(Editor’s note: This is the third in a seven-part weekly series in which the Times Herald will unveil its “Mount Rushmore” of St. Bonaventure men’s basketball — that is, the most notable four players — with the caveat of going decade by decade. Today: The 1970s.)

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — It remains the most prosperous decade in program history.

In the 1970s, the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team achieved its two greatest feats, advancing to the 1970 Final Four and winning the 1978 National Invitation Tournament. In connection with those accomplishments, they also produced a Basketball Hall of Famer, the program’s all-time leading scorer and 13 candidates for the era’s Mount Rushmore, five more than any other decade (based on the 60-player All-Time Team ballot).

In that way, the 70s’ Mount Rushmore of Bona basketball was the hardest to select; multiple all-time program greats were unfortunately going to be left off.

Below is our attempt at choosing the four most notable players of that era. And remember, that doesn’t necessarily mean the four best players from a talent or statistical standpoint.

Rather, it’s the four players that we think are most synonymous with the decade, the four that come to mind the fastest when recalling a bygone era of Bona basketball, the players whose names still resonate years later.

As such, while the likes of Matt Gantt, Glenn Hagan and Glenn Price might have been better overall players than Bill Kalbaugh, they won’t be appearing on this list over the point guard for that 1970 Final Four Team. Because even now, 50 years later, where there’s Bob Lanier, there’s Bill Kalbaugh.

With that, here’s Part 3 of our Bona Mount Rushmore Series:

ESSIE HOLLIS (1973-77)

The case: In a way, Hollis has checked more boxes than any other player in program history.

The 6-foot-6 forward ranks inside the top 10 in Bona annals in scoring, checking in at No. 7 with 1,798 points. Check. He’s one of only 11 players with his number hanging in the Reilly Center rafters. Check. Oh, and he was the co-captain and leading scorer of Bona’s only national championship team (the 1977 NIT titleist). Check.

The Erie native was a two-time ECAC all-star (1976 and ‘77) and he dropped 24 points on Houston in the NIT championship game. Just as impressive, he still stands No. 2 all-time in rebounds (as a 6-foot-6 forward), racking up 939, an average of 9.2 over 109 contests, including a phenomenal senior year in which he averaged 21.9 points and 10.4 rebounds.

BILL KALBAUGH (1967-70)

The case: Unlike just about every other Mount Rushmore selection to this point, Kalbaugh didn’t necessarily shine statistically. The 5-foot-11 guard totaled 659 points, an average of 8.6 per game, putting him 85th all-time in scoring.

But on a team that featured Lanier and three other 950-plus point scorers (Paul Hoffman, Bubba Gary, Gantt), he didn’t have to be. Kalbaugh was the quarterback and co-captain of the greatest team in program history, the 1970 Final Four squad. He set up much of the success of Bona’s greatest player, Lanier.

And he could score when needed, going for 17 points in an NCAA Tournament first-round win over Davidson, 13 against N.C. State and 15 on Villanova. It was these factors that landed Kalbaugh on Bona’s 20-player All-Time Team and it’s why he has a place on our 1970s Mount Rushmore.

BOB LANIER (1967-70)

The case: There’s no name more synonymous with the Bonnies than Lanier’s. In short, the 6-foot-11 forward with size 22 sneakers IS Bona basketball.

Lanier finished as the program leader in a multitude of categories and currently ranks No. 4 in scoring, totaling 2,067 points in only three seasons, while still holding the marks for scoring average (27.6), field goal percentage (.576), rebounds (1,180, 15.7 per game), points in a game (51 vs. Seton Hall, 1969), rebounds in a game (27 vs. Loyola, Md., 1967) and rebounds in a season (416).

The “Big Cat,” a consensus All-American in 1969 and ‘70, led Bona to an undefeated regular season and the NCAA Tournament in 1968 and its magnum opus season, when — behind his remarkable averages of 29 points and 16 rebounds per game — it reached the No. 1 national ranking and the Final Four in 1970.

GREG SANDERS (1974-78)

The case: If you’re your school’s all-time leading scorer, odds are you’re going to have a place on every “best player” list imaginable, and that’s the case here.

Sanders, like, Hollis has a unique resume.

The 6-foot-6 forward is Bona’s career scoring leader, racking up an incredible 2,238 points, with season averages of 17.5, 18.8, 21.2 and 22.1 (he’s one of just seven Bonnies who averaged 20-plus points for his career). He’s also first in career field goals (944), fifth in field goal percentage (.538) and 21st in rebounds (637).

Sanders was named MVP of the 1977 NIT after scoring 30 points in a second-round win over Oregon and 40 in the championship contest against Houston. Earlier that year, he had a career-high 46 against Detroit. The Washington, D.C., native earned All-American honors that same season and finally had his No. 53 retired in 2017.