![]() “His passion and honesty paired with his perspective as a former player, coach and scout brought an authentic insight to our fans. “Mike Pratt made everyone feel like a friend,” Kim Shelton, JMI Sports President, UK Sports and Campus Marketing, said. The Wildcats have also claimed the SEC regular-season title eight times, the SEC Tournament crown eight times, and advanced to four Final Fours and nine Elite Eights with Pratt on the radio team. Pratt has been on the call for 558 wins, highlighted by the 2012 National Championship victory. He was an outstanding basketball analyst, but an even better husband, father, grandfather and friend.” We loved him just like the Big Blue Nation did. “He was more brother than broadcaster partner to me and producer Jim Barnhart through so many good times. Since the 2001-02 season, Pratt has been courtside for every Kentucky men’s basketball game as the UK Sports Network’s radio color analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Tom Leach. Pratt worked with the Charlotte Hornets Television Network, ESPN and Fox Sports South. Pratt played two seasons with the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association and was later an assistant coach on UNC Charlotte’s 1977 Final Four Team, before becoming head coach of the 49ers in 1978.įollowing a stint as a professional scout, he then moved into broadcasting in 1985. Pratt and the Wildcats went 71-12 overall and 48-6 against league foes during his career and were ranked in the Associated Press top five for 33 weeks, including the duration of his senior season. ![]() He was a perfect 10 for 10 at the free-throw line. Pratt poured in a career-high 42 points and added eight rebounds. His best performance came in a 102-100 win against Notre Dame in Freedom Hall on Dec. Pratt also amassed 29 double-doubles throughout his career. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 16.8 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per outing in 81 career games played at UK. Mike knew that the University and the Big Blue Nation loved him, and they never forgot what he did as a player and then later as a connection for the program. We should all be thankful that he was in our lives. Ellen and I will forever be grateful to him for his support and kindness. “Mike was a dear friend to me and was an integral part in helping me become head coach here. If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Mike Pratt, you knew what a special person he was,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “We lost a family member, a part of the Kentucky family and a friend. The trio, which included Dan Issel and Mike Casey, accounted for more than 5,000 points and 2,300 rebounds in just three seasons of varsity action. 1 his senior season.Ī native of Dayton, Ohio, he was a three-year starter for the Wildcats and was a part of one of the best trios in program history under legendary head coach Adolph Rupp. He helped lead UK to three SEC championships and two Elite Eight appearances, finishing the regular season ranked No. He will be missed by the Big Blue Nation and our sympathies are with his wife, Marcia, and their family and friends.”Ī two-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection by the league’s coaches (1969, ’70), Pratt was named an Academic All-American in 1970. For the last two decades, he brought our games to life with his insightful commentary on our radio broadcasts. ![]() “As an All-America and All-SEC player, Mike played a significant role in our basketball history. “Mike Pratt has been part of the fabric of UK Athletics for more than a half-century,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK Director of Athletics. He was a second-team All-America selection in 1970 with the Wildcats and finished his career with 1,359 points and 718 rebounds. Pratt (1967-70) was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. – Mike Pratt, a University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Famer and UK Sports Network men’s basketball radio color analyst, died Thursday.
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