Loy Vaught starred at East Kentwood High, helped the University of Michigan win a national championship and then played 11 years in the NBA.
The 6-foot-9 Vaught was an All-State player for fellow Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame member Mike Phelps at East Kentwood and selected a scholarship offer from the University of Michigan.
He was overshadowed by Glen Rice and others at Michigan but averaged 10.8 points and 7.4 rebounds in 134 college games, including 73 as a starter. He was the top rebounder on the 1989 national championship team for the Wolverines and led the Big Ten Conference in rebounding (11.2 per game) in his senior season of 1989-90 while also scoring just over 15 points per game.
He was the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in 1990, the 13th player taken overall, and was a consistent performer through the 1998 season when he left via free agency. His best NBA season was 1994-95 when he averaged 17.5 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Clippers.
He followed that with seasons of 16.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in 1995-96 and 14.9 points and 10 rebounds in 1996-97. For his NBA career he averaged 10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds, and twice in his career he was among the top 10 offensive and defensive rebounders. As of 2020 he was still ranked fourth in Clippers’ franchise history in rebounding.
Back injuries and surgeries in 1997 limited him late in his career and he spent two years in a reserve role with the Detroit Pistons and split a final year with Dallas and Washington.