Hall of Fame
Jim Lytle was a four-year starter for the Crusaders, both on the freshman team and the varsity, and was known for his defensive prowess, often shutting down the opponents’ high scorers.
A member of Coach Al McGuire’s second recruiting class out of New York City’s Power Memorial Academy, his teams won 81 % of their games, a record even more impressive in that only four to five games each season were played at home. Early in his career, he averaged 10 points a game on a team that had five players reaching double figures in scoring. As team captain and lone senior his final year, Lytle upped his scoring average to 14 points per game and lead the Abbey to its fifth straight post season tournament. The unseeded team played its way to the round of 32 in Kansas City, Mo., in the 1962 NAIA National Championship. The season closed with a 61-58 overtime loss to No. 5-seed Pan American University, led by NBA first-round pick Luke Jackson.
During his career, Lytle never missed a game. His service to Belmont Abbey continued after graduation as president of the Alumni Association and later as a two-Âterm member of the Board of Trustees. As a Trustee, he played a vital role in drafting the Abbey scholarship program for the children of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
