Bentley University

During the mid-nineties, when the ball went inside for the Bentley men's basketball team, good things generally happened. The reason? J.D. Asselta.
 
The Ocean City, New Jersey native was a 6'6" power forward who finished his career as one of just three Bentley players to score 1500 points and pull down 800 rebounds, a select group that also included Al Grenfell and Todd Orlando. All three have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
 
"J.D. was a relentless player who possessed all the attributes of your classic power forward," said longtime Bentley head coach Jay Lawson in 2005. "First, he was a long, gifted athlete who had the speed and stamina to run the floor like a guard. Second, he had wonderful hands that could catch any and every pass thrown his way. Third, he was an intense competitor with special talent and desire to rebound the ball. Finally, he possessed a soft scoring touch that was truly unstoppable."
 
After coming off the bench as a freshman on Bentley's 1994 Northeast-10 champion and NCAA team, J.D. moved into the starting five as a sophomore and he never gave up his spot, starting all 81 games the team played over his final three seasons. He made an immediate impact with his increased minutes, averaging just shy of a double-double for the season (13.3 points, 9.2 rebounds).
 
Over his final two seasons, J.D. dominated inside, becoming just the fourth player in Bentley history to earn first-team All-Northeast-10 accolades at least twice (a distinction he shared with Orlando, Billy Holden and Derek Dixon). His scoring average topped 18 points a game both years, and his field goal accuracy exceeded 60 percent each winter. His career field goal percentage of .595 ranks third on the school's all-time list.
 
As a junior, J.D. became the first Falcon in 14 years to average a double-double with his norms of 18.6 points and 11.2 rebounds both career bests. His total of 296 rebounds for the year ranks tenth all-time in school history and is considerably more impressive when you consider that none of the others in the top ten was recorded after 1976.
 
Asselta's efficiency inside paid off for the Falcons, who were 18-9 during his senior season, finishing in a tie for second in the conference.
 
Prior to J.D.’s 2005 induction, Lawson praised his forward. “In my 20 years at Bentley, we have had several outstanding forwards but, J.D. was clearly the most talented;' said Lawson. "He was a dominant force who simply could not be stopped by one defender. In today's game, it's a rare player who has the toughness and ability to perform consistently close to the basket. Most forwards want to show their ability to play on the perimeter. Not J.D. He was a proud interior warrior who night in and night out was an unstoppable force in the paint. A weapon that equally helped his teammates get open shots. Without a doubt, J.D. ranks as one of our program's all-time great performers."