In every rags to riches fairy tale, there is a hero. For Saint Francis men’s basketball program in the early 1990’s, that role belonged to Mike Iuzzolino.
An all-state player at Altoona Area High School, Mr. Iuzzolino enrolled at Penn State before transferring to Saint Francis in the fall of 1988.
In his first season, “Izzy” poured in 21.3 points a game, before dominating the Northeast Conference as a senior. The only player in the country to average more than 20 points a game (24.3), shoot better than 50 percent from the field (.542), 50 percent from three point range (.528), and 80 percent from the free throw line (.887). Mr. Iuzzolino led his team to a school-record 24 victories, a conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The NEC Player-of-the-Year and NEC Tournament MVP, Mr. Iuzzolino scored a school-record 772 points in that memorable 1990-91 season and amassed 1,346 points in his two seasons in Loretto. From there, it was on to the National Basketball Association, where he played two seasons for the Dallas Mavericks. Mr. Iuzzolino’s success has since carried overseas- he has enjoyed a standout career in Italy’s top professional league.
In addition to his exploits on the court, Mr. Iuzzolino also thrived in the classroom at Saint Francis, twice earning Academic All-American honors. He was selected the nation’s Academic All-American of the Year in 1991.
Saint Francis College is proud to honor Mike Iuzzolino with induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame on this date, Friday, July 27, 2001.
