During his first year of varsity basketball at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1955, Rosenbluth was the
Tar Heels' leading scorer. He was named third team
All-America, averaging 25.5
points per game (PPG) and 11.7 rebounds. He later achieved All-America honors during his
sophomore year, but this time they were split between various first and second team selections. He again led the Tar Heels in scoring with a 26.7 average. In his senior season in 1957, Rosenbluth averaged 27.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while leading the Tar Heels to a 32–0 record. His regular season performance earned him the Helms Hall of Fame "Collegiate
Player of the Year" designation over the
University of Kansas's
Wilt Chamberlain. The Tar Heels went on to defeat Chamberlain's Jayhawks 54–53 in triple overtime for the
NCAA Basketball Championship, North Carolina's first, which brought credibility to the fledgling
Atlantic Coast Conference. Rosenbluth's scored 20 points in the championship final, was the tournament's overall top scorer at 28.0 ppg, and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also named the ACC Player of the Year Rosenbluth was honored for his athletic achievements while at North Carolina. His No. 10
was retired by the Tar Heels.
Other honors Rosenbluth also received a number of other accolades and awards during his playing career: • Three-time All-ACC selections (1955–57) Until 1992, Rosenbluth was the only collegian to be named NCAA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, and NCAA regional MVP in the same season. His feat has since been matched by
Christian Laettner of
Duke University and UNC's
Antawn Jamison. Rosenbluth held several UNC records at the time of his death, including most points in a single season (897), and highest single-season average (28.0). ==Professional career==