Holy Cross Athletics

Jack “The Shot” Foley was a native of Worcester whose father and older brother (Frank) were both Holy Cross alumni. He graduated from Assumption Preparatory School in 1958, after scoring 920 points in just 22 games (41.8 points per game) during his senior year.

Foley enrolled at Holy Cross during a time when freshmen were not eligible to play varsity, but he starred for the freshman team during his first year on the Hill. He led the Crusader freshmen to a 17-2 record while averaging 32.6 points per game in 1958-59.

In 1959-60, Foley joined the varsity squad and had a breakout season. He averaged 24.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest, while leading Holy Cross to a 20-6 record and a trip to the National Invitation Tournament. He scored a school-record 55 points against Colgate in the final game of the regular season and was named a third team All-American.

As a junior in 1960-61, Foley ranked sixth in the nation in scoring with an average of 26.9 points per game, in addition to pulling down 10.5 rebounds per contest. He had a six-game stretch in the middle of the season where he averaged 38.8 points per game, including three-consecutive outings with 40 points or more. Foley earned second team All-America honors while leading the Crusaders to a third- place finish in the National Invitation Tournament and an overall mark of 22-5.

Foley wrapped up his career in 1961-62 by averaging an incredible 33.3 points per game – a mark which still ranks more than five points per game better than any other player in program history. He finished the year ranked second in the nation in scoring behind Bill McGill of Utah, and broke his own school record by scoring 56 points against Connecticut on Feb. 17. Foley was named a first team All-American and led Holy Cross to its third- straight National Invitation Tournament appearance, with the Crusaders reaching the quarterfinals and finishing the year with a 20-6 overall record.

The first player in school history to score 2,000 career points, Foley still ranks third with 2,185 total points scored. His career average of 28.4 points per game remains the best in program history by over five points per contest, while his 866 points scored as a senior also continue to hold the top spot in the Holy Cross record books.

After graduating from Holy Cross in 1962, Foley was selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the National Basketball Association draft with the 18th selection overall. He played in 11 games for the Celtics and the New York Knicks during the 1962-63 season, scoring 53 points. Following his retirement from basketball, he went on to have a long career as a teacher and coach.

Foley was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1971, and had his jersey No. 32 retired in 2011. He passed away on Nov. 29, 2020, at the age of 81 years.