Kermit Young (2001) - Hall of Fame - Montana State University Athletics

Kermit Young

Induction:
2001
Class:
1965

Kermit Young Basketball, 1961-65 Years at MSU: 1961-65 Honors Earned: All-Big Sky 1964 &’65, Honorable Mention All-America Hometown: Fairfield, Montana “His idea was that his man would never have the basketball.” –Former MSU head coach Roger Craft Kermit Young’s career as a Montana State basketball player came at an intersection of time and place that perfectly coincided with his ability, and helped launch MSU as the Big Sky’s premiere basketball program of the ‘60s. Young was one of the leading scorers in the region at the time, but even today is lauded by his former coach for a different area of expertise. “I think he was probably the best defensive player I had, both from determination standpoint and also because he had quickness, not speed but a quick step. They say a man can’t score if he doesn’t have the ball, and Kermit was very determined to keep the people he was guarding from getting the ball.” The ‘Cats were 44-32 in Young’s three seasons as a varsity starter, but those teams accomplished more than just piling up wins. “That was very much the foundation (for the good years to come in the MSU program),” Craft said. “We played a lot of good teams, with some success, and there was no question that he was our go-to guy.” Young would typically match up with the opposing team’s top players, and played favorably against such stalwarts as Idaho’s Gus Johnson, who would later star in the NBA, and All-Americas from Seattle U. and Colorado State. But one of Craft’s favorite memories is the battles he had with another Montanan. “Wayne Estes, the great player out of Anaconda, was only held below double figures scoring once, and that was by Kermit in his sophomore year down in Logan.” Yond was an All-Big Sky Choice during the league’s first two years, and also earned converse All-America honors. He was named one of the top 10 players in the West and earned an academic scholarship at MSU.