Kenny Hutchinson
Basketball player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenny Hutchinson (born December 13, 1963) is an American former basketball player.[1] He emerged as a top college prospect while playing basketball in New York City at Benjamin Franklin High School and Martin Luther King Jr. High School.[2] While playing at Franklin, Hutchinson was part of a star line-up alongside Richie Adams, Gary Springer and Walter Berry.[3] He won a state championship in 1982 before the school closed down that same year.[4] Hutchinson transferred to King for his final year, where he was named a second-team Parade All-American in 1983. During his high school years, he was an avid streetball basketball player at Rucker Park participating in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic.[5]
(Manhattan, New York)
Martin Luther King
(Manhattan, New York)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1963 Laie, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Benjamin Franklin (Manhattan, New York) Martin Luther King (Manhattan, New York) |
| College | Arkansas (1984–1987) |
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Hutchinson was recruited by the defending NCAA champions NC State, but he elected to enrol at the University of Arkansas to play for the Razorbacks.[6] Hutchinson did not originally qualify for a scholarship but eventually made the team in 1984.[7] Though naturally a point guard, Hutchinson played as a shooting guard at Arkansas.[8] Cocaine abuse cut down his time as a player as he tested positive for the drug twice during his time at the school.[4] He was suspended alongside teammate William Mills for the last four games of the 1985–86 season because of drug abuse.[9] Hutchinson and Mills checked themselves into an alcohol and drug treatment center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a one-month stay.[9] They were allowed to rejoin the Razorbacks by head coach Nolan Richardson but without their scholarships and with the promise to stay clean.[9] Hutchinson returned as a walk-on during his redshirt junior season in 1986–87.[1] He played sparingly and chose to leave the team in 1987.[10] Hutchinson averaged 2.6 points during his three seasons with the Razorbacks.[10]
On April 3, 1989, Hutchinson was arrested and charged with delivery of cocaine.[10] A police informant working undercover bought cocaine from Hutchinson at an apartment near the University of Arkansas campus.[10] A felony warrant was issued in March and Hutchinson eventually turned himself in to detectives.[10] He was convicted and spent 18 months in prison.[11]
Mills was murdered in 1991 which Hutchinson credited as a turning point in his life.[11] In a 1994 interview, he claimed that he had been off drugs since Mills' death.[11] Hutchinson attended the City College of New York in 1994 to complete the remaining credits of his degree with the aspiration of becoming a teacher.[11]
