Alumni

Allan Houston (state championship Ballard Bruins, 1988) holds the record for most points in a game by a Bruin, scoring 45 points on March 4, 1989, against Eastern in a 28th District Tournament game. He holds the individual season record for highest three-point field goal percentage (53%) and highest free throw percentage (89%) in 1987-88. In his four years at Ballard, Allan scored 2,276 points, which is still the individual career record for points in a season. Like Jeff Lamp in 1977, Allan was elected Kentucky's Mr. Basketball in 1989; they are the only two Ballard High School players to win this award. When Allan graduated from Ballard, he went to play at the University of Tennessee where his father, Wade Houston, was the head coach. From 1989-1993, Allan rewrote the Volunteers' record books, scoring a total of 2,801 points (game average: 21.9) while leading Tennessee to two post-season NIT tournaments (2,801 points places him thirteenth on the NCAA all-time career scoring list). University of Tennessee records that he holds include single game 3-point field goals (8), single season points (806), single season 3-point field goals (99), career 3-point field goals (346; sixth all-time in NCAA history), most games started in a four-year career (128), and most consecutive games started (128).

Allan was drafted in the first round (#11 overall) by the Detroit Pistons in the 1993 draft and signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks in 1996. During his twelfth year NBA career with Detroit and New York, his per game average was 33.7 minutes, 17.3 points, 40% three point shooting and 86% free throw shooting. He won an Olympic gold medal as part of the 2000 U.S.A. basketball team. His numerous awards and achievements include The Sporting News “99 Good Guys in Sports," the All-Star Reading Team, co-host of "Jammin' Against the Darkness,” the Allan Houston Celebrity Golf Classic, and Wheel of Fortune's "NBA Week."

Allan's greatest sports thrills:

1. Winning the State championship while at Ballard High School

2. His fabled series-winning shot against Miami in 99

3. Winning an Olympic gold medal in 2000

Jeff Lamp (state championship Ballard Bruins, 1977) averaged 25.9 points and 11.3

rebounds per game, was voted Kentucky's Mr. Basketball, earned national recognition as a first team All-American, and was selected to the McDonald's All-American team. He holds the individual Ballard record for points scored in a season with 935 in 1976-77. While playing for the University of Virginia, Jeff led the nation in scoring as a sophomore, was selected three times to the first team all-ACC, and led Virginia to the NIT championship in 1980 and to the NCAA Final Four in 1981. His personal statistics included averaging 26.9 points per game against top ranked teams, 43 consecutive free throws, and winning or tying 18 games on last second shots. 

Jeff was drafted in the first round (#15 overall) by the Portland Trailblazers in 1981. In addition to the Trailblazers, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Lakers (with whom he won the NBA championship in 1988, playing alongside Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Pat Riley). His personal best was 43 points versus the Atlanta Hawks. After his eleventh year in his NBA career, Jeff played in Europe for teams from Spain and Italy. He was the leading scorer in the Spanish League in 1994, averaging 32.9 points per game, and was selected first team All-Spanish League and first team All-Italian League a total of five times.

In his own words: "Though I have had the good luck to play basketball at the highest

levels (college and NBA), I know the most fulfilling basketball experiences for me were at Ballard High School. The success we experienced as a team and for some of us individually was great, but what I most remember were the practices, the blood, sweat and tears we left on the court and the wonderful friendships with teammates. Ballard was where I learned to play basketball the way it was meant to be played and where I learned what it takes to excel. The lessons I learned on the basketball court at Ballard will last a lifetime. I have experienced many wonderful things throughout my basketball career, things such as a Final Four appearance, being a first round draft pick in the NBA and even being part of an NBA championship team. None of those things compares to the thrill and chills I had the first time I ran on to the court as a Ballard Bruin.”