The University of Kentucky announced during Tuesday night’s CATSPY Awards the 2007 inductees into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. The class includes volleyball player Marsha Bond, men’s basketball player Larry Conley, baseball player Dom Fucci, track athlete Jim Green, former coach and athletics director Harry Lancaster and football player Moe Williams. The class will be formally inducted during Hall of Fame Weekend, Sept. 28-29, in conjunction with the football game against Florida Atlantic.
Bond (1980-83) earned All-America honors in 1982 and 1983, the only two-time volleyball All-American in UK history. She led UK to its first NCAA Tournament appearance (1983) and helped the Cats win two SEC Tournament championships during her tenure. A three-year All-SEC and All-SEC Tournament selection, she continues to hold the UK career record for attack percentage (.380), a mark that rates fifth in SEC history.
Conley (1964-66), a member of the famed Rupp’s Runts, was a three-time All-SEC selection and an Academic All-American in 1966. He still ranks ninth on Kentucky’s all-time assists per game list, averaging 3.62 assists during his career. Conley helped the Cats win two SEC championships, and today is known nationwide for his work as a basketball analyst, having done work for NBC, CBS, ESPN and Lincoln Financial (formerly Jefferson Pilot).
Fucci (1948-51), a catcher, was Kentucky’s and the SEC’s first baseball All-American in 1949. He led UK to its first NCAA Tournament appearances, in 1949 and 1950. Fucci held the school record for batting average in a season (.440) for 45 years.
Green (1968-71) was one of the Southeastern Conference’s pioneers of integration and is a member of the State of Kentucky’s Athletic Hall of Fame. A two-time NCAA champion, winning the indoor 60-yard dash in 1968 and 1971, he earned All-America honors six times and won eight SEC individual events, including the indoor 60-yard dash (1968, 1971), outdoor 100-yard dash (1968, 1970, 1971), and outdoor 220-yard dash (1968, 1970, 1971).
Lancaster (1946-75) was a cornerstone in UK Athletics for three decades. As AD, he oversaw the construction of Commonwealth Stadium and the multi-sport Shively Sports Center, along with helping plan for Rupp Arena and directing the revival of varsity women’s basketball at UK. He also spent 16 seasons as head baseball coach, but was perhaps best known as Adolph Rupp’s top assistant, helping the Wildcats win national championships in 1948, 1949, 1951, and 1958. He is also a member of the State of Kentucky’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Williams (1993-95) is second on the UK career rushing list (3,333 yards), fourth in all-purpose yardage and seventh in scoring. He broke or tied 15 school records during a monster season in 1995, during which he rushed for 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns, leading the SEC in rushing, all-purpose yardage, and scoring. Williams was first-team All-SEC and the SEC Offensive Back of the Year, and was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award that year. He still holds 10 Wildcat records and has played 10 years in the NFL.
The UK Athletics Hall of Fame was started in 2005 to recognize and honor persons whose participation and contributions enriched and strengthened the University’s athletic program. The charter class included 88 individuals who had previously had their jersey retired by UK.
There is a five-year waiting period – after leaving UK – to be eligible for inclusion into the Hall of Fame, and a 10-year waiting period to have a jersey retired. An individual must be a member of the Hall of Fame to be eligible for jersey retirement.
A committee consisting of Hall of Famers, media members, campus representatives and current coaches and administrators elects new inductees each year.
