LISTEN: Joe B. Hall remembers Bret Bearup

Joe B. Hall made a special guest appearance on Tuesday’s Kentucky Sports Radio radio show to share the memory of his former player, Bret Bearup, who passed away unexpectedly last week.

As many of you well know or have heard, Bearup was as bright as they come and a close friend to many. Coach Hall remembers him as a genius, and maybe too smart for basketball:

“A sportswriter called me yesterday and started naming the players that I coached or recruited that have passed on, and it’s very discouraging to hear that kind of news. And when Bear passed, he’s too young — 56 years old and a healthy, strong, practically young man. Bret was a free spirited, very intelligent, almost genius. And maybe he was genius; I don’t know how they prove that. But he breezed through law school. He read four newspapers a day. He was very intelligent. But when it came to basketball, he had difficulty focusing. I think he was so intelligent, the game was under his radar.”

Listen to Coach Hall’s full comment below:

Bearup played for Hall at Kentucky from 1980-85, and was the starting center on Hall’s final team in Lexington. He was an All-Academic SEC selection his senior year, and finished his UK career with 410 points and 308 rebounds in 114 games.