Mike Casey (basketball player)
Encyclopedia
Mike Casey was a basketball player for the University of Kentucky Wildcats from 1967-1971. Casey was a part of what some consider to be the best recruiting class in UK history (a class which included 11 players, notably Dan Issel
, Mike Pratt
, Casey, and Terry Mills). Casey suffered a severely broken leg between his junior and senior year. Because of this, he had to redshirt what would have been his senior year, which may have cost UK a National Championship in 1970.
. He also led the Wildcats in free throw shooting in 1968 at 82.3%, and in assists in 1969, with 4.6 per game.
Casey had the honor of being the only man to out-score Dan Issel at the collegiate level; in their sophomore year Casey averaged 20.1 points per game to Issel's 16.4. His junior year his average dipped to 19.1 points per game. After redshirting what would have been his senior year, Casey came back to average 17.0 points per game. His final year he also shot 50.4% from the field.
Former coach Adolph Rupp
said:
Kentucky's record during Casey's three years was 67-16, an .807 winning percentage.
Casey's Shelby County team defeated Louisville Male 72-67 for the Kentucky State Championship in 1966, which was the same night that UK lost to Texas Western
in the National Title game.
Dan Issel
Daniel Paul Issel is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player and coach.-Collegiate playing career:...
, Mike Pratt
Mike Pratt (basketball)
Michael P. Pratt is an American retired basketball player and coach. He was a 6'4" , 195 lb guard....
, Casey, and Terry Mills). Casey suffered a severely broken leg between his junior and senior year. Because of this, he had to redshirt what would have been his senior year, which may have cost UK a National Championship in 1970.
Career
Casey, Kentucky's 'Mr. Basketball' in 1966, finished his career averaging 18.7 points per game, in 82 games played. The 18.7 points per game he averaged for his career ranks ninth in UK history, one-tenth of a point below Jamal MashburnJamal Mashburn
Jamal Mashburn is a retired American professional basketball player. A small forward, Mashburn was a prolific scorer in his 12 seasons in the league, with a career scoring average of 19.1 points per game...
. He also led the Wildcats in free throw shooting in 1968 at 82.3%, and in assists in 1969, with 4.6 per game.
Casey had the honor of being the only man to out-score Dan Issel at the collegiate level; in their sophomore year Casey averaged 20.1 points per game to Issel's 16.4. His junior year his average dipped to 19.1 points per game. After redshirting what would have been his senior year, Casey came back to average 17.0 points per game. His final year he also shot 50.4% from the field.
Former coach Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
said:
- Casey was the best money player I ever coached. When there was money on the table, you wanted Mike Casey to have the ball in his hands.
Kentucky's record during Casey's three years was 67-16, an .807 winning percentage.
Casey's Shelby County team defeated Louisville Male 72-67 for the Kentucky State Championship in 1966, which was the same night that UK lost to Texas Western
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
in the National Title game.