"King Kelly" Coleman, regarded as the greatest basketball legend in the state of Kentucky and Kentucky Wesleyan College, will return to Owensboro for the "King Kelly Coleman Homecoming Weekend" on Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19. This historic event is co-presented by Independence Bank and the KWC All-American/All-Sports Club.
A "King Kelly Friends & Fans Luncheon" will be held on Friday, Nov. 18 at noon CT at the Owensboro Sportscenter, as "King Kelly", his teammates, coaches, friends and fans reminisce about his playing days at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
On Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m., Kentucky Wesleyan will open their season by hosting North Alabama in the "King Kelly Homecoming Game" at the Owensboro Sportscenter. A special half-time ceremony will include the retirement of jersey number 45, worn by "King Kelly", and the honoring of his teammates and coaches.
Luncheon tickets are $15 per person or $120 for a table and may be purchased at Independence Bank on 24th and Frederica Streets in Owensboro (270-686-1776). Tickets for the game may be purchased at the Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletic Ticket Office (270-852-3335).
The luncheon and game coincides with the release of a new book, "King Kelly Coleman, Kentucky's Greatest Basketball Legend," written by Gary P. West of Bowling Green. Autographed copies of the books will be sold for $21.95 at the luncheon and at the homecoming game by the KWC All-American/All-Sports Club.
"King Kelly" Coleman played at Kentucky Wesleyan from 1958 to 1960 and was an All-American in 1960. He led the nation (University and College Divisions) as a freshman in scoring with a 26.6 points per game and holds the record for highest scoring average for a career (27.7 ppg); and most points in a season (848). "King Kelly" played in 75 games and ranks third in career points (2,077 - 27.7 ppg) and sixth in career rebounds (904 - 12.1 rpg).
Before coming to Kentucky Wesleyan, "King Kelly" was a high school legend at Wayland (Ky.) High School. In 1956, he was considered the best high school basketball player in the nation, ranking ahead of Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. His more than 4,000 career points in high school broke Wilt Chamberlain's record for most points scored in a career.
At the 1956 Kentucky state high school tournament, "King Kelly" scored 68 points against Bell County and grabbed 28 rebounds against Carr Creek. Both performances are still state tournament records.
Former Hall of Fame and University of Kentucky Head Coach Adolph Rupp publicly called "the King from Wayland" the best high school basketball player of all-time.
