Walt Kocubinski is the third Lafayette basketball
player from the early 1970's to be inducted into the
Lafayette Athletic Hall of Fame. Together with Tracy
Tripucka and Jay Mottola, Kocubinski helped to deliver
a stunning 72-71 upset win over Virginia in the 1972 NIT
first round, what many believe to be the Leopard's finest
hour in sports.
It was Kocubinski's layup with just seconds
remaining that tied the score and set the stage for Mottola's
game-winning free throw. "It was the hardest layup I ever
made," said the 6'5" Kocubinski, recalling the play which
was set up by Mottola's pass. With the muscular Kocubinski
roaming the lane, Lafayette's combined three-year record
was 54-25. Individually, his best season was as a junior, the
same season Tripucka and Mottola were seniors, when he
averaged 18.5 points and nine rebounds and helped Lafayette
to a 21-6 record that included a couple of games in the NIT.
