Ken Charlton (basketball)

Ken Charlton
Charlton, circa 1963
Personal information
Born(1941-03-20)March 20, 1941
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJuly 17, 2024(2024-07-17) (aged 83)
St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High schoolSouth (Denver, Colorado)
CollegeColorado (1960–1963)
NBA draft1963: 4th round, 31st overall pick
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
PositionSmall forward
Number23
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Ken Charlton (March 20, 1941 – July 17, 2024) was an American basketball player. He is known best for his All-American college career at the University of Colorado.

Charlton, a 6'6" forward from Denver, Colorado, led Denver South High School to a state championship as a junior in 1958.[1] He decided to attend the University of Colorado and starred for his three varsity seasons. In his junior and senior seasons, Charlton led the Buffs to back to back Regional Final appearances in the 1962 and 1963 NCAA Tournaments. Charlton led the team in scoring both seasons, and in 1963 he was named the Midwest Regional Most Outstanding player after scoring 49 points in two contests.[2] In his senior year, Charlton was also named a first team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association[3] and was a member of the first Academic All-American team ever named in basketball.[4]

Charlton left Colorado with 1,352 points and graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer (since passed). He is a member of the University of Colorado's Athletic Hall of Fame and his #23 jersey has been honored by the school.[2]

Following his graduation from Colorado, Charlton was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in the fourth round of the 1963 NBA draft. He did not play in the NBA, but instead played for the Denver Chicago Truckers in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).[1]

Charlton died from complications of Alzheimer's disease in St. Augustine, Florida, on July 17, 2024, at the age of 83.[5]

  1. ^ a b Moss, Irv (December 30, 2008). "Charlton helps CU rise above the rest". Denver Post. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Ken Charlton Colorado Buffaloes Hall of Fame Profile". Colorado Buffaloes. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  3. ^ "USBWA All-Americans, 1957-69". USBWA. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  4. ^ AP (March 27, 1963). "Pick Academic all-America". Schenectady Gazette. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  5. ^ "CU Hall of Famer Ken Charlton Passes Away". cubuffs.com. July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.