25 Winston Bennett

Winston Bennett was born Winston George Bennett III on February 9, 1965 in Louisville, Kentucky to Winston and Shirley Bennett.  He played for the University of Kentucky Wildcats from 1983 to 1988. Known for his tough defense, rebounding, and leadership, Bennett was a key contributor for the Wildcats.

Bennett attended Male High School in Louisville, where he became a McDonald’s All-American in 1983.  He was Kentucky’s “Mr. Basketball’’ and a three-time all-stater.  Bennett was named to nearly every prep All-America team.  As a senior at Male High School, he averaged 29.4 ppg. and 11.9 rpg. and hit 62.4 percent from the field and 76.6 percent from the line.  He averaged 15.6 ppg. as a freshman, 19.6 ppg. as a sophomore, and 20.7 ppg. as a junior.  At the McDonald’s Classic, Bennett went out and scored 21 points and hauled down 13 rebounds (seven offensive) in 35 minutes to lead his team (the west all-stars) to a 115-113 win. He made nine of 17 field goal tries and was named co-MVP with Dwayne “Pearl” Washington.

On Wednesday, November 10, 1982, Bennett signed to play for Kentucky.  His decision had come down to Kentucky and Louisville, his hometown.  He was the first player out of Louisville to sign with Kentucky in a decade.  Bennett said the decision was based on several factors, but said Kentucky’s strong recruiting effort overshadowed that of Louisville.  He also said Kentucky’s “‘style of play, of setting up the offense rather than fast-breaking on every play, is something I’ve been taught to do and is more my style.”

Bennett played at Kentucky from 1983 to 1988, developing into a strong defensive-minded forward with elite rebounding ability.  He helped lead Kentucky to the 1988 NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a senior, and earned All-SEC honors for his contributions.

Bennett was known for his defense, hustle, and leadership, making him a fan favorite at Rupp Arena.

He enjoyed an outstanding freshman season, playing in all 34 games.  He was ranked fifth on the squad in scoring with an average of 6.5 points and ranked fourth on the team in rebounding with an average of 3.8 rebounds.  Bennett was sixth on the team in minutes played, averaging 18.9 minutes per game.  He also blocked seven shots and hit 42.9 percent from the field and 69.8 percent from the line.  He led the team in scoring twice and in rebounding twice.  Bennett made some SEC all-freshman teams.  He was a member of the USA Select Team that won the Jones Cup international tournament in Taipei, Taiwan.  He averaged 11.4 points and 3.6 rebounds, hit 54.9 percent from the field and 78.1 percent from the free throw.

As a sophomore, Bennett was third-leading scorer (7.2 ppg) and third-leading rebounder (5.3 rpg) on the squad in 1984-85.  Pneumonia and a knee surgery sidelined Bennett for most of pre-season drills and he did not see action in the first game of season, but played in every game thereafter, starting in 27 games.  He was second in minutes-played with 28.4 a game.  Bennett was named co-captain of the 84-85 squad, along with Kenny Walker.  He scored in double figures in seven games with high games of 14 points (vs. Louisville, N.C. State and Florida) and 11 rebounds (vs. Florida).  An excellent defensive player, Bennett usually was assigned to the opposition’s best front-line player. Consequently, he led the team in personal fouls with 108.

As a junior, Bennett was named All-Southeastern Conference by the SEC Coaches and named second-team All-SEC by both AP and UPI.  He was the second-leading scorer (12.7) and rebounder (7.0) on the team.  Bennett scored a career-high 26 points against Tennessee at Rupp Arena and also scored 22 against the Vols in Knoxville.  He was one of Kentucky’s most consistent performers, scoring in double figures in 28 of UK’s 36 games.  Coach Eddie Sutton credited Bennett for a lot of Kentucky’s success. “With Winston playing well, it made it harder for teams to stop Kenny and consequently stop us,’ says Sutton.  He connected on 50.6 percent of his shots from the floor.  Bennett started in 63 straight games for the Wildcats.

Bennett sat out the 1986-87 season because of a pre-season knee injury, which occurred during a practice session at Rupp Arena. He had complete reconstructive surgery on his right knee on Oct. 25, 1986.

Bennett returned for his senior season in 1987-88.  He averaged 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, career highs.  He also shot a career-high 51.3% from the field.  He scored a career-high 28 points against Miami (OH) on December 18, 1987 and snagged a career-high 17 rebounds against Vanderbilt on December 31, 1987.  He was named first team All-Southeastern Conference by the SEC Coaches and named second-team All-SEC by both AP and UPI. He was selected to the All-SEC Tournament team.

Bennett was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the third round of the 1988 NBA Draft.  He played in the NBA from 1989 to 1991 with the Cavaliers.  He also played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and overseas before retiring due to injuries.

After his playing career, Bennett transitioned into coaching:

• Served as an assistant coach at Kentucky (1995-1997) under Rick Pitino, helping the Wildcats win the 1996 NCAA Championship.
• Became head coach at Kentucky State University (2000-2003).
• Also coached at the University of Boston and worked in player development.