13 Ned Jennings

Ned Jennings was born Ned Glenn Jennings on October 8, 1938, in Carlisle, Kentucky, to Robert and Geneva Jennings. At Nicholas County High School, he earned a place on the 1957 Kentucky Sweet Sixteen all-tournament team before moving on to Kentucky.

Jennings joined Kentucky’s freshman team in 1957-58. An emergency appendectomy sidelined him for eight games, beginning a frustrating pattern of interruptions to his college career.

His sophomore season in 1958-59 brought more setbacks. An eye injury and a sprained ankle limited his opportunities, with the ankle keeping him out of the final nine regular-season games.

As a junior in 1959-60, Jennings became Kentucky’s second-leading rebounder with 162. Another ankle injury nevertheless cost him three important SEC games late in the season.

Jennings enjoyed his strongest season as a senior in 1960-61, averaging 11.5 points and 8.9 rebounds while appearing in all 28 games. Kentucky reached the NCAA regional final, beating Morehead State before falling to top-ranked Ohio State.

His signature scoring performance came against Kansas, when he scored 27 points in Kentucky’s 77-72 overtime victory on December 14, 1959. A year later, on December 13, 1960, he led Kentucky with 19 points in a 70-65 upset of fifth-ranked North Carolina at Greensboro Coliseum. It was the schools’ first meeting with both teams ranked in the Associated Press poll.

Jennings graduated with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and remained connected to Kentucky through the K-Men Association. The New York Knicks selected him 102nd overall in the 1961 NBA Draft. He later worked in management and retired from Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Jennings died on January 19, 2008, at age 69 after a brief battle with cancer.