Hall of Fame
Robert Mantz '58 had single-game totals of 47 and 44 points to highlight a three-year varsity basketball career at Lafayette which saw him become the college's fifth 1,000-point scorer. Mantz scored 1,005 points and is generally regarded as one of the best "big" men to ever play for the Leopards. He averaged 19.2 points as a senior to rank 42nd nationally, ahead of future NBA stars Jerry West of West Virginia and Dave Gambee of Oregon State. The top three scorers in the country that season were Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain. Mantz's 47-point effort came against Wilkes in his final collegiate contest as Lafayette eased to a 109-56 victory. One of the best statements on behalf of Mantz's play is that in his three varsity seasons Lafayette's record was a combined 58-17 with two postseason appearances — the NIT in 1956 and its first NCAA Tournament invitation in 1957. Mantz was among a parade of basketball stars that made their way to Easton from the Reading, Pa. area in the 1950s.
