Jump to content

Kenny Hutchinson

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenny Hutchinson
Personal information
Born (1963-12-13) December 13, 1963 (age 61)
Laie, Hawaii, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolBenjamin Franklin
(Manhattan, New York)
Martin Luther King
(Manhattan, New York)
CollegeArkansas (1984–1987)
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
Career highlights

Kenny Hutchinson (born December 13, 1963) is an American former basketball player.[1] He emerged as a top college prospect while playing basketball in New York City at Benjamin Franklin High School and Martin Luther King Jr. High School.[2] While playing at Franklin, Hutchinson was part of a star line-up alongside Richie Adams, Gary Springer and Walter Berry.[3] He won a state championship in 1982 before the school closed down that same year.[4] Hutchinson transferred to King for his final year, where he was named a second-team Parade All-American in 1983. During his high school years, he was an avid streetball basketball player at Rucker Park participating in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic.[5]

Hutchinson was recruited by the defending NCAA champions NC State, but he elected to enrol at the University of Arkansas to play for the Razorbacks.[6] Hutchinson did not originally qualify for a scholarship but eventually made the team in 1984.[7] Though naturally a point guard, Hutchinson played as a shooting guard at Arkansas.[8] Cocaine abuse cut down his time as a player as he tested positive for the drug twice during his time at the school.[4] He was suspended alongside teammate William Mills for the last four games of the 1985–86 season because of drug abuse.[9] Hutchinson and Mills checked themselves into an alcohol and drug treatment center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a one-month stay.[9] They were allowed to rejoin the Razorbacks by head coach Nolan Richardson but without their scholarships and with the promise to stay clean.[9] Hutchinson returned as a walk-on during his redshirt junior season in 1986–87.[1] He played sparingly and chose to leave the team in 1987.[10] Hutchinson averaged 2.6 points during his three seasons with the Razorbacks.[10]

On April 3, 1989, Hutchinson was arrested and charged with delivery of cocaine.[10] A police informant working undercover bought cocaine from Hutchinson at an apartment near the University of Arkansas campus.[10] A felony warrant was issued in March and Hutchinson eventually turned himself in to detectives.[10] He was convicted and spent 18 months in prison.[11]

Mills was murdered in 1991 which Hutchinson credited as a turning point in his life.[11] In a 1994 interview, he claimed that he had been off drugs since Mills' death.[11] Hutchinson attended the City College of New York in 1994 to complete the remaining credits of his degree with the aspiration of becoming a teacher.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Player Information: Kenny Hutchinson". Hog Stats. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  2. ^ "Elite 24: NYC legends". 17 May 2012.
  3. ^ "RICHIE TO RAGS FROM NBA PROSPECT TO A MURDER SUSPECT".
  4. ^ a b "FORMER SCHOOL STAR REBOUNDS ON LIFE". The New York Times. 24 December 1987.
  5. ^ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (17 June 2003). Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780385506755 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ Webb, Spud; Slaughter, Reid (1 January 1988). Flying High. Harper & Row. ISBN 9780060158200 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Kenny Hutchinson, regarded as one of the nation's top..."
  8. ^ Valenti, John (5 July 2016). Swee'pea: The Story of Lloyd Daniels and Other Playground Basketball Legends. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781501116681 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ a b c Towle, Mike (January 30, 1987). "Arkansas star tries to recover". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 57. Retrieved February 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Ex-Hog Kenny Hutchinson is arrested". Baxter Bulletin. April 8, 1989. p. 11. Retrieved February 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c d Cyphers, Luke (April 21, 1994). "It's thumbs up for Hutchinson". Daily News. p. 1278. Retrieved February 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Stub icon

This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1960s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenny_Hutchinson&oldid=1281882945"