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…
Truman Claytor
Brad Lawless
Jack Givens
Jack Givens was born Jackie Lamont Givens on September 21, 1956, in Lexington, Kentucky, to Betty Smith Givens. Better known as “Goose,” he was initially more interested in baseball and did not begin playing organized basketball until the eighth grade. After transferring from Henry Clay to Bryan Station, Givens developed into one of Kentucky’s most…
Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips was born on March 24, 1956, in Manchester, Ohio, to Katherine Timko Phillips and Mike Phillips. A dominant 6-10 center, Phillips attended Manchester High School in New Franklin, Ohio, where he led his team to the Ohio state AA basketball title in 1974 with an impressive 26-0 record. He scored 38 points in the state…
Rick Robey
Rick Robey was born Frederick Robert Robey on January 30, 1956, in Coral Gables, Florida to Selva Beatrice Morris and Frederic Edwin Robey. Robey’s family moved across America as he grew up. Robey remembered, “I lived in Coral Gables and Jacksonville, Florida until I was about five, then in Memphis (Tennessee) until I was 8 1/2,…
James Lee
Merion Haskins
Merion Haskins was born May 13, 1955, and grew up in Taylor County, a region where basketball traditions run deep. He attended Taylor County High School in Campbellsville, where he developed into a strong, physical player capable of battling in the paint despite standing only about 6-foot-4. Basketball was already a family affair for the…
Larry Johnson
Joe B. Hall
Joe B. Hall was the head coach at the University of Kentucky from 1972 to 1985, leading the Wildcats to a national championship in 1978.