Celebrating a Hilltopper Basketball legend

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Last weekend, one legendary WKU Men’s Basketball Hall of Famer passed away at the age of 84, and today, his legacy was remembered in a celebration of life.

Bobby Rascoe was a member of the 1991 WKU Athletic Hall of Fame class, playing under the legendary coach E.A. Diddle.

A graduate of Daviess County High School, Rascoe helped lead the Panthers to the state tournament in 1957 and 1958.

He went on to become an all-time great as a Hilltopper at WKU, finishing his career ranking third in the program’s all-time leading scorer list.

Former WKU Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Richards, spoke on how Rascoe continued contributing to the Tops after his time on the court.

“He spent a lot of time with our players individually, because he was good at individual instruction. He was such a good player himself, that made it much easier for him to be the instructor, because I was not a good player,” Richards said. “He meant a whole lot to me. He’s a great fellow, a good human being, and has been a lot of inspiration to our community”

Rascoe is a member of the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame, and just one of 11 Hilltopper greats with a jersey in the rafters of Diddle Arena.

His playing career saw time in the NBA and the ABA, and out of the many teammates he had, one became a close friend after sharing the court on the Hill and in the pros.

“If I started a team tomorrow, all the players across the land, Bobby Rascoe would be my first pick,” Former WKU Guard Darel Carrier said. “He was that tough a player. He was a great player, great person. He was even a better person than a player. We gardened together, we’d go out and eat together, we were just like brothers. I mean, we we’re close, very, very close and I’m going to miss him”