Who's the best player from each of Kentucky's 16 high school regions that went on to play for UK?

[JPScott]

Imagine Unseld as the starting center on our 1966 team along side All-Americans Pat Riley & Louie Dampier. Is there any doubt that team goes a perfect 28-0. Not only that. If Unseld would have came here it would have opened the door for the next year for 7'0" Jim McDaniels & Hazard's Jim Rose to sign with Kentucky. That would have gave us our greatest team ever our 1970 team with Dan Issel, Mike Pratt, Larry Steele, Tom Parker & maybe a healthy Mike Casey minus his car accident. Add McDaniels & Rose to that roster. WOW a perfect 30-0.

FWIW, whenever the question of the biggest recruiting miss comes up I believe one of the most overlooked and significant one was Clem Haskins who graduated from high school in 1963. He was not recruited by UK and never considered it a possibility but grew up a UK fan. Unfortunately he had decided to sign with Louisville the month prior to UK officially opening up their athletic program to black athletes.

If UK had moved a little sooner and Rupp had taken advantage of it, it's likely Haskins would have been willing to sign with UK. This would have opened the path for Unseld to sign in 1964 and Butch Beard to sign in 1965, as one of their major concerns was the fact that they didn't want to be the first. And who knows who else after that?

The 1966 UK team would have had Clem Haskins and Wes Unseld. Beard would have been a freshman. If that had happened the entire fortunes of UK basketball in the late 60's and early 70's would have been completely different, and it's unlikely UCLA would have been nearly as successful as they were.

 

[littlecreek]

FWIW, whenever the question of the biggest recruiting miss comes up I believe one of the most overlooked and significant one was Clem Haskins who graduated from high school in 1963. He was not recruited by UK and never considered it a possibility but grew up a UK fan. Unfortunately he had decided to sign with Louisville the month prior to UK officially opening up their athletic program to black athletes.

If UK had moved a little sooner and Rupp had taken advantage of it, it's likely Haskins would have been willing to sign with UK. This would have opened the path for Unseld to sign in 1964 and Butch Beard to sign in 1965, as one of their major concerns was the fact that they didn't want to be the first. And who knows who else after that?

The 1966 UK team would have had Clem Haskins and Wes Unseld. Beard would have been a freshman. If that had happened the entire fortunes of UK basketball in the late 60's and early 70's would have been completely different, and it's unlikely UCLA would have been nearly as successful as they were.

Haskins played for Western Kentucky. Did he originally sign with Louisville?

 

[TNCatfanforever]

15 region John Pelphrey with Billy Ray Cassady from Inez a close second.

Did King Kelly Coleman play at UK?

 

[JPScott]

Haskins played for Western Kentucky. Did he originally sign with Louisville?

Yes, he signed to play at Louisville originally but got homesick and moved closer to home at Western where he was the first to integrate their basketball team.

 

[U Go UK]

8th. Jimmy Dan

 

[tomrain]

2nd region. Many will say Travis Ford but it has to be Ramsey.

Rex chapman

dont forget Cliff Hagan

 

[cat888]

Never heard of Key.

Not an impressive group.
But a big-time player from the 4th went to WKU (Jim McDaniels)

Jerry Dunn also

 

[Creed Bratton]

The 1st region had never been recruited very hard by Kentucky that I can remember while having a few players over the years that were good enough like Barry Goheen for those of you who remember him.

Wasn't there several from that area that went to Vandy in the late 80's to early 2000's like Goheen, Dan Langhi, Scott Draud and Aaron Beth?

 

[Creed Bratton]

John Allen from Cumberland County scored 1600 points at eastern

I remember that dude. He wasn't very big but he could light up the scoreboard.

 

[littlecreek]

Wasn't there several from that area that went to Vandy in the late 80's to early 2000's like Goheen, Dan Langhi, Scott Draud and Aaron Beth?

Draud was from Northern Kentucky but he was a good one for Vandy.

 

[cats#1again]

Key played at Russellville. From what I remember was committed to Huggins at Cincinnati but entered the draft instead

Tony key was an absolute freak. Left Russellville to go play in Compton his senior year. Entered the NBA draft. I never heard of a commitment but it's been 24 years