During his first year of varsity basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1955, Rosenbluth was the Tar Heels' leading scorer. He was named third team All-America, averaging 25.5 points per game (PPG) and 11.7 rebounds. He later achieved All-America honors during his sophomore year, but this time they were split between various first and second team selections. He again led the Tar Heels in scoring with a 26.7 average.[9][10]
In his senior season in 1957, Rosenbluth averaged 27.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while leading the Tar Heels to a 32–0 record. His regular season performance earned him the Helms Hall of Fame "Collegiate Player of the Year" designation over the University of Kansas's Wilt Chamberlain.[11] The Tar Heels went on to defeat Chamberlain's Jayhawks 54–53 in triple overtime for the NCAA Basketball Championship, North Carolina's first, which brought credibility to the fledgling Atlantic Coast Conference. Rosenbluth's scored 20 points in the championship final, was the tournament's overall top scorer at 28.0 ppg, and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also named the ACC Player of the Year[11] and ACC Male Athlete of the Year.[3][12]
Until 1992, Rosenbluth was the only collegian to be named NCAA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, and NCAA regional MVP in the same season. His feat has since been matched by Christian Laettner of Duke University and UNC's Antawn Jamison.[14][15]
Rosenbluth held several UNC records at the time of his death, including most points in a single season (897),[16] and highest single-season average (28.0).[11][17]
Professional career
Rosenbluth was selected in the first round (6th overall selection) of the 1957 NBA draft by the Philadelphia Warriors.[2] He made his NBA debut with the franchise on October 25, 1957,[2] playing six minutes and scoring a two-point field goal against the Syracuse Nationals.[18] He ultimately played in 82 games for the Warriors,[2] and made his final appearance in the NBA on February 11, 1959.[19] Throughout his two seasons in the NBA, Rosenbluth averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.8 rebounds per game.[2][20]
Later life
After retiring from professional basketball, Rosenbluth worked as a high school teacher and coach in Florida.[8][10] He eventually moved back to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, just over a decade before his death.[16]
Rosenbluth died on June 18, 2022, at the age of 89.[1][10][16][21]