Kentucky Mr. Basketball


The Kentucky Mr. Basketball honor recognizes the top high school senior basketball player in the state of Kentucky. The first Kentucky Mr. Basketball was "King" Kelly Coleman of Wayland High School in 1956. The winner of the Mr. Basketball award wears #1 on his jersey in the summer all-star series against the Indiana High School All-Stars. 1940 was the first year for the Kentucky/Indiana High School All-Star Series, that year, the Indiana All-Stars defeated the Kentucky All-Stars 31–29. The Kentucky Mr. Basketball award is the third oldest such award in the nation; only Indiana Mr. Basketball and California Mr. Basketball, which were first awarded in 1939 and 1950, respectively, predate it.
The award is presented annually by the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation.

Award winners

NBA teams listed are teams known, or teams that drafted the player.
YearPlayerHigh SchoolCollegeNBA Draft
1954Vernon HattonLafayetteKentucky1958 NBA draft: 2nd round, 10th overall by the Cincinnati Royals
1955Kenny KuhnMale
1956Kelly ColemanWaylandKentucky Wesleyan1960 NBA draft: 2nd round, 11th overall by the New York Knicks
1957Billy Ray LickertLafayetteKentucky1961 NBA draft: 5th round, 45th overall by the L.A. Lakers
1958 Ralph RichardsonRussell CountyEastern Kentucky
1958 Harry ToddEarlingtonWestern Kentucky
1959Pat DoyleNorth MarshallKentucky
1960Jeff MullinsLafayetteDuke1964 NBA draft: 1st round, 5th overall by the St. Louis Hawks
1961Randy EmbryOwensboroKentucky
1962Mike SillimanSt. XavierArmy1966 NBA draft: 8th round, 69th overall by the New York Knicks
1963Mike R. ReddSenecaKentucky Wesleyan
1964Wes UnseldSenecaLouisville1968 NBA draft: 1st round, 2nd overall by the Baltimore Bullets
1965Butch BeardBreckinridge CountyLouisville1969 NBA draft: 1st round, 10th overall by the Atlanta Hawks
1966Mike CaseyShelby CountyKentucky
1967Jim McDanielsAllen CountyWestern Kentucky1971 NBA draft: 2nd round, 23rd overall by the Seattle SuperSonics
1968Terry DavisShelby CountyWestern Kentucky
1969Ron KingCentralFlorida State
1970Robert BrooksMadisonEastern Kentucky
1971Jimmy Dan ConnerAnderson CountyKentucky1975 NBA draft: 2nd round, 36th overall by the Phoenix Suns
1972Jerry ThrustonOwensboroMercer
1973Wesley CoxMaleLouisville1977 NBA draft: 1st round, 18th overall by the Golden State Warriors
1974Jack GivensBryan StationKentucky1978 NBA draft: 1st round, 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks
1975Dom FucciTates CreekAuburn
1976Darrell GriffithMaleLouisville1980 NBA draft: 1st round, 2nd overall by the Utah Jazz
1977Jeff LampBallardVirginia1981 NBA draft: 1st round, 15th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers
1978Doug SchloemerHolmesCincinnati
1979Dirk MinniefieldLafayetteKentucky1983 NBA draft: 2nd round, 33rd overall by the Dallas Mavericks
1980Ervin SteppPhelpsEastern Kentucky
Alice Lloyd College
1981Phil CoxCawoodVanderbilt
1982Todd MayVirgieKentucky
Pikeville		1987 NBA draft: 4th round, 73rd overall by the San Antonio Spurs
1983Winston BennettMaleKentucky1988 NBA draft: 3rd round, 64th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers
1984Steve MillerHenry ClayWestern Kentucky
1985Tony KimbroSenecaLouisville
1986Rex ChapmanApolloKentucky1988 NBA draft: 1st round, 8th overall by the Charlotte Hornets
1987John PelphreyPaintsvilleKentucky
1988Richie FarmerClay CountyKentucky
1989Allan HoustonBallardTennessee1993 NBA draft: 1st round, 11th overall by the Detroit Pistons
1990Dwayne MortonLouisville CentralLouisville1994 NBA draft: 2nd round, 45th overall by the Golden State Warriors
1991Jermaine BrownFairdaleGeorgetown (KY)
1992Tick RogersHart CountyLouisville
1993Jason OsborneMaleLouisville
1994Elton ScottMarion CountyWest Virginia
1995Charles ThomasHarlanEastern Kentucky
1996Daymeon FishbackGreenwoodAuburn
1997Brandon DavenportOwensboroLindsey Wilson College
1998J. R. VanHoosePaintsvilleMarshall
1999Rick JonesScott CountyVanderbilt
Murray State
2000Scott HundleyScott CountyVanderbilt
2001Josh CarrierBowling GreenKentucky
2002Brandon StocktonGlasgowKentucky
2003Ross NeltnerHighlandsLSU
Vanderbilt
2004Chris LoftonMason CountyTennessee
2005Domonic TilfordJeffersontownSouth Alabama
2006Walt AllenSouth LaurelPresbyterian
2007Steffphon PettigrewElizabethtownWestern Kentucky
2008Darius MillerMason CountyKentucky2012 NBA draft: 2nd round, 46th overall by the New Orleans Hornets
2009Jon HoodMadisonville North HopkinsKentucky
2010Elisha JusticeShelby ValleyLouisville
Pikeville
2011Anthony HickeyChristian CountyLSU
Oklahoma State
2012Nathan DieudonneTrinityBoston University
2013Dominique HawkinsMadison CentralKentucky
2014Quentin SniderBallardLouisville
2015Camron JusticeKnott County CentralVanderbilt
IUPUI
Western Kentucky
2016Carson WilliamsOwen CountyNorthern Kentucky
Western Kentucky
2017Taveion HollingsworthDunbarWestern Kentucky
2018Trevon FaulknerMercer CountyNorthern Kentucky
2019Dontaie AllenPendleton CountyKentucky Western KY
2020Dayvion McKnightMartha Layne CollinsWestern Kentucky
2021Ben JohnsonLexington CatholicBellarmine-
2022Turner ButtryBowling GreenEastern Kentucky
2023Reed SheppardNorth LaurelKentucky2024 NBA draft: 1st round, 3rd overall by the Houston Rockets
2024Travis PerryLyon CountyKentucky-
2025Malachi MorenoGreat CrossingKentucky-