AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > February > 09 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMaysville’s man
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Not many famous people have come from Maysville, Ky. The late Rosemary Clooney qualified, but her very-much-alive nephew George doesn’t quite. George Clooney was born and raised in Augusta, Ky., which is eight miles down the Ohio River and which remains the site of my one and only speeding ticket. In the summer of 1974, I was ticketed for going 47 in a 35-mph zone. Tiny Augusta, you should know, is a big fat speed trap. But I digress.
I am, as some of you might know, from Maysville — born there, raised there, the whole nine yards. My mom and my brother live there still. Heather French, Miss America 2000, is from Maysville, but she kind of lost me when she married a guy even older than I am. (He happened to be the state’s lieutenant governor.) But Chris Lofton… of this young man, I’m a fan forever.
Chris Lofton played basketball at Mason County. (Full disclosure: I grew up hating the Mason County Royals because I went to Maysville — they were “farmers,” we were “river rats” — but Maysville High no longer exists. It consolidated with Mason County, and to this day it’s hard from me to think of Mason County as “my” school. Because it never was. But I digress again.) Lofton led Mason County to the 2003 state championship, and as you might know high school basketball in the Bluegrass has always been huge.
Lofton scored 39 points in the title game, making nine 3-pointers in, of all places, Rupp Arena. Like pretty much every Kentucky kid, Lofton wanted to play for the Big Blue. (I couldn’t play a lick, but I would have been the exception. I grew up a Louisville fan because my dad graduated from U of L’s dental school.) You’d have thought that the Wildcats, who’ve struggled to find a shooter in recent years, would have snapped up such a talent. You’d have been wrong.
Tubby Smith — one of my favorite people in the world — decided Lofton wasn’t quick enough and didn’t recruit him. So Lofton, who grew up 64 miles from Rupp Arena, went to Tennessee. And Tuesday night, in his second visit to Rupp as a Volunteer, he scored 31 points and beat Tubby and the Wildcats on their own floor (and on national TV to boot).
That part was pretty cool. This was even cooler. Asked by reporters after the game how he felt about coming home, Lofton said: “This [Lexington] isn’t my home. Maysville is my home.”
And that sealed it. Chris Lofton is my favorite player ever. (With the possible exceptions of my former schoolmates James Smith, nicknamed Skeet, and Fred Walker, nicknamed Bubbles, who led the Maysville Bulldogs to an epochal upset of No. 1 Louisville Central in the quarterfinals of the 1972 state tournament. But I digress yet again. Sorry.)
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Mark Bradley, Quick Hit
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By Nicholas Irwin
February 9, 2006 05:11 PM | Link to this
As a Tennessee fan, it would have been difficult to get much sweeter than that win in Lexington the other night. The Vols would not be where they are this year without Lofton. While he has taken a couple of games off from a performance standpoint, Tennessee would not have come anywhere near winning in their three biggest wins of the year (Texas, Florida and Kentucky) without Chris Lofton. He is turning into an absolute money performer in big games, and when he is on, he is virtually unstoppable. He is pretty much a carbon copy of J.J. Redick, and if he stays four years at Tennessee like Redick has stayed four years at Duke, he’ll be a legitimate player of the year candidate his senior year like Redick is.
By Nicholas Irwin
February 9, 2006 05:16 PM | Link to this
Oh…and I think both Pitino and Tubby Smith have already admitted that not recruiting Chris Lofton was the worst mistake of their respective careers (a pretty deep well for Pitino). Poor Tubby Smith has to be reminded of it at least twice a year…at lest Pitino only occasionally has to deal with Lofton directly.
By geechee
February 9, 2006 06:34 PM | Link to this
If you want to experience a true speedtrap try doing five miles over the limit in Blufton SC. Half the town’s revenue must come from people driving between Savannah and HH.
By Mikey five finger
February 9, 2006 11:27 PM | Link to this
first time reader, from San Jose (its in california), what up gizoogle.
Anytime, your hometown b.baller Loft is the sickness, no known cure. I dont care if that dude is from a chickenfarm, horsefarm or coconutfarm the dude is crazy with a basketball. Lofton owns some people now!!! Anyway, wierd article, i dont understand ajc.com analogies, but congrats on writing it i guess, and once again Lofton is insane college player…he’ll make noise in NC2A.
How many people in maysville? and what kind of exports do youse produce from all that farming?
-goose
By TnJack
February 10, 2006 10:32 AM | Link to this
Tennessee fan here. Lofton is great. We are very fortunate to have a talent like him playing for the Vols.He’s a fime young man as well. With Chris, Coach Pearl, and all the other players thinking team first, I know the Tennessee basketball program is becoming something very special.
By Ala Jim
February 10, 2006 11:00 AM | Link to this
Don’t like basketball. Don’t know about Lofton. Did enjoy your digressions though Lewis Grizzard like. Sort of!
By Mark Bradley
February 10, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this
I was a city-dweller in Maysville myself, but the folks out in the county grow burley tobacco. In fact, Maysville, Ky., is the world’s third-largest burley tobacco market — behind Singapore and Lexington, Ky., I believe. Indeed, the Maysville radio station’s call letters — WFTM — stand for “World’s Finest Tobacco Market.”
By UK1in96n98
February 10, 2006 03:37 PM | Link to this
Rick Pittino’s biggest mistake was leaving Kentucky in the middle of a championship run.
Tubby Smith has made very few mistakes as far as I am concerned and I will defend his honor to the rednecks I work with.
I WILL BE IN NASHVILL TOMORROW.
Remember: UK1in96n98