Vernon Hatton is Kentucky's 2023 SEC Legend to be recognized in Nashville

Every year at the SEC Tournament, the league recognizes one “SEC Basketball Legend” from all 14 member schools in a ceremony at each school’s first game of the tournament. The tradition of recognizing past greats began in 1999 and returns to the conference tournament in 2023 after a three-year pause from the event.

This year, the committee selected 2005 UK Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Vernon Hatton as the Kentucky Wildcats’ 2023 SEC Basketball Legends honoree. A product of Lexington, Kentucky, Hatton was a member of the 1958 national championship team coached by Adolph Rupp, and as a senior guard, he averaged a team-best 17.1 points per game and scored a game-high 30 in the championship game against Seattle.

Hatton’s trophy cabinet includes All-SEC First Team, All-America First Team by Converse Yearbook, All-America First Team by the Helms Foundation, 1958 Final Four All-Tournament Team, and the NCAA All-Regional Team.

For his three-year varsity career, Hatton scored 1,153 career points with a double-figure scoring average every season. But he may be best known for the 47-footer he hit to force a second overtime in Kentucky’s three-overtime win against Temple in December 1957. It’s considered one of the best shots in UK history (and was long before YouTube, unfortunately).

Hatton’s No. 52 jersey hangs in Rupp’s rafters today.

2023 SEC Basketball Legends

ALABAMA – Jerry Harper, 1953-56
ARKANSAS – Nick Davis, 1997-99
AUBURN – Layton Johns, 1960-63
FLORIDA – Chris Richard, 2003-07
GEORGIA – Rod Cole, 1987-91
KENTUCKY – Vernon Hatton, 1956-58
LSU – Collis Temple III, 1999-2003
OLE MISS – Eric Laird, 1982-85
MISSISSIPPI STATE – Jerry Jenkins, 1973-75
MISSOURI – Steve Stipanovich, 1979-83
SOUTH CAROLINA – Tre’ Kelley, 2003-07
TENNESSEE – Lang Wiseman, 1989-93
TEXAS A&M – David Britton, 1978-1980
VANDERBILT – Butch Feher, 1973-76

Kentucky’s Past SEC Legends

1999: Frank Ramsey
2000: Cliff Hagan
2001: Wallace “Wah Wah” Jones
2002: Cotton Nash
2003: Jack Givens
2004: Dan Issel
2005: Sam Bowie
2006: Ralph Beard
2007: Kenny Walker
2008: Kyle Macy
2009: Louie Dampier
2010: Joe B. Hall
2011: Kevin Grevey
2012: Adrian “Odie” Smith
2013: Jamal Mashburn
2014: Tony Delk
2015: Bob Burrow
2016: Larry Conley
2017: Keith Bogans
2018: Joe Crawford
2019: Johnny Cox