Former Kentucky forward Ray Mills, 1957 SEC champion, has passed away

A former Wildcat and Manchester, KY native has passed away at the age of 91. Ray Mills, who played at Kentucky from 1954 to 1957 under Adolph Rupp, died on May 17 following a life well-lived starting and ending in the Bluegrass state.

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Ray Mills. pic.twitter.com/6C9mfcwcg8

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) May 27, 2025

Mills started his UK career on the freshman team, leading the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding without taking a single loss, following that up with 262 points and 316 rebounds across 67 games played in the blue and white. In that time, Kentucky won the SEC twice with one Sweet 16 and two Elite Eights while taking just 14 losses overall and six in league play.

Prior to his time as a Wildcat, he was named an All-State Honorable Mention in 1952 before earning First Team All-State honors in 1953, also earning All-District and All-Region honors both seasons. He led Clay County High School to a 13th Region runner-up finish in ’52 before the school’s first regional championship in ’53, scoring over 1,000 career points to put himself on Coach Rupp’s radar.

Following his time at Kentucky, he joined the National Guard before coaching at Wayne County High School, Roosevelt Junior High and Hamilton High School. He’s since been inducted into the Clay County High School Hall of Fame, the Oneida Baptist Institute Hall of Fame, the Wayne County High School Hall of Fame, the Dawahares-KHSAA Hall of Fame and, most recently, the Monticello Pool Hall Wall of Fame.

You can find Mills’ obituary to share memories and condolences here — the family would certainly appreciate that from Big Blue Nation.

Until then, check out some of his photos from his playing days at Kentucky:

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.