Beloved Kentucky radio analyst, former player Mike Pratt passes away at 73
Former Kentucky basketball star and legendary radio analyst Mike Pratt passed away on Thursday night after a three-year battle with cancer, according to KSR. Family, friends and colleagues began sharing their memories and condolences, including his co-host Tom Leach.
Leach posted a photo of Pratt with Chuck Hayes and wrote: “Everybody gravitated to MP for his ball knowledge and his friendship. I loved him like a brother. My heart is broken. RIP”
Pratt was starting a new round of cancer treatment on Thursday, per KSR, after fundraising efforts helped raise the money to cover the expenses.
Pratt, a native of Dayton, Ohio, chose Kentucky after a recruitment by Adolph Rupp that started when he was a sophomore. He played for the Wildcats from 1967-1970, becoming a two-time first-team All-SEC selection in 1969 and 1970.
Despite never winning a national championship in his time as a player, he helped lead the team to a three-year record of 71-12. They had three SEC championships and two regional final appearances.
Pratt graduated in 1970 with 1,359 career points scored with a 16.7 points per game average.
After college, Pratt signed with the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association. He played two seasons of pro ball before retiring his playing career in 1972.
In 1975, he got into coaching as an assistant at UNC Charlotte. Pratt took over as head coach in 1978 following the school’s first and only Final Four appearance. He moved into NBA scouting after coaching the 49ers for four years.
Pratt came back to Kentucky in October of 2001 when Host Communications hired him as an analyst for the radio broadcasts of Kentucky games. Pratt’s second Kentucky Basketball career strengthened his connection to the program and he was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.