Vernon Hatton was one of the best clutch players ever to wear the UK Blue & White. The 6-foot-3 guard from Lexington Lafayette High School proved that point time and time again as a member of the 1958 NCAA champion Wildcat squad. His signature performance came during UK's triple-overtime win over Temple in December of that year. Vernon's free throw with 49 seconds to go sent the Temple game into its first overtime. Then with Temple leading by two points with one second remaining, Rupp called time out and sat up an in-bounds play to Hatton.

While Temple defenders backed up to protect against the long pass and with many fans filing out of the arena, Hatton took a throw at mid-court from John Crigler and shot with both hands. The horn sounded as the ball swished through the net for the tying points.

Temple tied the score at the end of the next overtime, but fell, 85-83, as Hatton scored six of Kentucky's last eight points. The following day Hatton asked Rupp for the game ball.

"Give you the game ball?" Rupp snorted. "Just because you scored two points from 47 feet with one second to go. How would I explain that to the Athletic Board, giving away a $35 basketball? What would they think of me spending all that money? If you hadn't scored the basket, one of the other boys would have done the job, because the play was just one we had been practicing for occasions like that."

As Hatton contemplated quitting the team, Rupp reached under his desk, pulled out the game ball, flipped it to him, and said, "Congratulations, son. You're sure tough in the clutch. You may have the ball. Tell your grandchildren about it."

Many years later, after telling his seven grandchildren about "The Shot," Vern donated the ball to the Kentucky Basketball Museum.

Hatton was the type of player who gave 100 percent without any prodding, one who would not perform under criticism. The only time Rupp fussed at him was during a defensive drill. Tired of the verbal barrage – "Play defense, play defense, you lazy thing" – Hatton walked to the bench, sat down, and announced that he had quit.

"Vernon, I have been coaching for 30 years," Rupp said, "and this is the first time I ever had a boy quit on me like this."

Hatton was born to Dawson and Rebecca Hatton in Owensville, Ky. Dawson was a road grader operator and a tenant farmer. He moved the family to Lexington in 1949. He scored 1,059 points during a three-year period at Lafayette High School, earning All-America honors his junior and senior years.

Hatton was the only sophomore starter on the 1955-56 UK varsity. He finished third in scoring with a 13.3 average and ranked second in the conference shooting stats with an accuracy mark of 49.4 percent. The conference named him Sophomore of the Year.

Rupp said Hatton's greatest attribute, aside from a cool-headed attitude and post-graduate confidence, was an unusually deceptive change of pace dribble that allowed him to break through the inner defense for seemingly impossible baskets.

That was praise indeed from UK's legendary coach, who added that Hatton could hit one-hand jumpers from medium to long range, hold his own in rebounding against men more sizeable, and was more than just competent on defense.

Hatton got the 1956-57 Wildcats off to a good start with a 26-point performance in an opening 94-66 win over Washington & Lee. However, the Cats lost two one-point decisions in their first five games. They captured the UKIT with impressive wins over Southern Methodist and Illinois. Hatton was high scorer with 25 points against the previously unbeaten Illini. The Cats survived a 56-55 thriller against Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. They blasted Houston, 111-76, for their second win in a row.

An emergency appendectomy sidelined Hatton as the Cats opened SEC play with a 95-72 win against Georgia Tech. During Hatton's three-week absence, they were 6-1, losing to Tulane, 68-60, in New Orleans. It was the Greenies' first victory over UK in 19 years.

Hatton played a few minutes in wins over Georgia and Florida, but he did not regain his form until Rupp inserted him into the lineup against Mississippi at Memphis. With 13 minutes remaining and UK trailing, 53-42, Hatton stole the ball for a lay up and then made a long set shot after Johnny Cox hit a one-hander. The Cats, behind Hatton, rallied for a 75-69 UK win. He finished with 14 points.

The Wildcats had a six-game winning streak going when they traveled to Starkville for a game with Mississippi State. Bailey Howell scored 37 points and Jimmy Ashmore chipped in 25 as State beat UK, 89-81, for the first time in 33 years. The Wildcats defeated Loyola, 115-65, in Chicago and won their final four games against SEC competition.

The NCAA Mideast Regional was held in Lexington that year, but the home court did not prove much of an advantage to the Wildcats. They faltered in the second half and had a tough time getting by Pittsburgh, 98-92. UK led Michigan State, 47-35, at halftime, but the Spartans won, 80-68.

Entering the 1957-58 season, Rupp welcomed four starters – Vern Hatton, Ed Beck, John Cox, and John Crigler – and a fine guard prospect, Adrian Smith, back from the 1956-57 team that had finished 23-5.

Cox had been named SEC Sophomore of the Year. Hatton was strong after recovering from the appendectomy.

Crigler was a steady forward, Beck had developed into a fine rebounder and defensive player, and little "Smitty" showed promise of future greatness.

Theirs was a group composed of many diverse personalities. While others sought stardom, Crigler was a blue collar worker motivated by personal criticism and not much else. After his man scored the tying basket as the first half ended against Auburn, Rupp said:

"John Lloyd, 150 years from now there will be no university, no field house. There will have been an atomic war, and it will all be destroyed. But underneath the rubble there will be a monument on which will be inscribed, 'Here lies John Lloyd Crigler, the most stupid basketball player ever at Kentucky, killed by Adolph Rupp,' because, boy, if you don't play better, I'm going to kill you."

Crigler later was a key man in UK's Final Four victories.

Smith went from high school stardom at Farmington, Ky., to Northeast Mississippi Junior College, where he was the fifth highest junior college scorer in the nation with a 27.2 average. He later earned an Olympic Gold Medal and played 10 years with the Cincinnati Royals. He was MVP in the 1966 NBA All-Star game.

Beck developed into a fine rebounder and defensive player. He entered the Methodist ministry and became known nationally.

"We're fiddlers, that's all," Rupp said. "They're pretty good fiddlers – be right entertaining at a barn dance. But I'll tell you, you need violinists to play at Carnegie Hall. We don't have any violinists."

Hatton played first violin. He scored 46 points in opening wins over Duke, 78-74, and Ohio State, 61-54. Then came what Tom Wallace described as one of the most unforgettable and exciting games in UK history – an 85-83 win over Temple. "It was this thrilling victory that Hatton cemented his reputation as Mr. Clutch."

The Temple game was just one of many close contests played by the Wildcats that year. After they lost to Maryland by nine points and to Southern Methodist by one point, both on the road, Rupp said, "This is the greatest record-setting basketball team in the history of the University of Kentucky. It just sets the wrong kind of records."

They returned from Dallas and lost to West Virginia in the opening game of the UKIT, marking the first time in 15 years that a UK basketball team had lost two games in a row. Jerry West played superbly as the Mountaineers defeated North Carolina for the championship and ended a 37-game Tar Heel winning streak.

In conference action the Wildcats lost to Georgia Tech, 71-52, in Atlanta, stalled with the ball more than eight minutes in a 72-62 victory over Mississippi State, and defeated Alabama in overtime at Tuscaloosa. They were 12-2 in conference play and 19-6 entering NCAA regional action. Never had a team with six losses won the national championship.

The Wildcats easily defeated Miami of Ohio and Notre Dame in the Mideast Regional to set up a rematch with Temple in the Final Four at Louisville. In 26 games the Owls had lost only to UK and Cincinnati.

The Wildcats were down by one point with 24 seconds to go when Rupp called time out.

"Coach, I believe we can run a back screen and get one of the guards loose," Beck said. "My man has stuck to me and never has switched a single time."

"All right," Rupp said. "We'll run a back screen. But be sure that you don't get caught moving, because these Eastern officials will blow you out of the place."

Hatton took the throw-in pass, dribbled around the screen, and scored with a few seconds remaining on the clock. Time ran out with UK ahead, 61-60.

The Wildcats were in the championship game with Elgin Baylor and Seattle, which had defeated Kansas State, 73-51, in the other semifinal game. Crigler got Baylor in foul trouble and the Wildcats rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to win by 12. Hatton was high man with 30 points and Cox had 24.

"Those boys certainly are not concert violinists," Rupp said, "but they sure can fiddle."

Hatton scored 1,153 points during his three years at UK, a 15.2 ppg average. He hit 46 percent of his field goal attempts. He had a career high 35 points vs. Florida in 1958. His career awards in 1957-58 included: All-American [Converse (1st)]; All-NCAA Final Four Team; All- NCAA Regional Team; First Team All-SEC (Coaches); Second Team All-SEC (AP).

The Cincinnati Royals drafted Hatton No. 10 overall in the second round of the 1958 NBA Draft. He played three years with Philadelphia and one year with St. Louis.

Vernon is a semi-retired auctioneer/realtor who works part-time for the Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children. He and Suzie are remodeling a recently purchased home, the 48th in 50 years of that sideline. He buys them, fixes them up, sells them and moves into the next one.

Vernon and Suzanne have three sons, Jeff, Terry and Steve. Terry and Jeff own the Kentucky Basketball Academy in Lexington. Terry married the former Tammy Teal. They have two sons. Bryan is a redshirt basketball player at Southern Utah. Brandon, 17, plays high school basketball in Provo, Utah.

Steve married the former Amie Passie. They have two girls and a boy – Tyler, 18, Jessica, 15, and Olivia, 13, all in Lexington.

Jeff played a little foottball at Ricks College in Idaho before going on a two-year mission to Salt Lake City. He married the former Michele Duncan. They have two boys and a girl. Their oldest, A.J., has returned from a two-year mission in Southern California. He is a student at Utah Valley Junior College in Salt Lake City.