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Earnest Killum

Men's Basketball Athletic Communications

Basketball Great Earnest Killum Passes at 72

Former Stetson men's basketball standout Earnest Killum passed away on Thursday, June 11 in Atlanta, Ga. He was 72.
 
A native of Clarksdale, Miss., Killum played two seasons for the Hatters (1968-70) and head coach Glenn Wilkes, earning multiple All-America honors in each year, including first-team accolades from the Associated Press in both 1969 and 1970.
 
A 6-3 guard, Killum helped lead the Hatters to 36 wins in two seasons after transferring from Coahoma Community College in Mississippi. The 1969-70 Hatters are regarded as one of the top teams in program history, posting a 22-7 record. Among those victories was an 87-80 triumph over No. 13 Louisville in Orlando. Killum scored 29 points that night against a Cardinals team which featured future NBA stars Butch Beard and Wes Unseld.
 
In his two seasons in DeLand, Killum averaged 24.9 points per game, including 25.6 points during his senior season. Both marks are still school records.
 
Following his playing days at Stetson, Killum was taken in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He spent one season with the Lakers, playing alongside the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. An ankle injury limited Killum to just four games that season, and he concluded his professional career the next year in Europe.
 
He remains one of just two players in Stetson history to play in the NBA, along with Lorenzo Williams. Killum was inducted into the Stetson Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983.
 
Following his playing career, Killum became an educator in Georgia, serving as a teacher, coach and administrator for more than 30 years.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab. 
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