By Larry Vaught
Ford was a Kentucky prep standout at Madisonville who signed with Missouri but transferred to Kentucky after one season to play for Pitino. He was the starting point guard his junior and senior years and set school records for single-game assists (15), single-season 3-point field goals (101) and consecutive free throws made (50).
Ford was named to the All-SEC team his junior and senior years, and was the Southeast Region’s Most Outstanding Player in the 1993 NCAA Tournament.
He ranks in the top 10 in UK history in career 3-point field goals made (No. 6, 190), career assists (No. 9, 428), and assists per game (No. 6, 4.28). He is in the top five in career 3-point field goal percentage (No. 3, .445) and single-season 3-point field goals made (No. 4, 101, 1993).
He has been the head coach at Campbellsville University, Eastern Kentucky, Massachusetts, Oklahoma State and most recently Saint Louis.
Ford was the analyst on the SEC Network when UK beat Lipscomb Tuesday night in Rupp Arena. Even though he never played with UK coach Mark Pope, the two certainly know each other because Ford hosted Pope on his official visit to UK before he transferred from Washington to Kentucky.
“How great is Travis Ford. I love him. He was a great mentor to me. Coming to Kentucky, it’s kind of like TP (Travis Perry) and Trent (Noah) with our guys. Travis Ford was a guy that helped me understand Kentucky really, really fast,” Pope told Tom Leach on the UK Radio Network postgame show after the Lipscomb win.
“Travis Ford, if you remember, was an unbelievable point guard. He’s only like 5-2 and his arms are probably shorter than his body. He’s probably minus length. And he was an assassin and the toughest kid ever, man, and was so good on that Final Four team as he played such a major role with coach (Rick) Pitino and restoring Kentucky basketball to where it was supposed to be and will always be greatly indebted to Travis. He’s an all-time great here.”
Ford was the “Y” earlier this season when Kentucky beat Kentucky Wesleyan in an exhibition game.
Former UK guard Jay Shidler, who was on UK’s 1978 national championship team, liked what he heard from Ford.
“A total natural, and with your knowledge and experience as a player and coach you bring great depth & insight to the broadcast. Keep it going!” Shidler posted on social media in a message to Ford.
