On the hardwood, some names echo louder than others. For seven decades, Kentucky’s high school gyms and college arenas have known the weight of a few: McLane. Parson. Powers. Now, the legacy of three Western Kentucky University icons is forever sealed in hoops history, as Hardin McLane, Don Parson, and Natalie Powers are set for enshrinement in the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. The official ceremony, set for September 6, will add their stories to a tradition-rich tapestry that, since 2012, has honored 181 inductees—each a guardian of the game’s soul in the Commonwealth. This year’s class numbers 13, but none bring quite the same crimson-and-white pedigree as these three.
Hardin McLane: The Architect of Elizabethtown’s Hoops Dynasty
Hardin McLane never played a minute in a Western Kentucky uniform, but his fingerprints are smudged all over the Hilltoppers’ golden age. Arriving in Bowling Green in 1953, McLane served as student manager for a team helmed by the indefatigable E.A. Diddle, whose teams played with a blend of Southern speed and backdoor cuts that became the stuff of legend. In 1954, McLane was there—on the bench, towel always at the ready—as WKU rolled to a 29-3 season, captured the OVC, and barged into the NIT semifinals.
But his greatest work began when he returned home. From 1958 to ‘68, McLane’s Elizabethtown Catholic Knights didn’t just win; they redefined what winning looked like. Twenty-plus victories every season. A 76.7% clip. Four Sweet 16 trips. The 1961 Louisville Invitational Tournament title. It was a run as steady as a metronome, and when the Kentucky All-Stars needed a tactician in 1968, they turned to McLane. He delivered a two-game sweep of Indiana—a rare feat—before trading whistle for broadcast mic, becoming a nine-year voice of the Sweet 16, his gravelly baritone as much a part of the broadcast as the squeak of sneakers.
Don Parson: The Lily Legend with 706 Wins and Counting
Don Parson grew up in Lily, Kentucky—population: not much, pride: infinite. When he arrived at WKU in 1957, E.A. Diddle was running twilight drills at E.A. Diddle Arena. Parson, a whip-quick guard, logged 53 games in Hilltopper red, averaging 11 points a night, earning All-OVC honors, and helping secure Diddle’s 700th win—a number that still boggles basketball minds.
But Parson’s story was just warming up. He started coaching in Calhoun, spent seven years there, then spent three decades at Madisonville, where his teams became a model of consistency. His 706 career wins (11th all-time in Kentucky) included seven region crowns and a 1984 showdown with Logan County—32-2, all the way to the brink of a state title. That Madisonville team lost by two to the eventual champs, but Parson’s legacy was already written in indelible ink. Thirty-eight years, thousands of players, and a reputation for never raising his voice—unless the ref missed a call.
Natalie Powers: The Owensboro Kid Who Lit Up The Hill
Some players don’t just break records—they rewrite the book. Natalie Powers, from Owensboro’s Apollo High, was one such force. For four years, she started every game for the Lady Toppers (1998–2002), her rainbow jump shot and icy free throws carving her name into WKU lore. Powers racked up 1,641 points (sixth all-time, now 13th), buried 168 threes (third then, still eighth now), and set a free-throw mark (.874 her senior year) that may never be touched. In 2001, she dropped 736 points—a single-season record then, still fourth now—and averaged 22.3 per game, a number that floats near the top of WKU’s annals.
Her teams never missed the postseason, dancing in the NCAA (1998, 2000) and WNIT (2001, 2002). Sun Belt All-Conference twice, All-Tournament team once, and a spot on the league’s 30th Anniversary Team in 2006. In 2023, she entered the WKU Hall of Fame—two years before her Kentucky High School HOF nod.
But long before The Hill, there was Apollo. Powers started every high school game, too, etching eight school records, scoring 2,497 points, and dropping 560 dimes. The All-State honors (twice) and the three Sweet 16 All-Tourney nods tell only part of the tale. As a junior, she led the Eagles to three straight regional crowns—’95, ’96, ’97—bringing Owensboro to the bright lights of Rupp Arena year after year.
Celebrating the Stories That Never Fade
The Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame exists to honor the men and women who built, coached, and played the game—the ones whose voices still echo in a thousand echoing gyms, whose lessons transcend Xs and Os. For Hardin McLane, Don Parson, and Natalie Powers, the numbers are just the beginning. Their real legacy? The players they inspired, the communities they uplifted, the games that became memories, and now, a permanent place in Kentucky’s most treasured basketball tradition. When the Class of 2025 is inducted on September 6, three names will draw all the cheers: McLane. Parson. Powers. Champions, all.
