Kentucky coach Mark Pope called UK All-American Vernon Hatton a trailblazer. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Vernon Hatton was an All-American at Kentucky for coach Adolph Rupp and scored 30 points in the 1958 national championship game win over Elgin Baylor-led Seattle.
He also known for his dramatic half-court shot that forced a third overtime in a victory over Temple.
Hatton was drafted ninth in the 1958 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals and played four years total with four different teams.
He was Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 1954 after a standout career at Lexington Lafayette High School.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope shared the news that Hatton had passed at age 91 after UK’s win over Troy in the NCAA Tournament Friday night.
“With that said, talk about this BBN community, I heard this. Am I allowed to say this? So you think about tough things. The great Vernon Hatton, he’s a legend, all-time legend at University of Kentucky. He passed away just before the game. I just heard that after the game,” Pope said.
“I had a chance to go spend some time with him a couple weeks ago, and maybe we spent — (UK associate athletics director) Mark Hill and I got to go. I don’t know if we spent an hour with him and listened to stories. I could have spent day after day after day.
“What an amazing trailblazer he is and a great member of the BBN community and what a great legendary basketball player he was. He was also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a trailblazer in the game of basketball for me and Kentucky in that way.
“It’s just an example. I mean, he is just a beautiful human being and gave so much to this state and this community. So we’ll mourn his loss also. That’s BBN. There’s a whole lot of goodness.”
5 Responses
My dad talked about him a lot. He was just a little before my time.
Was there not a picture of Vernon Hatton to lead the story?
No, we did not have one of him.
Thanks for letting me know.
My mom and dad talked about him alot. He won Mr Ky the year that I was born so I grew up bleeding blue. He can watch the cats with my mom and dad from heaven- I am sure that they never miss a game!!