22 Truman Claytor

Truman Claytor was born on February 2, 1957, in Ashland, Kentucky to Loretta Thomas.  He played at Kentucky from 1975 to 1978 under head coach Joe B. Hall. A skilled guard and sharpshooter, Claytor played an important role in helping Kentucky win the 1978 NCAA Championship.

Claytor grew up in Toledo, Ohio, where he became a standout basketball player at Scott High School. He averaged 22.9 points and 4 rebounds per game.  He led the Scott Bulldogs to 22-3 and 20-2 seasons and two City Championships.  His honors included first-team All-City, All-District, and All-State.  He was also Toledo City-League All-Star Player-of-the-Year.

Known for his smooth shooting stroke and strong guard play, he earned a scholarship to play at the University of Kentucky.  He signed with Kentucky in May of 1975.

Claytor, nicknamed T.C., played three seasons at Kentucky, where he was known for his outside shooting and scoring ability.

• He was a key guard during Kentucky’s 1978 National Championship run.
• One of his most memorable performances came in the 1978 Elite Eight against Michigan State, where he scored 17 points in the first half, helping Kentucky advance to the Final Four.
• Claytor’s ability to shoot from the perimeter made him a valuable contributor on a team that featured stars like Jack Givens, Rick Robey, and Mike Phillips.

As a freshman at Kentucky, Claytor played in 28 games, starting 9.  He capped a fine early season performance by scoring 18 points against Notre Dame to lead the Cats to a thrilling 79-77 win at Freedom Hall—for that fine effort, he was named Co-MVP of the game with Irish All-American Adrian Dantley.  After starting eight games, he fell prey to a series of nagging injuries which seriously reduced his effectiveness. However, he returned to form and had a good NIT. He averaged 6 points per game.  His future was clouded again with the injury bug, suffering twice from broken bones in his right hand during summer playground activity.

As a sophomore, Claytor was seventh in playing time, 454 minutes, in 26 games.  He had a strong finish in the NCAA tournament which saw him hit 19 of 23 shots in two games.  He scored a season high 29 points against VMI.  He averaged 6.6 points per game.

As a junior, Claytor was fourth in time played with 788 minutes, starting 29 of 32 games (missing only due to illness and seniors last home game).  He averaged 6.9 points per game and played outstanding defense.  Claytor was the winner of the 1978 Outstanding Defensive Player Award.  He scored 221 points and hit 46.6 percent FG and 77.4 FT’s.  Claytor was third in assists with 74 and he scored in double figures nine games, with a high of 17 vs. Auburn.  He scored 39 points in the NCAA tournament and won UKIT All-Tournament honors.  His steady contributions helped Kentucky secure its fifth national title, defeating Duke in the 1978 NCAA Championship Game.

As a senior Claytor was team co-captain along with Dwane Casey.  He was the second leading scorer in the SEC Tournament behind Kyle Macy and was named All-SEC Tournament.  He averaged 8.7 points on the season and scored 821 career points.

After college, Claytor was a 6th round choice of the Detroit Pistons in the 1979 NBA draft but he was cut during training camp.  He did not pursue a long professional career but remained involved in the sport. He later returned to Toledo, Ohio, where he worked in education and coaching, mentoring young athletes and sharing his basketball knowledge.