Tubby Smith, Tennessee standout Lofton named SEC Legends
Published 11:24 am Friday, March 1, 2024
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Former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith has been named to the SEC Legends Class of 2024 and will represent the Wildcats at the SEC Tournament.
Smith will join 14 other honorees from the league, including former Mason County High School and Tennessee standout Chris Lofton. Smith and Lofton will be honored at halftime of their respective team’s opening games in the tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Smith spent 10 seasons as coach of the Wildcats from 1998-2007 and led Kentucky to a national title in 1998, and five SEC regular season and tournament titles. He went 263-83 and was named national coach of the year three times and the top coach in the league three times. He led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in each of his 10 seasons at the helm.
The former Kentucky coach is one of three coaches to have a jersey displayed in the rafters of Rupp Arena, joining Adolph Rupp and Joe B. Hall. He also was inducted into the UK Hall of Fame in 2013 and had his jersey retired in 2021.
Lofton played at Tennessee from 2004-08 and scored 2,131 points, fourth in school history and 10th on the SEC’s all-time scoring list. He made 431 3-pointers and helped the Volunteers compile a 77-24 mark in his three seasons in Knoxville.