Kasey Hill Named Lt. Fred Koss Award Recipient
Friday, April 21, 2017 | Men's Basketball
The Lt. Fred Koss Award is presented to a senior basketball player at the University of Florida who, during a four-year career, has personified the attributes of leadership, personal character, scholarship and competitive excellence to distinguish himself as a student-athlete.
This year's recipient is Kasey Hill, a senior who graduates this spring with a degree in Anthropology. Kasey grew up in Umatilla, Florida, and graduated from Montverde Academy. He signed at the University of Florida in 2013 after a high school career that garnered McDonald's All-American honors. Kasey has brought leadership to the Florida basketball program through his ability as an exceptional player and his determination to live up to the expectations of his mother and grandmother as well as the loving guidance of the Simmons family who helped nurture him as part of their extended family.
This is the 43rd anniversary of the award established in 1974 to honor Lieutenant Fred Koss, who perished when his F-4 Phantom jet was shot down on July 7, 1972, during the Vietnam War. Lt. Koss was a freshman basketball player at the University of Florida in 1964-65. He earned his undergraduate degree from Findlay College before entering the United States Air Force for pilot training.
The first recipient of the award in 1974 was Timothy Fletcher, who went on to become a Colonel in the United States Air Force with a 30-year career.
Lt. Fred Koss grew up in Bridgeport, Ohio, and graduated from Bridgeport High School. He received a basketball scholarship to the University of Florida and played on the Gators freshman team. He struggled academically and transferred to Robert Morris Junior College in Pittsburgh, PA. where he played basketball for two years. In his sophomore season, Robert Morris won 17 of 18 games and was the regional runner up in western Pennsylvania. He earned his Associates in Arts degree from Robert Morris and accepted an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Findlay College in Findlay, Ohio, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969.
Fred then entered the United States Air Force Flight training program and advanced to the position of navigator on the Phantom F-4 aircraft. He was sent to Vietnam and was stationed at UBON Air Force base in Thailand. Fred flew 82 missions in 97 days, and his aircraft was shot down by enemy fire trying to land one night during a violent rainstorm in Thailand. He and the pilot both perished in the attack.
Lt. Koss received The Air Medal, The Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart for bravery during his time in Vietnam. He was acknowledged as the navigator who took out the Thanh Hoa Bridge over the Song My River north of Hanoi where over 30 aircrafts and former Air Force pilots were shot down trying to cripple this major north south rail and highway system for Viet Cong supplies and troops into Vietnam.
In 1974 John Lotz, the head basketball coach at Florida, initiated the Lt. Fred Koss Award to recognize a senior basketball player whose career over four years reflected high ideals. Each year since then, a qualified award recipient has been chosen by the men's head basketball coach at the University of Florida and a player has been recognized 37 times over the past 43 seasons.
During his four years at Florida, Hill developed a close personal relationship with his teammates including former players Marreese Speights, Casey Prather, Will Yeguete, Scottie Wilbekin, Patric Young and Dorian Finney-Smith. Yeguete, Young and Finney-Smith are all former Lt. Fred Koss award recipients who Hill attributes much of his early trust in building a personal framework to understand the culture of success in the Florida basketball program.
Kasey has always been a team-first individual who led by example and profited from the guidance of both Coach Michael White and Billy Donovan. He played on Florida's Final Four team in his freshman season as a backup to Scottie Wilbekin and helped lead the Gators to 24 regular season wins in 2016-17 and the programs ninth trip to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Hill leaves the program as the school's second all-time career assist leader and the fourth all-time career leader in steals. Both of these accomplishments speak volumes to his reputation for unselfishness and team-first attributes as a Florida Gator.
Kasey scored in double figures 42 times and had double-figure assists in a game five times. He also had two career double-doubles. Twice he had career highs of 21 points in two of Florida's biggest games against Florida State and Kentucky.
This year's recipient is Kasey Hill, a senior who graduates this spring with a degree in Anthropology. Kasey grew up in Umatilla, Florida, and graduated from Montverde Academy. He signed at the University of Florida in 2013 after a high school career that garnered McDonald's All-American honors. Kasey has brought leadership to the Florida basketball program through his ability as an exceptional player and his determination to live up to the expectations of his mother and grandmother as well as the loving guidance of the Simmons family who helped nurture him as part of their extended family.
This is the 43rd anniversary of the award established in 1974 to honor Lieutenant Fred Koss, who perished when his F-4 Phantom jet was shot down on July 7, 1972, during the Vietnam War. Lt. Koss was a freshman basketball player at the University of Florida in 1964-65. He earned his undergraduate degree from Findlay College before entering the United States Air Force for pilot training.
The first recipient of the award in 1974 was Timothy Fletcher, who went on to become a Colonel in the United States Air Force with a 30-year career.
Lt. Fred Koss grew up in Bridgeport, Ohio, and graduated from Bridgeport High School. He received a basketball scholarship to the University of Florida and played on the Gators freshman team. He struggled academically and transferred to Robert Morris Junior College in Pittsburgh, PA. where he played basketball for two years. In his sophomore season, Robert Morris won 17 of 18 games and was the regional runner up in western Pennsylvania. He earned his Associates in Arts degree from Robert Morris and accepted an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Findlay College in Findlay, Ohio, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969.
Fred then entered the United States Air Force Flight training program and advanced to the position of navigator on the Phantom F-4 aircraft. He was sent to Vietnam and was stationed at UBON Air Force base in Thailand. Fred flew 82 missions in 97 days, and his aircraft was shot down by enemy fire trying to land one night during a violent rainstorm in Thailand. He and the pilot both perished in the attack.
Lt. Koss received The Air Medal, The Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart for bravery during his time in Vietnam. He was acknowledged as the navigator who took out the Thanh Hoa Bridge over the Song My River north of Hanoi where over 30 aircrafts and former Air Force pilots were shot down trying to cripple this major north south rail and highway system for Viet Cong supplies and troops into Vietnam.
In 1974 John Lotz, the head basketball coach at Florida, initiated the Lt. Fred Koss Award to recognize a senior basketball player whose career over four years reflected high ideals. Each year since then, a qualified award recipient has been chosen by the men's head basketball coach at the University of Florida and a player has been recognized 37 times over the past 43 seasons.
During his four years at Florida, Hill developed a close personal relationship with his teammates including former players Marreese Speights, Casey Prather, Will Yeguete, Scottie Wilbekin, Patric Young and Dorian Finney-Smith. Yeguete, Young and Finney-Smith are all former Lt. Fred Koss award recipients who Hill attributes much of his early trust in building a personal framework to understand the culture of success in the Florida basketball program.
Kasey has always been a team-first individual who led by example and profited from the guidance of both Coach Michael White and Billy Donovan. He played on Florida's Final Four team in his freshman season as a backup to Scottie Wilbekin and helped lead the Gators to 24 regular season wins in 2016-17 and the programs ninth trip to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Hill leaves the program as the school's second all-time career assist leader and the fourth all-time career leader in steals. Both of these accomplishments speak volumes to his reputation for unselfishness and team-first attributes as a Florida Gator.
Kasey scored in double figures 42 times and had double-figure assists in a game five times. He also had two career double-doubles. Twice he had career highs of 21 points in two of Florida's biggest games against Florida State and Kentucky.
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