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Adkins Faced Tough Times Under Rupp
Tied The Knot And Still Played For Adolph
Most every Kentucky kid grows up with dreams of racing up and down the court in a Kentucky "Big Blue" uniform, scoring hoops for the Wildcats, hitting the game-winning shot at the horn.
Only a few lucky ones even get the opportunity. Still . . .
Sometimes life doesn't go the way we would like for it to. That's the way it was for former prep All-American Earl Adkins, who says his University of Kentucky basketball career was somewhat disappointing.
"Things never worked out for me like I wanted it to at UK," said Adkins last week in a phone interview from Morganfield, Ky. "I thought I had a good career, but I didn't get along with (UK head coach) Adolph (Rupp) real well. He was so difficult to play for."
The rift, says Earl, between him and "The Baron" was because Adkins had married his high school sweetheart, the former Beverly Netwon of Ashland, right out of high school. According to Adkins, he was the first of Rupp's players that was ever married while on the squad.
Mel Holbrook
Cats' Pause Columnist
"I couldn't put basketball first," he explained. "And I understand how Coach Rupp felt about that. But I'd still do it the same way. I could play college basketball and still be married."
Adkins says he knew that Rupp was being harder on him than on the single players during preparation for the post-season tournament after the 1954-55 regular season was over.
"It was my sophomore year and we were getting ready to play Marquette in the NCAA Tournament at Northwestern University," Adkins explained. "Before the final practice when we were getting ready to depart, Adolph told me I was going to start against Marquette. But during our scrimmage I made two bad passes and he yanked me out. I only played two minutes against Marquette. And that destroyed my confidence."
Adkins was so distraught he sat out the next season due to academic problems. But he eventually returned to help the Wildcats win the NCAA National Championship in 1958. He was the sixth man on Rupp's "Fiddlin Five''
Coach Rupp's Nicest Comment Was . . .
"During my senior season, Coach Rupp gave me one of the nicest compliments he ever gave anyone," Adkins stated. "He said I was one of the best sixth men in the country."
That statement was probably based upon Adkins' performances in a few key games that season. He scored 14 points in the second half of a 74-55 victory over the University of Georgia at Atlanta, doing most of his damage after the Bulldogs had pulled within five points midway through the second period.
Adkins also poured in 25 points during a game against Vanderbilt University that season.
"I was very happy with those games," said Adkins. "But it's difficult to understand what it was like to play for Rupp unless you played for him. He could be a real jerk. But he did teach me some good things, like the toughness it takes to get along in life. I didn't mind him being tough. I just didn't think he was very fair."
Adkins also believes the recent allegations made by former UK basketball players also isn't very fair.
"I'll tell you that nobody on the 1958 championship team was ever paid," Adkins stressed. "At least, to my knowledge they weren't. Myself, I was on what was called a 'married scholarship, which barely took care of Beverly and me. We were paid $118 per month, which was supposed to take care of our housing, clothing and food. And that was only during the school year.
"I went to Coach Rupp and Coach (Harry) Lancaster," Adkins continued. "I was eating only one meal a day and I went to them asking if I could at least be able to get a free lunch. They both said, 'Hell no, Earl. Do you want the NCAA to come over and investigate usT"
Adkins believes that even if some of the former athletes were given gifts of cash and other goods, they shouldn't have talked about it.
"Even if those people did get the money, they shouldn't have said anything about it," Adkins stated. "And, of course, we still don't know if it's true or not."
Adkins said he really looked forward to game days because he was assured of at least getting two meals that day.
"At Lunch We'd Usually Have A T-bone Steak"
"At lunch we'd usually have a T-bone steak, a baked potato and salad," he explained. "Then at our pre-game meal we'd have a small fillet, toast, honey and coffee or tea. That was pretty high eating for me."
Growing up in Ashland. Ky., life wasn't easy for Adkins. His father left his mother when Earl was only six-weeks old. His mother was forced to get a job as a chambermaid, working odd hours while Earl and his older brother, Ray, were cared for by their grandmother.
"I used to listen to UK games on the radio," said Adkins. "My hero was Ralph Beard, who played with the 'Fabulous Five.' I love the university. I'm blue through and through."
The hard times his family went through inspired Adkins to perform well in athletics. He played three years of football and basketball at Ashland High School, where he would make his reputation in basketball and attract scouts from all over America to beckon for his talents.
"I guess I was very determined," said Adkins, who averaged 23 points per game his senior
season. "I was at a high school reunion recently and one of my former classmates reminded me of a statement I'd made to him early in our senior year. I'd told him I was going to be the number-one player in America by the time I was through. And. sure enough. I did it."
Adkins was named "Mr. Basketball" that season, 1952-53, and helped Ashland advance to the State Tournament as the number-one team in Kentucky. But it lost to Paducah Tilghman, 48-47. in the tournament.
"Tilghman played slowdown." said Adkins. "I only scored 11 points because we couldn't get our hands on the basketball. (Lexington) Lafayette went on to win the tournament. And we'd beaten Lafayette that same season on the same, floor (Memorial Coliseum)."
Earl Adkins
Rupp had watched Adkins play many times during his prep days and Adkins said Lancaster assured him that his upcoming marriage wouldn't affect his status at Kentucky.
"I'd been recruited by other schools, like N.C. State, SMU (Southern Methodist University), Clemson and Marshall," said Adkins. "But the state of Kentucky and the university were number-one in my heart. I couldn't go anywhere else."
But the 6-4 guard may have wanted to had he known what would happen in Lexington. As a freshman, Adkins posted a 15 ppg. average in six games on the freshman team. In his sophomore season, Adkins played in 15 games, accumulating 50 points. In his red-shirt junior season, he saw 120 minutes of action in 16 games and scored 48 points. As a senior, Adkins played in 19 games and averaged five ppg.
All-Americans Were A Dime-A-Dozen Then
"I didn't make All-American and go on to play in the NBA (National Basketball Association), which was a dream of mine," said Adkins. "But I have been pretty successful in my life. All-Americans were a dime-a-dozen then. There were only 12 teams in the NBA and All-Americans were getting cut left and right. I didn't get the opportunity to play, but how many people can make a living playing basketball, anyway?"
Adkins went on to coach basketball at four different high schools before entering academic administration.
From 1958 to '68, Adkins was at South Hopkins County, where he was the head coach and compiled an overall record of 71-39, Louisville Fairdale, Union County and Harrodsburg.
His best record with the Tomcats was 22-8, and after that he received a congratulatory letter from Rupp. He was an assistant coach one year at Fairdale, and then with the Braves, he had records of 8-13, 10-12 and 14-8. While Adkins was with the Pioneers, his teams had records of 15-8 and 12-11.
From there, Adkins went to the Henderson County school system, where he was a principal at an elementary school for four years. He then returned to Union County, where he was the principal at an elementary school in Morganfield for seven years before advancing to the central office, where he is now the director of pupil personnel for the 3,000-student school system.
Adkins, 52, returns to campus for weekend home basketball games. It is a four and one-half hour drive from Morganfield.
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