The history of Beloit College basketball is as rich as they come but few names elicit such profound reverence as that of Ronald Bontemps.
 
Bontemps, a Taylorville, Illinois native, transferred to Beloit College from the University of Illinois to rejoin his former prep coach Dolph Stanley in 1948.
 
Bontemps, a 6’3 forward, led some of the greatest squads to represent Beloit in three years on the hardwood in Midwest Conference history. The Buccaneers were a perfect 30-0 in league play over that span, capping a five-year undefeated streak in conference play, to earn three Midwest Conference titles. Beyond the league, Bontemps led Beloit to a third-place finish in the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball in 1949 and a trip to Madison Square Garden to compete in the National Invitational Tournament in 1951. Beloit boasted a 72-12 record during Bontemps’ tenure. All but two of those losses came at the hands of future Division I institutions.
 
In addition to being Beloit’s all-time leading scorer (1,770 points) for more than 50 years, Bontemps holds the program record for points in a game (57) and is the only player in Beloit history to score 600 points in a season, and he did it twice. His records for career field goals, free throws and points all held until 2006. To this day, Bontemps holds top ten marks in league history for points per game in a season and field goals made in a season, both are also program records 70 years later.
 
As magnificent as Bontemps’ collegiate resume may be, his post-college accomplishments may be even more impressive. Upon graduating from Beloit in 1951, Bontemps was the 22^nd overall pick in the early years of the National Basketball Association draft to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks but ending up playing for the Caterpillar Diesels, an Amateur Athletic Union team based in Peoria, Illinois competing in the National Industrial Basketball League.
 
Bontemps led the Diesels to a 1952 AAU championship and an invite to compete in the United States Olympic basketball team playoffs at Madison Square Garden in New York City. After winning the tournament, Bontemps and four teammates from the Diesels made the 14-player U.S. Olympic roster. Bontemps was named a captain, played in all eight games for the United States, and led the team to a gold medal.
 
In 1953, Bontemps was named an AAU All-American. He repeated that honor in 1954 and added laurels as the National Outstanding Amateur Basketball Player and National Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Times.
 
Bontemps was inducted into the Beloit College Hall of Honor in 1965. He is also recognized in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Taylorville High School Sports Hall of Fame, and Great Peoria Sports Hall of Fame. The Beloit College men’s basketball team’s Most Valuable Player Award has been named in honor of Bontemps since 1978.