A 6\'5" (1.96 m) forward, Bonham attended Muncie Central High School in Muncie, Indiana, where he earned the nickname "The Muncie Mortar" and "The Blond Bomber." As a senior, he averaged 28 points per game and earned Indiana\'s "Mr. Basketball" award as he led his team to the state runner-up spot. He was twice named first-team All-Indiana and was named MVP of both Indiana vs. Kentucky all-star games as a senior. He graduated in 1960 as Muncie Central\'s all-time leading scorer with 2,023 points, which also made him the all-time scorer for the state of Indiana.\n', '

Bonham narrowed his college choices to Purdue University and the University of Cincinnati. He attended Purdue for three days, but realizing he would be required to enroll in ROTC for two years and would not be able to have a car on campus as a freshman, he returned home and then decided to attend his other choice, Cincinnati, due largely to the national success gained by the Bearcats during the recent Oscar Robertson era.\n', '

As a sophomore under coach Ed Jucker, Bonham averaged 14.3 points per game, led the Bearcats with a .760 free throw percentage and was named All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The Bearcats won the MVC title and posted a 29-2 overall record. Led by Bonham, Tom Thacker, George Wilson, Tony Yates and Paul Hogue, on March 24, 1962, they won their second consecutive NCAA championship with a 71-59 win over Ohio State.\n', '

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