Denning attended Northern High School in Detroit, Michigan, where he was an All-State second team player in 1948.
Denning played college basketball for the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils from 1949 to 1952. He was the team's leading scorer during the 1950–51 season. Denning had his best season in 1951–52 as a senior, when he scored 589 points in 28 games, averaging 21 points per game. He helped lead the Blue Devils to the semifinals of the 1952 NAIA tournament. He was inducted into the Lawrence Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011, and his number 14 was retired by the team.
In April 1952, Denning played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Later in the same month, he was selected in the 1952 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. He was unable to showcase his skills beyond a few exhibition games. Although he was waived by the Bullets two days before the opening of their 1952–53 season, Denning was reinstated to their negotiation list after going unclaimed. He played for the Elmira Colonels of the American Basketball League until he was recalled by the Bullets. He played just one game for the Bullets in December 1952; he scored five points and grabbed four rebounds.

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