University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Adds Kentucky's Mr. Basketball Lofton to Signing Class
May 05, 2004 | Men's Basketball
May 5, 2004
Tennessee basketball coach Buzz Peterson announced Wednesday that Chris Lofton has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Tennessee beginning with the 2004-05 season.
"I am extremely excited to have Chris join our program" Peterson said. "He had a tremendous high school career by leading Mason County to the Kentucky state finals in each of the last two seasons. As a junior he had an incredible game to help his team win the state championship. His high school coach, Kelly Wells, did a very good job of teaching him the game of basketball and he should be prepared to make the transition to college basketball. Chris is very well liked in the community, and we are excited to have him coming to the University of Tennessee."
Lofton, a 6-foot-3 guard from Mason County High School in Maysville, Ky., earned Kentucky's 2004 Mr. Basketball honors following a season in which he averaged c points per game in leading Mason County to the state championship game. The leading vote-getter on the Louisville Courier-Journal's All-State team, Lofton led the Royals in scoring, rebounding (7.4 rpg), assists (3.4 apg) and steals (3.2 spg). The sharpshooter made 46.2 percent (353-764) of his 3-point attempts during his career.
The Gatorade Player of the Year and Associated Press Player of the Year for the state of Kentucky, he finished his career with a school record 2,763 points. His 252 points in 10 career state tournament games rank third all-time in state history. He set a state tournament record with nine 3-pointers on his way to a 39-point performance in Mason County's 2003 state championship victory over Ballard High School.
Lofton is the third Mr. Basketball from the state of Kentucky to sign with the Vols. Tennessee's all-time leading scorer, Allan Houston, won the award in 1989 after scoring 2,238 career points at Louisville's Ballard High School. Jermaine Brown won 1991 Mr. Basketball honors in the state after earning MVP honors at the state tournament as a junior and senior for Louisville's Fairdale High School.
