David V. Piontek (1981) - Hall of Fame - Xavier University Athletics

David V. Piontek

Induction:
1981
Class:
1956

Dave Piontek, a member of the XU Basketball Hall of Fame and Team MVP in 1955, was a good example of how a big man could dominate college basketball. Piontek, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound pivot man could score and rebound with the best of them.

Piontek led Xavier in scoring in his first two seasons on the varsity team, scoring 14.6 and 16.9 points a game as a sophomore and junior. He averaged 15.8 ppg. as a senior despite spending a lot of time setting screens for fellow Hall of Famer Jim Boothe. His junior and senior years he also led the team in rebounding, with marks of 11.3 rpg. and 15.3 rpg. respectively. He pulled down 10.0 rpg. as a sophomore.

The durable center set many Xavier scoring and rebounding records. He graduated as the school's all-time scoring leader with 1,287 career points and as the school's all-time rebounding leader with 995 rebounds. He currently ranks fifth all-time in rebounding and 28th all-time in scoring for Xavier.

He was a tough, physical scorer and rebounder for the Musketeers and helped put Xavier into the national spotlight in the mid-1950's. His senior season he helped lead the Musketeers to a 17-11 record and their first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. That year in the NIT, Xavier knocked off Saint Louis, 84-80, in the first round but lost to Dayton, 72-68, in the second round.

After graduating from Xavier, he was selected by the Rochester Royals in the third round of the 1956 NBA Draft.

Piontek average 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in 71 games as a rookie for Rochester. When the Royals moved to Cincinnati for the 1957-58 season, Piontek was back in the Queen City. He played in 71 games, averaging 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. His best statistical season came in 1958-59, as he recorded 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds a game in 72 appearances. He moved on to St. Louis (1960-61), Chicago (1962), and back to Cincinnati (1963) before retiring.

In seven NBA seasons, Piontek played in 413 games, averaging 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds a game. He collected 2,955 points and 1,770 rebounds as a pro player.

Following his playing days, Piontek worked Purdue football and Butler basketball while at WFBM in Indianapolis. Later he spent three years on the Xavier basketball play-by-play team on WVXU-FM in the late Seventies.

PIONTEK'S XAVIER CAREER STATS

Yrs.	Gms.	FGM-FGA	PCT.	FTM-FTA	PCT.	REB	AVG	PTS	AVG
53-54	30	157-		124-		301	10.0	438	14.6
54-55	26	156-		127-		295	11.3	439	16.9
55-56	26	167-386	.433	76-140	.543	399	15.3	410	15.8
Career	82	480-		327-		995	12.1	1,287	15.7