Tom Thurman became a Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame board member in 2014. He brought a skill set to the Hall of Fame board that was necessary for the evolution of the Induction Celebration. Tom, an Emmy Award winning documentarian at KET, gave the Hall of Fame insight into creating effective video presentations. His board tenure was exceptional and made an important impact on our video archives. A Shelby County High School and Centre College graduate, Tom is presently a tenured professor at Florida State University.
Blog
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Gina Ryan
Gina Ryan is one of the main reasons the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame located its first home in Elizabethtown. As director of Hardin County Schools Educational TV network, she joined with the KHSBHF in 2012 and is the chief architect of documentary presentations for inductees. From the beginning, Gina gave the Hall of Fame an efficient, fair, and introspective look at each inductee. Her documentaries for 170+ individual players and coaches have helped create the “Essence of the Game” perspective. Gina Ryan is an integral part of KHSBHF’s growth and success.
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Mike Pollio
Mike Pollio is a graduate of Louisville’s St. X High School, Bellarmine College, and the University of Louisville and would go on to have a highly successful college coaching career at Kentucky Wesleyan and Eastern Kentucky University before becoming senior associate athletic director at the University of Louisville where he was responsible for raising funds for UL’s Cardinal Stadium and other facilities on campus. Mike’s love of high school basketball brought him to the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame. As President and CEO of Mike Pollio Enterprises, he offered the services of his fundraising company for the effective Hall of Fame building campaign. Mike Pollio’s efforts on behalf of the KHSBHF led to the creation of a first-class Hall of Fame home.
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Bob White
Bob White was a Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame board member from the organization’s inception in 2012. His unique perspective and quiet insight into the screening and selection of potential inductees was invaluable. Bob worked for 50+ years at the Courier Journal in Louisville. He was Kentucky’s greatest high school basketball advocate and gave the public insightful and accurate information. Humble, kind, and smart, Bob loved our game. The KHSBHF will always be grateful for his service to our organization.
Unfortunately for all of us who know and love the game, Bob recently passed away. Accepting the award on his behalf is his brother-in-law, John Osborne. -
Liberty High School Gymnasium
Glory Road dedication for Liberty High School Gym dedication on January 13, 2026.
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2025-26 “GLORY ROAD/HERITAGE GAMES” Project
The Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame (KHSBHF) is proud to announce its 2025-26 “GLORY
ROAD/HERITAGE GAMES” project that will recognize and honor the many gymnasiums and games across
Kentucky that have historical significance in the development of the cultural phenomenon of Kentucky high
school basketball.
In the coming months, the KHSBHF will recognize many GLORY ROAD iconic gymnasiums along with the
schools and communities that built them. The HERITAGE GAMES are longstanding rivalries across Kentucky and
were the genesis of the popularity of high school basketball. The GLORY ROAD sites will host the HERITAGE
GAMES.
Travel Kentucky’s highways and byways visiting gymnasiums where high school basketball history was made,
iconic teams played, great players performed, and communities gathered in support of their athletes in action!
These sites across the Commonwealth are places where Kentucky basketball began its epic journey, laying out
the foundation for today’s game. For more than 100 years, Kentucky high school basketball has been
embraced by Kentuckians who came together in gymnasiums of various shapes and sizes to support their
teams.2025-26 KHSBHF Glory Road Gymnasiums and Heritage Games
- Owsley County Gymnasium / aka “The Palace” – GLORY ROAD Site
Owsley County HS vs. McCreary Central (playing as Pine Knott HS)
DATE: December 13, 2025
TIME:
1:00 pm, Lady Owls vs. McCreary Central
2:30 pm, Owls JV vs. McCreary Central
3:30 pm, 1975-76 Owls Team Recognition
4:00 pm, Owls vs. McCreary Central - Roy T. Reasor Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Fleming Neon HS vs. Jenkins HS (Boy/Girl Doubleheader)
DATE: December 15, 2025 TIME: 6:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. - Jenkins High School Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Jenkins HS vs. Buckhorn HS (playing as Witherspoon HS)
DATE: December 17, 2025 TIME: 7:30 P.M. - Liberty High School Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Casey County HS vs. Somerset HS (Girl/Boy Doubleheader)
DATE: January 13, 2026 TIME: 6:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. - Virgie High School Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Shelby HS (playing as Virgie HS) vs. Floyd Central HS (playing as Wayland HS)
DATE: January 13, 2026 TIME: 7:30 P.M. - Roy Winchester Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Henry County HS vs. Carroll County HS (Girl/Boy Doubleheader)
DATE: January 16, 2026 TIME: 6:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. - Harry K. Hardin Center – GLORY ROAD Site
Fairdale HS vs. Bullitt Central HS (Girl/Boy Doubleheader)
Date: January 24, 2026 Time: 5:30 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. - Eastern High School Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Eastern HS vs. St. X HS
DATE: January 27, 2026 TIME: 7:30 P.M. - Caverna High School Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Caverna HS vs. Jeffersontown High School
DATE: January 31, 2026 TIME: 3:30 P.M. - Edmonson County High School Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Edmonson County HS vs. Louisville Butler HS
DATE: February 6, 2026 TIME: 7:30 P.M. - Orville Engle Gymnasium – GLORY ROAD Site
Pineville HS vs. Harlan HS
DATE: February 10, 2026 TIME: 7:30 P.M.
- Owsley County Gymnasium / aka “The Palace” – GLORY ROAD Site
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The Bluegrass Basketball Invitational“A Legacy Event”
The Bluegrass Basketball Invitational, sponsored by Community Trust Bank, will be held on Friday, December 12, 2025, in the Montgomery County High School Arena (seating 4,000). This Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame (KHSBHF) “Legacy Event” is designed to create the highest level of competition by bringing together the best teams, coaches, players, and fans in an “early season” contest that has a “post season” atmosphere.
The games will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. with Madison Central High School vs. Bryan Station High School. The second game, starting at approximately 8:45 p.m., is Montgomery County High School vs. Frederick Douglass High School. The four teams are pre-season Top 10 poll selections with the four coaches having a cumulative total of over 1600 wins. Eight players involved in the event are pre-season Mr. Basketball candidates and
Division I college prospects.
Go to khsbhf.com for additional information on the participating teams, players, and coaches.Tickets can be purchased at KHSBHF Bluegrass Basketball Invitational Tickets and at the door. Also, each team’s fan section will compete for a cash award. The winner will exhibit the best “positive” school spirit, and the award is designated for the winning school prom.
The Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame (KHSBHF) is a 501c3 tax-exempt entity dedicated to honoring and supporting the sport’s past, present, and future. The KHSBHF needs your support to continue our mission of securing the game’s legacy. Please consider a tax-exempt gift payable to KHSBHF and mailed to KHSBHF, P.O. Box 10, Elizabethtown, KY 42702. Along with your donation, please include your return mailing
address and email address so that we may send you a tax-exempt receipt.
For additional information, contact Ken Trivette at 859-533-6553 or ktkabc@msn.com. -
Class of 2025
###FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE###
KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME (KHSBHF)
Inductee Class of 2025
PRESS RELEASEThe Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame (KHSBHF) is honored to announce its 2025 Class of Inductees. These 13 inductees represent the great wealth of achievement by players and coaches in the sport of high school basketball over the decades. The Induction Celebration will be held on **Saturday, September 6, 2025**, at **7:00 P.M.** in the Historic State Theater, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Biographies for the inductees can be found on the KHSBHF website.
Purchase Tickets for the Induction Celebration
The KHSBHF will also release for public viewing on its website the annual “Sweet 16 Classic Game Videos” on Wednesday – Saturday during the boys’ and girls’ Sweet 16.
The Sports History Foundation has produced a documentary titled, “The Shot Heard ‘Round the State”. The film captures the story of the Paul Andrews shot in the 1982 Laurel County State Championship win over North Hardin. The documentary will show this **Thursday, March 27, 2025** at **4:00pm** at LexLive across from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. The film trailer is at: sportshistoryfoundation.org
Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame
2025 Inductee BiographiesCoach Nolan Barger Tates Creek High School / 1972-1999
In 1972, Coach Nolan Barger began his 28-year career at Lexington’s Tates Creek High School. He became known as the “Giant Killer” for his tournament wins over some of the state’s greatest teams. In arguably the state’s toughest district, Lexington’s 43rd, he averaged 19 wins per season. His overall career record was 540 wins and 265 losses. Coach Barger was the ultimate teacher/coach who developed his players both as athletes and young men. The 1991 Commodore team took their coach to the brink of the ultimate prize in Kentucky high school sports, the Sweet 16 Championship, but would come up short to defending champion Fairdale High School in the finals by a score of 67-63. The 1991 team ended their championship run with a 34-2 record.
Coach John “Hop” Brown West Carter High School / 1978-2003
In 1979, John “Hop” Brown was hired as head coach of the West Carter High School Comets. He led the Comets in establishing a Kentucky high school basketball powerhouse, winning 514 games, six regional titles, and a Sweet 16 State Championship in 2000. During the championship run of 2000, he enjoyed the opportunity of coaching his daughter Kandi Brown, who was an All-State performer. “Hop’s” passion for coaching transferred into a blazing style of play. The Comets were relentless and brilliant and brought Olive Hill and West Carter High School statewide recognition.
Coach Hardin McLane Elizabethtown Catholic High School / 1958-1968
Hardin McLane coached the Elizabethtown Catholic High School Knights for 10 years from 1958-1968. During his tenure, the Knights won 20+ games every season and 76.7% of their games overall. Catholic made four Sweet 16 appearances under the tutelage of Coach McLane in 1961, 1965, 1967, and 1968. His 1961 Knights also won the prestigious Louisville Invitational Tournament (LIT). He coached the Kentucky All-Star Team in 1968, winning both games in the annual series against Indiana. At the conclusion of Coach Hardin’s career, he became an acclaimed basketball analyst for nine years, covering the Sweet 16 on both television and radio.
Coach Don Parson Calhoun High School, Hopkins County High School, Madisonville High School / 1960-1998
Don Parson’s impact on the game over his 38-year coaching career is historic. He was an All-State player at Lily High School in Laurel County and played for legendary Coach Ed Diddle at Western Kentucky University. Upon graduation, he chose coaching as a career, and over the next 38 years, his teams won 706 games, including seven regional titles. Coach Parson’s 1984 Madisonville High School team recorded a 32-2 record, losing to eventual state champion Logan County by two points. His coaching record ranks number 11 on the Kentucky all-time list for winningest coaches.
Julius Berry Dunbar High School / 1959
Julius Berry was a superstar for Lexington Dunbar High School when in 1957, after segregation, his team became eligible to play in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. He led Dunbar to two Sweet 16 tournaments in 1958 and 1959 and was selected to the All-State Tournament Team in both years. Julius was named All-State in 1958 and 1959 as well. An offensive “Bearcat” machine, he scored over 3,000 points in his career at Dunbar, under the tutelage of Hall of Fame Coach S. T. Roach. He was at one point Kentucky’s 4th all-time scorer. After graduation, he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of Dayton.
Greg Buckner University Heights Academy / 1994
Greg Buckner played on two state championship teams during his career at University Heights Academy, the Sweet 16 in 1992 and the All-A State Tournament in 1991. His all-around game was extraordinary, and its application was magical. Greg averaged 22 points per game, nine rebounds, and four assists his senior year, earning 1st team All-State honors. Clemson University signed Greg to a basketball scholarship. He led the Clemson Tigers in scoring all four years and became a high selection in the NBA draft. Greg Buckner played 10 years in the NBA.
Brett Burrow North Hardin High School / 1982
In 1981, his junior year, 6′ 10″ Brett Burrow led the North Hardin Trojans to their first regional title under Hall of Fame Coach Ron Bevars. The following year, they won the prestigious Louisville Invitational and Ashland Invitational Tournaments and were within a “second” of capturing the 1982 Sweet 16 State Championship, losing to Laurel County on a 50-foot game-winning shot by South Laurel’s Paul Andrews. Brett, the son of Kentucky All-American Bob Burrow, made the All-State Tournament Team and 1st team All-State in 1982. He scored 1,361 points and secured 749 rebounds during his career at North Hardin, earning him a basketball scholarship to Vanderbilt University, where he had an outstanding career.
Phil “Cookie” Grawemeyer Louisville duPont Manual High School / 1952
Phil “Cookie” Grawemeyer led the duPont Manual Crimsons to statewide basketball prominence in 1951 and 1952. The Crimsons compiled a 66-5 record over two seasons and challenged for the coveted state title both years. With 6’7″ Grawemeyer leading the way, his teams lost heartbreakers in the semi-finals in 1951 and the finals in 1952. He was named to the 1951 and 1952 Sweet 16 All-State Tournament teams and the Courier-Journal All-State Teams. Phil scored 29 points to lead Manual to the championship of the 1952 Louisville Invitational Tournament (LIT). He earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Kentucky and was a member of the 1953-1954 Kentucky Wildcat’s undefeated team. Phil Grawemeyer’s team jersey was retired and now hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena.
Anthony Hickey Christian County High School / 2011
The Christian County Colonels and Anthony Hickey came to Rupp Arena in March of 2011 on a mission. Coach Kerry Stovall had his team poised to compete, and he had a leader in Anthony Hickey who set a torrid pace. He spoiled all efforts to defend his speed and athleticism and led Christian County to the Sweet 16 State Championship in 2011. Anthony earned All-State Tournament Team honors and was named to the Courier-Journal’s All-State First Team. Kentucky high school basketball’s highest individual award, Mr. Basketball, was presented to him by the Kentucky Lion’s Club. Anthony Hickey continued his career at LSU, where he had an outstanding career.
Kim Mays Mills Knox Central High School / 1990
Kim Mays Mills started for the Knox Central varsity Lady Panthers as a seventh grader. She became a tremendous scorer and led the state in scoring her senior year with a 41.6 points per game average. She set 13* region records for most points scored in a game (59 points) and career points (3,952). Kim earned All-State honors in 1988, 1989, and 1990 and was named Kentucky’s Miss Basketball in 1990. She was named to the prestigious Parade and Street and Smith’s All-American Teams in 1990 as well. She earned a basketball scholarship to Eastern Kentucky University, where she continued her successful career.
Jason Osborne Louisville Male High School / 1993
Jason Osborne’s basketball career at Louisville Male High School would rival the many great Bulldog players who came before him. He was an extremely agile 6’9″ athlete whose skill set was solid. Jason led Male to the 1993 Sweet 16 State Tournament semi-finals and was selected to the All-State Tournament Team while also garnering All-State honors in both 1992 and 1993. He earned Kentucky’s highest basketball award, being named Mr. Basketball his senior year. Street and Smith selected Jason to their All-American team in 1993. The University of Louisville signed Jason Osborne to a basketball scholarship, where he continued his hoops career.
Natalie Powers Payne Apollo High School / 1997
Natalie Powers Payne started every game during her four years at Apollo High School. She set eight school records during her playing career, ranging from 2,497 points to 560 assists. An all-around player, she led the Apollo Eagles to a new level of achievement, winning three consecutive regional titles in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Natalie was a two-time All-State performer and was named to the Sweet 16 All-Tournament Team three consecutive years. She represents what a great attitude and talent can achieve. Natalie Powers Payne attended Western Kentucky on a basketball scholarship.
Adrian “Odie” Smith Farmington High School / 1954
Adrian “Odie” Smith’s career as a Kentucky High School basketball player at Farmington High School in rural Graves County mirrors the obstacles many youth faced in forging a Kentucky high school basketball career in the early years of the game. The difficulties ranged from work to travel. Adrian Smith defied the obstacles that faced him and became an All-State player his senior year at Farmington. He blossomed into a starter for the University of Kentucky’s 1958 “Fiddlin’ Five” national champions, was an Olympic Gold Medalist, and an NBA All-Star Game MVP. He played 10 years in the NBA for the Cincinnati Royals opposite guard Oscar Robertson.