CBB: Chris Lofton talks Tennessee
Chris Lofton, who was born in Maysville, Kentucky, went onto have one of the best careers in SEC basketball history. Despite Lofton being named Kentucky Mr. Basketball during his senior year in high school, neither Kentucky or Louisville recruited him, so he decided to attend Tennessee. While playing for the Volunteers, Lofton exceeded expectations and made sure his name would go down in the history books. “It was difficult not being recruited by Kentucky and Louisville. I always wanted to stay in state,” Lofton said. “So it hurt. But I used it as motivation to always make sure I worked harder than anybody. I was going to show them what they missed out on. The best moment was being ranked #1 after we beat Memphis. Great feeling.”
During Lofton’s senior year in college, the Volunteers were ranked second in the country behind rival Memphis, but a 66-62 triumph over the Tigers vaulted Lofton and his team to the top spot for the first time in school history. Tennessee would go onto win the SEC regular season title and advance to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Louisville. A few years prior, Lofton had one of the most memorable games in school history. “Beating Texas was big. I remember not really playing good but hitting big shots down the stretch,” he said. “I remember saying to myself, this is what you work for. Game is close, time for you to make plays, and I did.” Texas led 50-35 at halftime and led by as much as 17 in the second half but the Vols were able to come all the way back and force overtime.
Lofton hit a pair of big 3-pointers to give his team the lead late in the game. He added another three to begin overtime and Tennessee held on for a 111-105 victory behind a career-high 35 points from Lofton. In December of Lofton’s senior year, he passed Allan Houston as the all-time leading 3-pointer shooter in Tennessee history. Houston previously held the record with 346 made threes. Just over a month later, Lofton surpassed Pat Bradley of Arkansas as the top 3-pointer shooter in SEC history. He finished his career with 431 and still holds the record as he’s the only player in conference history to hit more than 400. Bryce Brown from Auburn is now second with 378. “It felt good to pass Allan Houston. He’s a legend,” Lofton said. “To be even mentioned with him is great.”
Lofton finished his Tennessee career as the 2007 SEC Player of the Year and a three-time All-American. He has played with a multitude of teams during his professional career, making a name for himself all over the world. He has played in the Turkish Basketball League, where he scored 61 points in 2009, as well as Liga ACB in Spain. He also played for the Boston Celtics summer league team in 2009 and was drafted by the Iowa Energy in the 2010 D-League Draft. Lofton now plays for the Seoul SK Knights of the Korean Basketball League. He also recently competed in The Basketball Tournament, which is a 64-team single elimination playoff with the winners taking home $2 million.
The tournament was founded in 2014 by Jonathan Mugar. Lofton played for Team KBC as they won their opening round matchup over Peoria All-Stars. He finished with 18 points and four rebounds. KBC was unable to upset top seed Loyalty Is Love in the second round, losing 91-80, but Lofton left his mark with a game-high 32 points and three assists. The championship game will take place on August 6 in Chicago at Wintrust Arena. “One thing I want people to take away from this story is that basketball has been my life for so long and I’m sure it is for a lot of other people and that you can learn so many life lessons,” Lofton said. “Teamwork, leadership, being a good teammate, working hard. Things you need to do in the real world.”
Photo Credit: Unsplash.
