Ky. Hoops Hall milestone: 2026 class raises number of members to over 200

By RUSS BROWN • Photos Provided

"King" Kelly Coleman, Ralph Carlisle, Roy Bowling, Richie Farmer, Darrell Griffith, Cliff Hagan, Jim McDaniels, Wes Unseld, Clem Haskins, "Wah Wah" Jones.

Since that inagural 2012 class of 16 former Kentucky high school basketball players and coaches that included those Bluegrass legends of the sport, the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame has continued to induct a dozen or more each year. So the Hall now includes more than 200.

That milestone was reached in August when the 12-member 2026 class was inducted during ceremonies at the Opera House in Lexington, with the 200th coming from that group and bringing the total to 203.

The Hall, located in Elizabethtown, had its origin from an idea by a few members of the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches (KABC) in 2009 with the purpose of recognizing and protecting the heritage of Kentucky high school basketball.

Ron Bevars, the veteran North Hardin boys' basketball coach, took the idea to Ken Trivette, who was then the Executive Director of the KABC and is now the Hall of Fame's board chairman. Trivette said at the time that the concept was partially the result of frustration that so many notable hoops figures in the state had yet to be honored by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Hall of Fame.

"We wanted something to focus on basketball," Trivette told Lexington Herald-Leader columnist Mark Story. "It was decided to build the Hall in E'town due primarily to the city's interest in the project. We had seven, eight communities contact us and three or four were serious. But E'Town was the most interested. It was almost like they were wooing us, and that's really what we were looking for."

According to the Vision statement on its Website, the Hall is "dedicated to promoting and educating the public about the culture, tradition and rich heritage of Kentucky high school basketball, providing a fitting tribute to former players and coaches while preserving historical information and memorabilia associated with the game."

Here are the 2026 inductees, with a brief bio on each, representing what the Hall calls strong family ties, great scoring acuity, championship bloodlines and post-high school careers that are impressive:

COACHES

ALLEN FELDHAUS, SR., Mason County High School Royals, 1963-1991--Graduated from Boone County High School, where he was an All-State pick, then played for Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky. He began his coaching career at Russell County before turning Mason County into a regional powerhouse, compiling a 512-210 record in 27 years with 10 District titles, four Regional championships and the State runnerup in 1981 as the first Mason County team to make the State Tournament. He was named Kentucky Coach of the Year three times. He died in 2017 at the age of 77.

ALLEN FELDHAUS, JR., Madison Central High School Indians, 1986-2026--Played under his father at Mason County and was part of the '81 State Tournament team. He finished his prep career with 1,234 points and went on to play at Eastern Kentucky. He coached at Clinton County and Green County high schools before becoming one of the state's most successful coaches at Madison Central High, leading the Indians to four 11th Region titles and winning over 750 games in three decades. His daughter Ashton, 31, is in her second year as the Morehead State women's hoops coach and is the youngest Division I coach in the nation, male or female.

CHRYSTI NOBLE, Rockcastle Counthy High School Rockets, 1985-2026--She is entering her 36th season at Rockcastle and ranks seventh on the all-time girls' basketball wins list with 675, only the third female coach in the state to top 600. Under Noble, the Lady Rockets have won 17 District crowns, seven Region titles and a state championship in 2022. She has earned numerous awards, and the court at The Rock Arena in Mount Vernon is named in her honor.

PAT DOYLE, North Marshall High School Jets, 1959--Known for his intensity and competitive spirit, the 6-foot-1 forward was a driving force in the Jets' 35-1 record and State Championship in 1959. He was named Kentucky's Mr. Basketball and played for four years at UK under Rupp.

ANTHONY EPPS, Marion County High School Knights, 1993--A four-year starter, Epps led the Knights to a 66-5 record in his final two seasons, including back-to-back District championships and the school's first-ever pair of Region titles. In 1993 Mason County became the first 5th Regional team to win a KHSAA State title. Epps compiled incredible career totals of 2,044 points, 637 rebounds, 728 assists, 358 made free throws and 260 made 3-pointers. He carried that success over to college, playing on UK's 1996 national championship team.

MAKAYLA EPPS, Marion County High Lady Knights, 2013--Played under her father, who was her team's assistant coach. She was especially dominant as a senior, when she earned recognition as Kentucky Miss Basketball and Gatorade Kentucky Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Makayla helped the Lady Knights win consecutive 5th Regional titles and make three appearances in the Sweet 16 Final Four. She played at UK and in the WNBA with the Chicago Sky.

TONY KIMBRO, Seneca High Redskins, 1985--Kentucky's Mr. Basketball in 1985 when he was considered one of the top five players in the country. As a senior he was a member of McDonald's All-American team and was selected to several other prestigious All-American squads. Kimbro made the All-State team three consecutive years and his Seneca jersey was retired in 2019. In 1986, he was the sixth man on U of L's national championship team.

NOEL "TICK" Rogers, Hart County High School Raiders, 1992 -- A two-time All-State player, he is the all-time Hart County scoring leader with 2,648 points, along with holding the records for assists, steals, rebounds and games played. He was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball as a senior and signed with U of L, playing for the Cardinals from 1993-96. He then played pro basketball in Europe for 13 years.

HERBIE STAMPER, Hindman High School Yellow Jackets/Knott County High Patriots, 1974--Attended Hindman for three years and Knott County for one year, scoring over 2,100 points for the two teams combined. He led the Patriots to their first Sweet 16 as a senior while averaging 27 points per game. Stamper played for Morehead State from 1975-79, where he became a member of the elite 2,000-point club and earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors three times. After graduating he coached the Knott County Central girls' team.

BOB TALLENT, Maytown High Wildcats, 1964--Bob is one of four Tallent brothers who put Maytown High on the Kentucky basketball map. Bill, Bob, Mike and Pat were All-State performers. Bob scored over 2,223 career points and averaged 40 points per game his senior season when he was named a Parade All-American. He was the sixth man on UK's 1966 Rupp's Runts squad that finished runnerup in the NCAA Tournament. He transferred to George Washington University for his junior year and was the third-leading scorer in the nation the following season.

FRED TISDALE, Logan County High School Cougars, 1984--Led his team to the 1984 State Championship, averaging 25.7 points in the tournament to be named the event's Most Valuable Player. He was runnerup to Henry Clay's Steve Miller for Kentucky's Mr. Basketball, but was later honored as one of the 50 greatest players in State Tournament history. Tisdale went on to play for fellow Hall of Famer Clem Haskins at Western Kentucky.

REBECCA CANTWELL WATHEN, Owensboro Catholic High, 2013--A member of the Academic All-State team and holder of numerous school records. During her senior season she hit 17 three-pointers in a game, setting a national high school girls' single-game record. She also had stints on the USAA 16 and USA 17 national teams, earning two gold medals. She played at Duke, where she was named to the All-ACC second team. She was taken in the 2018 WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics and is currently working with the NBA Atlanta Hawks in basketball development.