The University of Kentucky’s Unity Series will feature an added touch beginning this season.
UK and its opposing team will honor legendary players from each institution beginning this season. Kentucky and Florida A&M will play in the series at Rupp Arena on Dec. 21.
The inaugural legends class will feature late Kentucky guard Reggie Warford and Clemon Johnson of Florida A&M.
Warford was the first black men’s basketball player to graduate from UK and played for the Wildcats from 1973-76. He played on the NCAA runner-up squad in 1975 and was a member of the 1976 NIT championship team.
Johnson played at Florida A&M from 1974-78 and played for the Portland Trailblazers and the Philadelphia 76ers, winning a NBA title with the Sixers in 1983. He also coached high school basketball and coached the Rattlers from 2007-11.
“I’m also elated about the 2022 Unity Series Legends Clemon Johnson and the late Reggie Warford,” Florida A&M coach Robert McCullum said. “I knew Reggie well, and our basketball program continues to benefit from Clemon’s love for his alma mater.”
Kentucky launched the five-year partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference last year, creating a joint venture with historic black colleges and universities to “raise awareness of the missions of the HBCUs and to raise funds to provide opportunities for students at their universities.”
“The educational field trip to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Museum in Cincinnati aligns perfectly with our approach to scheduling non-conference games annually as we factor in the educational benefits of playing in various locations,” McCullum said. “We strongly believe that so much of the teaching and learning process takes place outside the classroom.”
Keith Taylor, Kentucky Today
(Photo by Chet White, UK Athletics)
