Jim Host loved Mike Pratt, right, as a player when he played for Adolph Rupp. (UK Athletics Photo)
One of the most influential men in college athletics for almost 50 years was Jim Host, founder of Host Communications in 1972, who bought the broadcast rights to Kentucky football and basketball games in 1974.
His sports marketing and management company helped change how colleges handled their media and marketing rights, one reason he is a member of 14 different business and sports Hall of Fames.
Host knew Mike Pratt, the former UK basketball All-American who passed away after a nearly four-year battle with cancer last week at the age of 73, from a business and personal level. He hired Pratt in 2001 to be the analyst on the UK Radio Network broadcasts — a job that was a labor of love for Pratt.
“He was a superior human being. On top of that he had intimate knowledge of the UK program and what it meant to him as a player, other players and Big Blue Nation,” Host said on the Leach Report with Tom Leach, Pratt’s play-by-play partner on the UK Radio Network.
“That’s why I felt for many years that the color analyst on the UK Network needed to be a UK player if possible. We accomplished that with Mike. I always enjoyed being around him.”
Host also had the unique perspective of knowing Pratt as a player when he was an All-American at Kentucky during his playing career from 1967-70 for coach Adolph Rupp. Pratt scored 1,359 points — 16.8 per game — grabbed 718 rebounds — 8.9 per game. He had 29 double-doubles in 81 career games as a 6-4 forward playing with center Dan Issel, UK’s all-time leading scorer.
Kentucky went 71-12 in Pratt’s career, another reason he was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
“The guy was a heck of a player. He was a much greater player than has ever been illustrated in the record books primarily because Dan Issel was so dominant as a player,” Host said. “Mike was so highly thought of by everyone he played with and against.”
“I don’t know a single person I have been involved with that was a better person than Mike Pratt.”
4 Responses
He was an awesome player and student of all that is sports, and Awesome as a person. Gentle but Gritty!
As Student Manager I dealt with Mike daily no more classy person existed he treated me
As an equal
I respected him and we remained friends over
50 years
I miss him so we need to get his jersey retired ASAP has been long overdue 💙
The comments about Mike Pratt’s playing ability on the court being masked by Dan Issel’s dominance is so very true. I think Mike Pratt was also masked his first 3 years by Mike Casey, the 3rd member of that great freshman class.
The 3 of them were one of the greatest recruiting classes this program had ever seen. I recall Memorial being packed during the 67 season to watch this trio play as freshmen while the varsity team struggled to Rupp’s worst season ever, 13-13.The photo that Larry used with this item is my favorite all time UK basketball photograph with the Baron and the trio of Casey-Issel-Pratt.
Retire Pratt’s Jersey!!!!
I believe all three of those jerseys should already be retired.
I think all three should have been retired together