Obituary – UK Men’s Basketball National Champion Ed Beck Dead at 83, UK Official Wildcat Website (October 17, 2019) by Deb Moore SUN CITY, Ariz. – Ed Beck, a men’s basketball national champion, died Wednesday. He was 83. Beck was a two-year captain (1956-58) under legendary head coach Adolph Rupp and was a tremendous leader for the Wildcats, particularly…
Ed Beck
John Crigler
Obituary – John Crigler, member of UK’s 1958 championship Fiddlin’ Five squad, dies, Lexington Leader (December 1, 2012) by Jack Brammer John Lloyd Crigler, a starting forward for the University of Kentucky’s Fiddlin’ Five 1958 basketball championship team and a longtime educator in Scott County public schools, died Saturday at his Georgetown home. He was 76. “John Crigler was…
Harold Ross
From the The Wildcat Tip-Off: Kentucky vs. Mississippi State, February 10, 1958: The stumbling block of too much formidable competition ahead of him each year has cost Harold Ross the opportunity to blossom into the fine collegiate cager that most of his ardent sup-porters had predicted. The coaches agree that Harold very likely could do…
Bill Smith
Bill Smith was born William Ronald Smith on February 17, 1936, in Walton, Kentucky, to James S. Smith and Beulah Smith. Smith was a standout at Walton-Verona High, where the 6-5 ace received All-State honorable mention for three successive seasons and tallied 1,805 points over a four-year span. He averaged 22 points a game in his…
Lincoln Collinsworth
Lincoln Collinsworth was born Abraham Lincoln Collinsworth in Salyersville, Kentucky, on February 12, 1936 (Abraham Lincoln’s birthday) to Judge Green and Kitty Collinsworth. He is better known as the father of NBC football analyst and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Cris Collinsworth. Collinsworth was known as “Lincoln” in High School, where he played basketball and…
Vernon Hatton
Vernon Hatton was born Walter Vernon Hatton on January 13, 1936, in Owingsville, Kentucky to Dawson Hatton and Rebecca Boswell Ginter Hatton. Hatton was a standout guard for the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the late 1950s, known for his leadership, scoring ability, and clutch performances. He became a key figure in Kentucky basketball history…
Gerry Calvert
Gerry Calvert was born Gerry Lynn Calvert on September 19, 1935, in Decatur, Illinois, to Charles McClellan Calvert and Mildred Rebecca Brown Calvert. His family moved to Maysville, Kentucky, when he was 10. Calvert became the key to Maysville High School’s attack, averaging approximately 20 points as a senior and earning All-State honors twice. Recruited…
John Brewer
John Brewer was born August 21, 1935, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of Silas Herbert Brewer and Christine Meguiar Brewer, and grew up in Anchorage. He starred at Eastern High School, where he won the Jefferson County scoring championship as a senior in 1952-53 by averaging 19.7 points and scoring 414 points in 21 games.…
Billy Ray Cassady
Billy Ray Cassady was born on June 11, 1935, in Inez, Kentucky, to Robert and Rachel Spears Cassady. A 6-foot-2 forward-guard, he developed into one of the Commonwealth’s premier high school basketball players while starring at Inez High School. Cassady captained the Indians to the 1954 Kentucky state championship, earned First Team All-State and State…
Jerry Bird
Jerry Bird was born Jerry Lee Bird on February 2, 1935 in Corbin, Kentucky to Ruben Bird and Bonnie Kathleen Jervis. Bird and his three brothers – Calvin, Rodger and Billy – were all from Corbin, Kentucky, and staples of the town. All three of Bird’s brothers played football at UK, while Calvin and Rodger…