Vern Hatton
American basketball player (1936–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walter Vernon Hatton (January 13, 1936 – March 21, 2025) was an American basketball player who won a national championship as a player at the University of Kentucky and played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Hatton from the 1958 Kentuckian | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 13, 1936 Owingsville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 2025 (aged 89) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lafayette (Lexington, Kentucky) |
| College | Kentucky (1955–1958) |
| NBA draft | 1958: 2nd round, 9th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Cincinnati Royals |
| Playing career | 1958–1962 |
| Position | Shooting guard / point guard |
| Number | 11, 20, 52, 17 |
| Career history | |
| 1958 | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1958–1961 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1961 | Chicago Packers |
| 1961–1962 | St. Louis Hawks |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 1,244 (5.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 531 (2.4 rpg) |
| Assists | 318 (1.4 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Kentucky career
Hatton played under Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp. He is considered a Kentucky basketball legend largely due to a memorable half-court shot he made to force a third overtime in a victory over Temple University.[1] He was voted an honorable mention All-American his senior year and scored 30 points to lead the Kentucky Wildcats over Elgin Baylor-led Seattle in winning the 1958 NCAA men's basketball championship. Hatton was named a member of the NCAA All-Tournament team for 1958 along with Baylor, Johnny Cox, and Guy Rodgers.[2] Hatton said of playing for Rupp, "It takes you six to eight years to get over playing for Adolph Rupp, but once you get over it, you get to like him."[3]
Professional career
He was drafted 9th overall in the 1958 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals.[4]
Personal life and death
Hatton was married with three sons and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[5]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Source[8]
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958–59 | Cincinnati | 22 | 29.9 | .319 | .667 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 7.5 |
| 1958–59 | Philadelphia | 42 | 10.8 | .393 | .796 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| 1959–60 | Philadelphia | 67 | 15.7 | .357 | .609 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 4.6 |
| 1960–61 | Philadelphia | 54 | 11.3 | .319 | .821 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 4.4 |
| 1961–62 | Chicago | 15 | 26.4 | .308 | .754 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 9.5 |
| 1961–62 | St. Louis | 25 | 20.1 | .362 | .821 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 7.2 |
| Career | 225 | 16.3 | .344 | .735 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 5.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Philadelphia | 6 | 2.8 | .308 | .333 | .5 | .2 | 1.5 |