Something that probably makes a difference on this list is how we evaluate "Best in KY High School Basketball History". If we're talking about high school careers, a guy like Van Hoose is way up there, but he's someone who you could see limits on his ceiling (i.e., you didn't see him and think "NBA talent"). Someone like Tony Key had NBA talent, but only a 3 year career in Kentucky and probably made some decisions that kept him from being as good as he could have been. Brandon Bender won a state championship and had some college years that didn't meet the expectations he had coming in. Estill had a nice high school career, a nice career at UK, and probably played a few years overseas (nothing to scoff at).

 

Key and Bender are two ky kids who probably could have been in the NBA.

 

I think VanHoose is one of the top two players in the last 18-20 years in terms of high school career.

These two weren't KHSAA registered players but Johnathan Uchendu (6'11") and Lawrence Brown (7'1") of MMI in 2005/06 put a lid on Patrick Patterson when they played Huntington High that season.

 

DAVE

Tom Wendt at Owensboro Apollo in the 1970s. Tom Boerwinkle at MMI in the 50s.

Key and Bender are two ky kids who probably could have been in the NBA.

 

I think VanHoose is one of the top two players in the last 18-20 years in terms of high school career.

 

Agree on both of those points.

Okay, trump this one (in terms of "going back"). In the 1928-29 and 1929-30 seasons Monticello had a player who was 6'11" by the end of his senior year. His name was Brad Lair and in 1929-30 he set the Monticello record for most points scored in a half (with 41 in the 2nd half) and for a game (50) against Burnside in which MHS won 102-11. One would have thought that a team with such a player (and another all-regional player to boot) would have won the state or done exceedingly well, but they lost 37-24, in the semi-finals of their Region to the Kavanaugh team that went on to lose to Corinth in the State Championship game, 22-20.

 

(FYI, this was all researched and is verifiable)

 

I'm not certain but during this time they may have still been using the center jump after every made goal in which case having a player that tall would have been unreasonably advantageous.

 

After he graduated he went to UK to play for Adolph Rupp (see: Kentucky Dateline Articles) but didn't even finish his first semester there and never made it on the floor. After that he went on to briefly play for the "House of David" traveling basketball team.

 

He was indeed that tall, because when I was a young boy I remember him sitting around outside our local pool hall and I was astounded at his height. The other outstanding player for that team ran our local clothing store and he was encyclopedia of knowledge about basketball in Kentucky from the late twenties forward. He was also known to help out the less fortunate players of Monticello and Wayne County with clothes.

Tom Schurfranz......Trinity/Bellarmine.....now a physician.

I believe has or did have for a long time the DII field goal percentage record.

Jim McDaniels...can't recall the high school but was a consensus All American at WKU.

Since we are having fun with NKY and some Regional tall players....

 

 

Who are the Best 6'10" or taller players in the history of KY High School Basketball?

 

Jim MacDaniel

Jim McDaniels...can't recall the high school but was a consensus All American at WKU.

 

Allen County

Since we are having fun with NKY and some Regional tall players....

 

 

Who are the Best 6'10" or taller players in the history of KY High School Basketball?

 

Jim MacDaniels

Jim MacDaniel

 

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

How tall was Dan Langhi from Marshall County that went on to star at Vandy?

Ashland's Jeff Tipton(6' 11")ad a very nice career at Morehead. Louisville Central have a very good 6' 11' player who played at UL, i believe. Also, Felton S

pencer.

How tall was Dan Langhi from Marshall County that went on to star at Vandy?

 

I think around 6'9"ish. Played in the NBA for a while too.

Dan Langhi was listed at 6'9 in high school, 6'11 as a Senior at Vanderbilt; was a 2nd round NBA draft pick.

 

Brad Lair, of Monticello, did indeed play when the center jump followed each made basket. Teams with a big center had a phenomenal advantage. The rules were not changed (college & high school) to let the opposing team in-bound the ball after a made basket...until the 1937-38 season.