11 Randy Embry

Randy Embry was born August 9, 1943, in Owensboro, Kentucky. Nicknamed “Chick,” he starred at Owensboro High School under former Wildcat Bobby Watson, earning All-America recognition, twice receiving All-State honors and being named Kentucky Mr. Basketball in 1961. Embry scored 1,617 career points, including 777 as a senior and a school-record 50 in one game, before being personally recruited by Adolph Rupp.

The 5-foot-11 guard played three varsity seasons at Kentucky from 1962–63 through 1964–65. Known to Rupp as the “Little Man,” Embry developed into a quick floor leader, long-range shooter and dependable perimeter defender. He scored 393 points, collected 115 rebounds and recorded 66 assists in his Kentucky career, helped the Wildcats win the 1964 Southeastern Conference championship and served as team captain during his senior season.

Embry scored a career-high 20 points against Tulane during the SEC championship campaign and opened his senior season with 16 points in an 85–77 victory over Iowa. His Kentucky career ended with a victory over Alabama, when he and the Wildcats’ other seniors received a standing ovation at Memorial Coliseum. Embry was also a two-sport Wildcat, playing shortstop and third base for Kentucky’s baseball team and batting .303 in 1963.

Embry later built a distinguished coaching career in the Owensboro area, winning 558 basketball games and eight regional championships while also guiding Daviess County to the 1971 state baseball championship. He later worked as a scout for the Miami Heat under former Kentucky teammate Pat Riley and was inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.