomore season. He ended that year third in the Big Ten Conference in rebounding and was voted all-conference honorable mention.
During Chris' junior year, he etched his name in the record books. At 6 feet 8 inches tall, Chris worked tirelessly to become a better free-throw shooter. During that season, Chris knocked down a school-record 34 consecutive throws — the final two during a heated game at Duke.
Three days later, Chris left a team dinner at The Highlander Inn hotel. On Jan. 19, 1993, his car was struck broadside by a snowplow coming off of Interstate 80. He was killed instantly.
WATCH: 40 FOREVER: The story of Iowa basketball legend Chris Street
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