Ten players, three coaches named to Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame
The Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its 2020 class of inductees, a group that includes 10 players and three coaches.
The Hall of Fame’s eighth induction class includes former coaches Patrick Payne (Hazard), Bill Mike Runyon (Paintsville) and Bob Tripure (Henry Clay and Lexington Catholic).
Players chosen were Wesley Cox (Male), Coy Creason (Brewers), Kim Denkins (Nicholas County), Clarence Glover (Caverna), Connie Goins (Franklin County and Western Hills), James “Joe” Hamilton (Lexington Dunbar), Ellis Johnson (Ashland), Ronnie Lyons (Mason County), Durand “Rudy” Macklin (Shawnee) and Todd Tackett (Paintsville).
An induction celebration is scheduled for July 11 at the State Theatre in Elizabethtown. The public is invited to attend.
Here is a look at the 2020 class:
Wesley Cox: Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 1973, Cox was an All-State player in 1972 and 1973 and played for Male’s 1971 state championship team. Cox went on to play for the University of Louisville.
Coy Creason: Named Kentucky’s Player of the Year in 1948 when he helped lead undefeated Brewers to the state championship. Was named All-State in 1947 and 1948 and went on to star at Memphis State.
Kim Denkins: Was named Most Valuable Player of the 1993 Sweet 16 after leading Nicholas County to the state championship. An All-State performer in 1992, 1993 and 1994, Denkins went on to star at the University of Kentucky.
Clarence Glover: A two-time All-State player who led Caverna to consecutive 5th Region title games in 1966 and 1967, Glover went on to play for Western Kentucky University, which reached the NCAA Final Four in 1971.
Connie Goins: Scored 2,928 points for Franklin County and Western Hills, leading both schools to the state tournament, and was named Miss Basketball in 1982. She went on to play at Duke.
James “Joe” Hamilton: An All-State guard who led Lexington’s original Dunbar High School to state tournament appearances in 1965 and 1966, Hamilton went on to star at North Texas State and for the ABA’s Dallas Chaparrals.
Ellis Johnson: Known as one of the greatest all-around athletes in Kentucky history, Johnson starred at Ashland High School in football, basketball, baseball and track and field. He led Ashland to four state tournament appearances and a state championship in 1928. Johnson went on to become Adolph Rupp’s first All-American at Kentucky in 1933.
Ronnie Lyons: Scored 2,600 career points at Mason County, averaging 34 points per game as a senior. An All-State performer in 1969 and 1970, Lyons went on to become a fan favorite at the University of Kentucky.
Durand “Rudy” Macklin: Led Shawnee to the Sweet 16 in 1976 and earned All-State recognition. Went on to star at LSU and was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame.
Patrick Payne: The only Kentucky coach to win boys’ (1932) and girls’ (1930) high school state championships. Payne also coached football, baseball and track at Hazard while teaching chemistry and physics.
Bill Mike Runyon: Coached Paintsville for 28 years, leading the Tigers to the state championship in 1996, more than 700 wins overall, seven Sweet 16 appearances and four state semifinals.
Todd Tackett: Scored more than 2,000 career points at Paintsville, leading the Tigers to four consecutive Sweet 16 appearances from 1995-1998 and winning the state championship in 1996. Tackett, a two-time All-State performer, went on to play for the University of Kentucky.
Bob Tripure: Is the only coach to win girls’ state titles at two different schools, guiding Henry Clay to a championship in 1990 and Lexington Catholic in 1999. Went 384-72 in 15 seasons as a head coach.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 1:36 PM.