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James "Jim" Reilly '50 (1928-2005) is one of the most prolific scorers in Swarthmore College men's basketball history. The first Swarthmore player to reach 1,000 points, Reilly finished his career with 1,507 points, a program mark for nearly 50 years that was achieved without the benefit of a shot clock or three-point line. He still holds program records for career points per game at 19.7 and single-season points per game with 27.6, which he averaged during the 1948-49 season. That year, he was the recipient of the Palumbo Trophy, given to the highest point scorer among Philadelphia-area colleges and universities, beating out future National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Famer Paul Arizin of Villanova. A three-time member of All-Philadelphia Team, Reilly was also named All-State for the 1949-50 season after leading the Garnet to a Middle Atlantic States Athletic Conference championship. After graduation, he was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in the ninth round of the 1950 NBA draft.
