Hall of Fame
It was a memorable time for men’s basketball program at the College from 1963-1967, and a big reason for its success was the presence of Paul Brateris ’67, MA ’68.
A 6’ 5” center for the Lions, Brateris was a standout player for four seasons. He remains amongst the all-time best in program history in scoring and rebounds and helped Trenton State College to four winning seasons, including a conference championship in 1967.
The Lions were struggling as a basketball program in the early 1960s. Coming off of a 3-17 finish in 1962 and 3-7 conference record in 1963, a pair of young freshmen joined the squad in 1963-64. Brateris and fellow rookie Skip Johnson ’67 helped the Lions post a mark of 10-9 as TSC began to turn things around in Packer Hall.
Over the next three seasons, the Lions went 48-25. Brateris was a force in the paint, dominating the boards on both ends of the floor. During the 1964-65 season, the 6’ 5” sophomore shattered the record for most rebounds in a season with 323. That record still stands today.
In his junior and senior seasons, Brateris was named to the All-New Jersey State Conference First Team. He was a triple-threat as he scored points, grabbed rebounds, and dished the ball out to future Hall of Fame inductees Johnson and Jack Bell. Brateris finished with 1,323 career points, which stills ranks eighth all-time in program history.
The 1966-67 season was a historic one for the men’s basketball program. They posted a 10-1 mark in the NJCS (18-9) overall and defeated Montclair State 81-75 to win their first conference championship. That win, paired with a victory over Monmouth College, propelled them to a bid to the National Athletic Intercollegiate Association Tournament (NAIA) in Kansas City. It marked the first time any TSC team had ever qualified for a national tournament. Brateris was a co-captain on that squad and averaged 15.4 points per game.
An outstanding athlete, Brateris also played baseball at the College. He was drafted as a pitcher by the Milwaukee Braves out of high school and went on to pitch for the Lions.
Following graduation, Brateris continued his education at Trenton State to earn his Master of Arts degree. He remained with the basketball program as an assistant and helped coach his younger brother, Ralph Brateris ‘71. Brateris may have helped his younger sibling a little too much, as Ralph passed his older brother in career points with 1,416, which ranks sixth all-time.
After receiving his graduate degree, Brateris served as an officer for the United States Navy from 1969 to 1974. He raised a family and worked as a personnel manager in training and development both in the United States and internationally.
