42 Dan Perry

Dan Perry was born Daniel Kaye Perry on September 22, 1951, in Lima, Ohio to Louise and Herman Perry. A 6-foot-8 forward at Shawnee High School, he averaged 28 points and 15 rebounds as a senior. His three biggest scoring games were 47, 50 and a school-record 52 points, the latter coming on 19 field goals and 14 free throws. Perry initially signed with Kent State but changed his mind after visiting Lexington and signed with Kentucky on April 20, 1969.

Freshmen were not yet eligible for varsity competition when Perry arrived at Kentucky. Playing for the freshman team in 1969–70, he appeared in 22 games, started 18 and scored 213 points while collecting 133 rebounds. Known for his high-arching jump shot, he averaged approximately 10 points and six rebounds, shot 48 percent from the field and scored a season-high 25 points against Tennessee.

Perry’s promising career was soon disrupted by chronic knee trouble. Cartilage surgery and problems with both knees prevented him from playing during his sophomore season, denying Kentucky a tall outside shooter whom assistant coach Joe B. Hall had considered a valuable addition to the Wildcats.

As a junior in 1971–72, Perry faced another medical setback when he was diagnosed with pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart. After missing several weeks, he appeared in 10 varsity games during Adolph Rupp’s final season as Kentucky’s head coach, playing 43 minutes and scoring eight points.

Perry’s knee problems returned and kept him from playing as a senior. Although injuries sharply limited his career on the court, he completed four years at Kentucky and was honored with the K-Men’s Scholastic Award as an outstanding four-year scholar. He also received a 101 Senior Appreciation Award.

Perry’s most memorable varsity contribution came in his Kentucky debut at Kansas State on December 6, 1971. He scored four crucial points on the road and earned a place in the starting lineup for the Wildcats’ next game against Indiana. The performance offered a glimpse of the player Perry might have become without the succession of knee and health problems that shaped his college career.

Following graduation, Perry attended the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and became a dentist. He established a dental practice in Troy, Ohio, and was preparing to return to Lima when he died in April 1982 from self-inflicted carbon-monoxide asphyxia. He was buried in Shawnee Cemetery in Lima.