Chris Lofton certainly deserves to have his jersey retired when Vols host UK

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Chris Lofton was Kentucky's Mr. Basketball while playing at Mason County but was not recruited by Kentucky or Louisville. (Tennessee Athletics Photo)

Former Mason County star Chris Lofton will have his No. 5 jersey retired by Tennessee when the Vols host Kentucky Jan. 14. The all-time SEC 3-point leader and former All-American will join Bernard King, Ernie Grunfeld, Allan Houston and Dale Ellis as the only players to have a jersey retired.

Lofton led Mason County to the 2003 state championship and the 2004 state title game. He was also named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 2004 but he was not recruited by Kentucky.

Oscar Combs, Cats’ Pause founder and member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, thinks it is a well deserved honor for Lofton.

“I’ll say it again. Chris may have been the biggest recruiting mistake ever by UK of an instate star that I can remember. Appropriately, the UT honor will come when UK visits Knoxville on Jan. 14,” Combs said.

Lofton earned All-America honors during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons at Tennessee and was named the 2007 SEC Player of the Year. He scored 2,131 career points, still the fourth most in Tennessee history. He hit more than 100 3’s during each of his final three seasons and finished his career with 431 makes, third best in NCAA history when he graduated. He hit .422 percent from long range in his career.

Lofton was diagnosed with cancer at the end of his junior season but he never revealed he had undergone radiation treatments until after his career ended. He started all 36 games his senior season when the Vols reached No. 1 in the Associated Press for the first time in school history.

One Response

  1. Lofton was an unbelieveably talented high school player. He knew the game like a veteran coach, made big plays on defense as well as offense, and was a team player. Had a nose for being in the right place at the right time. Pressure never seemed to matter.
    I never understood why UK did not beat a path to his house. Of course I’m sure they wish they had during his senior year at UT.

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