American · Jersey City, New Jersey · Born 24 July 1942Cotton Nash was a three-time All-American at Kentucky who became the program's all-time leading scorer before also playing professional baseball.
Charles Francis Nash Jr. was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1942. He attended the University of Kentucky under coach Adolph Rupp and became the SEC's most decorated scorer of the early 1960s. He averaged 22.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game across three varsity seasons — making him a three-time All-American and three-time SEC Player of the Year. He was named All-SEC four times. He set Kentucky career scoring records that stood for years. Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the first round of the 1964 NBA Draft. He had a brief professional basketball career before also playing two seasons of professional baseball. His Kentucky career produced one of the most sustained individual excellence runs in SEC history — three consecutive All-American and SEC Player of the Year awards reflect dominance that was consistent across his entire college tenure. He is considered one of the five or six greatest players in Kentucky program history and one of the defining players of Rupp's final dynasty period in the 1960s.
Kentucky's all-time leading scorer at time of graduation; rare athlete who also played MLB
How They Played
Nash was primarily known as a prolific scorer with excellent shooting range and the ability to score from multiple positions on the court. As a forward, he combined good size with solid fundamentals and was particularly effective in the post while also being capable of stepping out to hit mid-range shots.
Lasting Impact
Remembered as Kentucky's first great modern basketball star and a rare two-sport professional athlete
Career Honours
- 3x All-American 1962-1964
- SEC scoring champion 1964
- UK Athletics Hall of Fame
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Wildcats | 1961–1964 | — |
| San Francisco Warriors | 1964–1965 | — |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 1965–1967 | — |
American Athletes