Education
Stith attended Saint Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn and committed to Saint Bonaventure University, where he and older brother Sam formed a formidable 1-2 punch.
Stith attended Saint Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn and committed to Saint Bonaventure University, where he and older brother Sam formed a formidable 1-2 punch.
A 6" 5" forward, Stith was an All-American at Saint Bonaventure University in 1960 and 1961. The Stith brothers posted a 52.0 points per game combined scoring average for the 1959-1960 season. Tom Stith became Saint Bonaventure"s first consensus All-American in 1960 and 1961.
Stith left Saint Bonaventure as the school"s all-time leading scorer, ending his career with 2,052 points.
Stith finished second in the nation in scoring to Oscar Robertson in 1960, averaging 31.5 points per game, and he then finished third in 1961 with 29.6 points per game. After completing his collegiate eligibility, Stith was selected by the New York Knicks as the second pick overall in the 1961 National Basketball Association Draft, behind Indiana"s Walt Bellamy.
He made the team and played in 46 games over the 1961-1962 seasons. However, Stith contracted tuberculosis only a month into the season, and his National Basketball Association career was cut short at 25 games and 3.2 points per game.
Stith died on June 13, 2010, at the age of 71.
