Mike Pratt is not only in the UK Athletics Hall of Fame and Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame but also in the Ohio Sports Hall of Fame. (Ohio Sports Hall of Fame Photo)
I am so glad that the University of Kentucky is hosting a public memorial service for former UK All-American and long-time UK Radio Network analyst Mike Pratt on Aug. 5 at 1 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum.
Pratt, 73, passed away on June 16 after a 2 1/2-year battle with cancer and his death touched everyone in Big Blue Nation because Pratt was so beloved by his former teammates, current UK players, other former players who knew him and almost every UK fan who knew him or had listened to him on radio for 20 years with Tom Leach.
Pratt’s family deserves and needs this celebration of life to fully understand just what this former All-American meant to Kentucky basketball and why so many people were proud to call him a friend.
Dan Issel, UK’s all-time leading scorer and Pratt’s teammate, is expected to speak. The two have been friends for over 50 years and did a week day morning radio show together in Louisville.
Another former teammate, Jimmy Dan Conner, will speak along with UK coach John Calipari, who loved and respected Pratt for many reasons.
Pratt’s brother, Patrick, and Pratt’s stepdaughter, Christina Stone, are also expected to speak at the service.
Leach will be the master of ceremonies for the event on a day that will not be easy for him. Leach somehow managed to do his morning radio show a few hours after Pratt’s passing and the tribute that day was fantastic.
Pratt finished his UK career with 1,359 points and 718 rebounds while playing with Issel, a scoring machine. He averaged nearly a double-double — 16.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
He was a two-time first-team all-SEC pick by the league coach and helped the Cats win three SEC championships. His senior season UK ended the regular season ranked No. 1. Pratt (1967-70) was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
However, most UK fans know Pratt from his insightful work on the radio. He had his own style. He was never overly critical but he could analyze a game like few others. I loved that he could point out not only what a team was doing right but what needed fixing even if UK was winning.
He never ripped players but also didn’t mince words if a player was not playing well.
Pratt was curtsied for 558 UK wins and was as happy as any player when Kentucky won the 2012 national title.
Personally, I loved exchanging grandfather stories with Pratt but there was also no one better for talking UK basketball with than Pratt and I will miss that for a long, long time.
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Fans attending Pratt’s memorial should enter through the Memorial Coliseum entrances adjacent to Lexington Ave. beginning at noon. Parking is available at the Joe Craft Center/Memorial Coliseum lot or at the Cornerstone parking garage for $2 per hour at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Limestone Drive.
4 Responses
We were teammates for 2 years He was the star I was the Manager he treated me as an equal
I will miss him every time the Wildcats play
Rest In Peace Prattman 💙💙💙
He was an idol as kid listening to games on the radio. I was lucky enough to get to know him in later life. He was a true Gentleman, and a Wildcat through and through. Gog Bless you Mike, and your family.
Well said Gene
During the 30 yrs. that I was honored to direct Ohio’s UK Convention, we had numerous, awesome speakers. Mike Pratt participated three times in our Convention, once with Mike Casey and twice with Tom Leach. Mike certainly became a fan favorite.
God Bless Mike and his family; see you again, Mike, in Big Blue Heaven.
Jim Porter
Franklin, OH