By Larry Vaught
Kentucky fan Terry Hall of Louisville played basketball and baseball at Shelby County with former UK basketball standout Mike Casey, who was Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 1966 when he led Shelby to the state championship.
Casey signed to play for Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp and was UK’s leading scorer as a sophomore when he averaged 20.1 points per game playing with Dan Issel and Mike Pratt. He was even featured on a Sports Illustrated cover.
He averaged 19.1 points per game as a junior but missed the 1969-70 season after suffering a broken leg in a car accident. He returned for the 1970-71 season after Issel and Pratt graduated and finished his UK career with 1,535 points along with 558 rebounds and 260 assists. He shot 48.2 percent from the field in his career.
Issel, UK’s all-time leading scorer, called Casey “one of the best players ever to play at Kentucky.”
Hall certainly agrees.
“Mike’s hoops game reminded me of a shorter version of Larry Bird. I’ve seen every UK player since the 1958 Rupp’s Runs and I would still put him in my top 15 Wildcats,” Hall said. “Not honoring him with a jersey hanging in Rupp Arena is a gross oversight.”
Hall shared that thought when recently wishing a “heavenly birthday” to his former teammate who passed away in 2009 and many others believe Casey’s jersey should also be hanging in Rupp Arena. That was a sentiment Pratt voiced numerous times before his own passing.
Hall said Casey was also a terrific shortstop and left-handed line drive hitter.
“My first memories of Mike was when I was in the seventh grade at Cropper (elementary school) playing Mike’s Simpsonville team. He played on the front of their 2-3 zone and he was so tall and long I couldn’t get my shot off,” Hall said. “The next summer he and his Pony League came to Cropper. Before the game I was warming up when Mike came over and we had our first conversation.”
