Chris Lofton
Encyclopedia
Christopher Franklin Lofton (born March 27, 1986) is an American
professional basketball
player. He played college basketball
with the University of Tennessee Volunteers
. He was a member of the NBA's Denver Nuggets
Summer League team but decided to go overseas to play for Spanish ACB League team CB Estudiantes
.
, where he led the Mason County Royals (his high school basketball team) to a victory in the 2003 State Championships and led the Royals back to the state championship game the next year. Despite being named Mr. Basketball his senior year, Lofton was not recruited by Louisville
or Kentucky
. He was recruited by University of Tennessee
coach Buzz Peterson
and subsequently chose to play for the Vols.
on February 11, 2006, he made a school record 9 three-point shots en route to a career-high 33 points in an 83-78 win. On December 23, 2006, he scored a new career-high 35 points in a 111-105 overtime victory against the University of Texas. For the 2005–2006 season, Lofton was selected as a second team All-America
.
In the 2006-07 season
, Lofton led the conference in scoring, with 20.8 points per game, and was named the SEC Player of the Year by the Associated Press
. He led the Tennessee Volunteers
to the Sweet 16 in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament
.
He was again named Second-team All-American for the 2006-07 season. During the summer after the 06-07 season, Lofton went to Kobe Bryant
camp and tried out for the Pan Am USA team.
Instead of declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft
, Lofton announced that he would return to Knoxville for his senior season. Lofton was featured on the cover of the November 21, 2007 Sports Illustrated
issue, holding a basketball away from Chris Douglas-Roberts of the University of Memphis
. Sports Illustrated picked Tennessee 3rd in the country and Lofton as a 1st Team All-American. On December 19, 2007, Lofton passed Allan Houston
to become first on Tennessee's list for most three point field goals made. Houston had held the record with 346 three pointers made. On January 22, 2008, Lofton passed Pat Bradley
of the University of Arkansas
to capture the record for the most career three pointers in the Southeastern Conference
with 367.His final three pointer came vs. Louisville in the Sweet 16 of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, a game which Tennessee lost 79-60. Lofton was also selected to Third Team All-America for his senior season.
of the Turkish Basketball League
. On February 8, 2009, he scored 47
points (on 13/20 3 pointers) in a win against Fenerbahçe Ülker
. On April 25, 2009, he scored 61 points (on 17/22 3 pointers) in a win against CASA TED Kolejliler
.
In June 2009, it was announced that Lofton had been asked to play for the Boston Celtics
summer league team. In the season 2009-10, Chris Lofton was signed by Spanish ACB League powerhouse, Caja Laboral Baskonia. After only a few games played, Lofton left Caja Laboral; he had previously been hospitalized with fever. Soon after, Lofton signed with another Spanish team CB Estudiantes
. In November 2010, he was selected 6th overall by the Iowa Energy
in the NBA D-League Draft. He has since been waived by the Energy in 2011. In March 2011 he signed with Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia
, but left the team in May 2011 by mutual agreement. In August 2011 he returned to CB Estudiantes
, signing a one-year deal.
, which he kept a secret to all but Bruce Pearl, his parents, and a small number of university officials. Not until over half-way through the 2007–2008 season did Lofton even tell his roommate and teammate Jordan Howell, who was the only player to know. He was diagnosed after failing a random drug screen during the 2007 NCAA tournament. The failed test turned out to be the result of a tumor marker
. Afterward, he underwent successful radiation treatments and surgery and is now considered cancer-free.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
with the University of Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA men's basketball competition. The Volunteers currently compete in the Southeastern Conference...
. He was a member of the NBA's Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
Summer League team but decided to go overseas to play for Spanish ACB League team CB Estudiantes
CB Estudiantes
Club Baloncesto Estudiantes, S.A.D., known as Asefa Estudiantes for sponsorship reasons, is a basketball team based in the city of Madrid, Community of Madrid. It is member of the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto . Founded in 1948, it is one of the most recognized basketball teams in Spain...
.
High school
Chris Lofton is from Maysville, KentuckyMaysville, Kentucky
Maysville is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,993 at the 2000 census, making it the fiftieth largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, northeast of Lexington. It is the principal city of the Maysville...
, where he led the Mason County Royals (his high school basketball team) to a victory in the 2003 State Championships and led the Royals back to the state championship game the next year. Despite being named Mr. Basketball his senior year, Lofton was not recruited by Louisville
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
or Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
. He was recruited by University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
coach Buzz Peterson
Buzz Peterson
Robert Bower "Buzz" Peterson, Jr. is the current head coach of the UNC Wilmington Seahawks men's basketball team. Peterson was the Head Coach of the Tennessee Volunteers for four years before being fired in 2005. He previously coached a second stint at Appalachian State--he coached the 2009–10...
and subsequently chose to play for the Vols.
College
As a freshman, Lofton made third team All-America at Tennessee. Against the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
on February 11, 2006, he made a school record 9 three-point shots en route to a career-high 33 points in an 83-78 win. On December 23, 2006, he scored a new career-high 35 points in a 111-105 overtime victory against the University of Texas. For the 2005–2006 season, Lofton was selected as a second team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
.
In the 2006-07 season
2006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2006, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2007 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
, Lofton led the conference in scoring, with 20.8 points per game, and was named the SEC Player of the Year by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. He led the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
to the Sweet 16 in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
.
He was again named Second-team All-American for the 2006-07 season. During the summer after the 06-07 season, Lofton went to Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
camp and tried out for the Pan Am USA team.
Instead of declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
, Lofton announced that he would return to Knoxville for his senior season. Lofton was featured on the cover of the November 21, 2007 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
issue, holding a basketball away from Chris Douglas-Roberts of the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
. Sports Illustrated picked Tennessee 3rd in the country and Lofton as a 1st Team All-American. On December 19, 2007, Lofton passed Allan Houston
Allan Houston
Allan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire...
to become first on Tennessee's list for most three point field goals made. Houston had held the record with 346 three pointers made. On January 22, 2008, Lofton passed Pat Bradley
Pat Bradley (basketball)
Pat Bradley is a former American basketball player and coach.Born in Everett, Massachusetts, Bradley was a break out star on the eighth grade Everett Rats and averaged 46 ppg to become the best player Everett had seen. He then went on to attend Everett High School. He later attended college at the...
of the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
to capture the record for the most career three pointers in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
with 367.His final three pointer came vs. Louisville in the Sweet 16 of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, a game which Tennessee lost 79-60. Lofton was also selected to Third Team All-America for his senior season.
Pro career
In July, 2008, Lofton signed a one-year contract with Mersin Büyükşehir BelediyesiMersin Büyüksehir Belediyesi
Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi SK also known simply as Mersin BB is a basketball team based in the city of Mersin in Turkey, currently playing in the Turkish Basketball League. It is sponsorship by Mersin Metropolitan Municipality.-History:Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi was founded in 1993...
of the Turkish Basketball League
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
. On February 8, 2009, he scored 47
points (on 13/20 3 pointers) in a win against Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker
Fenerbahçe Ülker is the professional men's basketball department of Fenerbahçe S.K., a major multisport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The department has been sponsored by the Ülker since 2006. In 2006 Fenerbahçe S.K...
. On April 25, 2009, he scored 61 points (on 17/22 3 pointers) in a win against CASA TED Kolejliler
CASA TED Kolejliler
Optimum TED Kolejliler, is a basketball club based in Ankara, Turkey that plays in the Turkish Second Basketball League. The team played in Turkish basketball league between 1966-1977, 1979-1981, 1982-1983, 1984-1985, 1990-1995, 1996-1997, 1998-2003 and 2006-2009.- Selected Former Players :-List of...
.
In June 2009, it was announced that Lofton had been asked to play for the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
summer league team. In the season 2009-10, Chris Lofton was signed by Spanish ACB League powerhouse, Caja Laboral Baskonia. After only a few games played, Lofton left Caja Laboral; he had previously been hospitalized with fever. Soon after, Lofton signed with another Spanish team CB Estudiantes
CB Estudiantes
Club Baloncesto Estudiantes, S.A.D., known as Asefa Estudiantes for sponsorship reasons, is a basketball team based in the city of Madrid, Community of Madrid. It is member of the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto . Founded in 1948, it is one of the most recognized basketball teams in Spain...
. In November 2010, he was selected 6th overall by the Iowa Energy
Iowa Energy
The Iowa Energy are a 2007-08 expansion team of the NBA Development League, of which they are the current defending champions. They play their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena at Iowa Events Center....
in the NBA D-League Draft. He has since been waived by the Energy in 2011. In March 2011 he signed with Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, but left the team in May 2011 by mutual agreement. In August 2011 he returned to CB Estudiantes
CB Estudiantes
Club Baloncesto Estudiantes, S.A.D., known as Asefa Estudiantes for sponsorship reasons, is a basketball team based in the city of Madrid, Community of Madrid. It is member of the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto . Founded in 1948, it is one of the most recognized basketball teams in Spain...
, signing a one-year deal.
Cancer
Following the end of the 2007 season, Lofton was diagnosed with testicular cancerTesticular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
, which he kept a secret to all but Bruce Pearl, his parents, and a small number of university officials. Not until over half-way through the 2007–2008 season did Lofton even tell his roommate and teammate Jordan Howell, who was the only player to know. He was diagnosed after failing a random drug screen during the 2007 NCAA tournament. The failed test turned out to be the result of a tumor marker
Tumor marker
A tumor marker is a substance found in the blood, urine, or body tissues that can be elevated in cancer, among other tissue types. There are many different tumor markers, each indicative of a particular disease process, and they are used in oncology to help detect the presence of cancer...
. Afterward, he underwent successful radiation treatments and surgery and is now considered cancer-free.