Don Hennon (2019) - Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame

Don Hennon

Induction:
2019
Class:
1959

Hennon is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of Pitt basketball. During his three-year varsity career (1956-59)—played three decades before the 3-point shot was instituted—he averaged an exceptional 24.2 points per game. His 1,814 career points stood as the Pitt record for 19 years. Hennon still holds Pitt's single-game scoring record (45 points), a mark he achieved in an 87-84 double-overtime win over Duke in 1957. He twice led Pitt to the NCAA Tournament (1957 and 1958) and was twice honored as an All-American (1958 and 1959). He received enshrinement in the Helms Athletic Foundation Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. He was the first basketball player to have his jersey number (10) retired by the University of Pittsburgh, receiving that honor in 1968. Hennon was drafted by the NBA's Cincinnati Royals but chose to enter medical school at Pitt and became a surgeon.