30 Tommy Kron

Tommy Kron was born Thomas Miller Kron on February 28, 1943, in Owensboro, Kentucky, to Willard Maxwell “Max” Kron and Mary Mason Kron.  His father, a plant manager for General Electric , formerly played professional baseball with the Louisville Colonels.  Kron was born in Owensboro, Kentucky but his family moved to Tell City, Indiana before he had entered the first grade.

He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky under the legendary coach Adolph Rupp from 1963 to 1966. Standing at 6’5″ and weighing 200 pounds, Tommy was known for his versatility and skill on the court.

Kron played for the legendary Orlando “Gunner” Wyman at Tell City High School in Tell City, Indiana where he led the Marksmen to 4 Sectional and 3 Regional titles.  He led them to the Indiana Final Four during his junior season (1960–61). The Marksmen lost their semi-final matchup to the Indianapolis Manual Redskins, starring the Van Arsdale Twins, Dick Van Arsdale and Tom Van Arsdale. He was named All-State and an Indiana All-Star in 1962.  He posted a 16-point average and collected rebounds at a 12-per-game clip.  He was also a second-team All-State quarterback in football and his team’s most valuable player in both sports.  He was a state finalist in high hurdles in track and a leading hitter for two years in baseball.  He scored 1,073 points in his three-year career at Tell City.

When Kron was in elementary school, he wrote coach Adolph Rupp expressing interest in playing for the college basketball powerhouse. On April 13, 1962, he signed a grant-in-aid with Kentucky with Coach Rupp in attendance.  He joined Larry Conley and Mickey Gibson in that year’s recruiting class.  The three were referred to as the Katzenjammer Kids. Word on the street is that Rupp dubbed them that due to their energetic play, their spirited antics on the court, and their tendency to chat incessantly.

During his time at Kentucky, Tommy was a key member of the Wildcats and played a significant role in leading the team to two SEC championships in the 1963-64 and 1965-66 seasons. As a senior, he was part of the famous “Rupp’s Runts” team that reached the NCAA Championship Finals in 1966, where they faced Texas Western. Tommy played alongside notable teammates such as Pat Riley, Thad Jaracz, and Louie Dampier.

As a freshman, Kron was the second-leading scorer on the freshman team with a 16.3 per game average and second-leading rebounder with 140.  Fans will never forget his performance against the Tennessee freshmen in 1963. He put on a one-man show out of necessity as ineligibility had sidelined three other scholarship starters. When teammate Larry Lentz fouled out with three minutes to go, Kron had to hold the fort with three “students.” He controlled the ball most of the time and finished up with 18 points.

As a sophomore, Kron gained fame as the “‘point’’ man in Coach Adolph Rupp’s specially-concocted, 1-3-1 defensive alignment that carried the Wildcats to the SEC title.  He was ideally suited for assignment with exceptionally quick reactions and unusual height (6-5) for a guard.  Although highly-regarded at the start of his sophomore campaign based on his schoolboy fame at Tell City (Ind.) High and his performance as runner-up in UK freshman scoring, Kron encountered early difficulties in making the grade as a varsity man due to ineffective scoring.  He seemed destined to be relegated to the bench until he blossomed into a defensive star in the Sugar Bowl Tournament finals against Duke.  With Kentucky having difficulty as the result of the terrific outside shooting (24 points) of Duke’s great Jeff Mullins, Rupp played a hunch and inserted Kron.  He proceeded to shut off Mullins with just one more field goal in the last 13 1/2 minutes to enable UK to win.  Kron picked up a starting job again when Rupp installed the ‘‘point’’ defense five games later against Tennessee.  Kron started in place of Randy Embry in 12 of the last 13 games.  He was the star of Kentucky’s final league game of the year at Knoxville in the surprising role of an offensive standout who led all scorers with 17 points (his season high) and broke up the Tennessee Vols’ super stall to clinch a 21st SEC title for the Ruppmen.  He won the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy as the team’s most accurate free throw shooter with an 82.3% mark (28 of 34).

Standing 6’5”, Kron was one of the taller guards in the nation. As a senior, he was second on the team in rebounding, grabbing 240 for an average of 8.3 a game. Kron was the quarterback of the club. He called the plays and set up the team on offense. On defense, he played at the point of Rupp’s patent zone. When Kentucky used a man-to-man defense, Kron was given the task of guarding the opponent’s high scorer.

Upon graduation from Kentucky, Kron had scored 719 points, grabbed 500 rebounds, and dished out 132 assists. In 1964–65 he was named both First Team All-Southeastern Conference by the coaches and Third Team by the AP. In 1965–66, he was named Third Team All-Southeastern Conference by the UPI.  UK went 63-18 during Kron’s career from 1964-66. His sophomore team, with Cotton Nash as the star, was briefly ranked No.1 in the country. His senior team, with Riley and Louie Dampier as the stars, enjoyed a longer run at No. 1, winning 27 of its first 28 games before falling in the finale.

After graduating from Kentucky, Tommy was selected in the 3rd round of the 1966 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. He played his rookie season with the Hawks before being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1967 NBA Expansion Draft. Tommy spent two seasons with the SuperSonics and later joined the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association (ABA), where he became a fan favorite.

Throughout his professional career, Tommy Kron scored 1,351 points, grabbed 672 rebounds, and dished out 605 assists. He was known for his strong defense, playmaking abilities, and dedication to the game.

Kron was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

After basketball, Kron was a restaurant owner and institutional money manager.

Tommy Kron passed away on November 29, 2007, at the age of 64, due to complications from bladder cancer. Fellow “Runts” Larry Conley, Louie Dampier, Thad Jaracz, and Pat Riley, attended his funeral.  He is remembered for his contributions to basketball and his impact on the University of Kentucky’s storied basketball history.