8 Evan Settle

Evan Settle was born Evan Evans Settle, Jr. on October 13, 1912, in Kentucky to Evan Evans Settle, Sr. and Eula Walker. He played basketball at Crab Orchard and Owenton high schools, graduating from Owenton before enrolling at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1930. His arrival coincided with Adolph Rupp’s first year in Lexington, placing him at the beginning of a transformative era in Kentucky basketball.

As a freshman in 1930-31, Settle earned a starting position on Kentucky’s freshman basketball team from a field of approximately 80 candidates. His athletic interests extended beyond the court. In April 1931, the Kentucky Kernel reported that he made a hole-in-one on Picadome’s 125-yard third hole and finished the round with a 74, three strokes over par—a glimpse of the golfing ability that would become another important part of his Kentucky career.

A 5-foot-10 guard, Settle began his varsity basketball career as a sophomore in 1931-32. He appeared in one game as the Wildcats finished 15-2 and shared the Southern Conference championship with Maryland. Although his basketball opportunities were limited, he also earned a varsity golf letter, establishing himself as an athlete whose contributions reached across several Kentucky teams.

During his junior season in 1932-33, Settle earned his first basketball letter and appeared in six games. Kentucky finished 21-3, went undefeated in SEC competition, and won the inaugural Southeastern Conference Tournament. That spring, his golf teammates elected him captain. The Kernel identified him as a junior in the College of Education, already combining athletic leadership with preparation for the teaching career that would define his later life.

As a senior in 1933-34, Settle earned another basketball letter and played in 15 games, scoring 19 points. Kentucky completed a perfect 16-0 regular season, including an 11-0 SEC record, before losing to Florida in the conference tournament. His increased playing time capped three varsity seasons under Rupp, with Settle helping provide depth during the program’s early championship years.

The defining basketball achievement of Settle’s Kentucky years came on February 28, 1933, when the Wildcats defeated Mississippi State, 46-27, in Atlanta to win the first SEC Tournament. His broader athletic legacy also took shape on the baseball diamond, where he played second base. The Kentuckian praised his hitting and fielding, particularly his ability to complete double plays. Basketball, baseball, and golf together made him part of a generation of Wildcats who represented Kentucky in multiple sports.

Settle’s campus accomplishments included recognition as an ROTC honor graduate in 1934. After graduating that year, he declined a Cincinnati Reds offer to play Class D baseball and chose coaching in Shelby County. His teaching and coaching career was interrupted by five years in the Army Air Corps, retiring as a major. At Shelbyville High School, he taught algebra and physics during a 28-year career, retiring in 1973. He guided the Red Devils to seven basketball regional championships and three regional titles each in baseball and golf. His influence on generations of students and athletes earned him induction into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2004. Settle died at Jewish Hospital in Shelbyville on June 12, 2006, at age 93. At his death, he was the oldest living Kentucky basketball letterman to have played for Rupp.