He earned second-team All-American honors in 1945, when he helped lead the Bruins to their first basketball championship, winning the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) Southern Division title.

[8][3] Putnam and fellow junior college transfer Don Barksdale joined UCLA midseason in 1942–43,[8] following the Bruins' loss of Johnny Fryer, an Army reserve who was called to serve in World War II.

[10] As co-captain of the Bruins with Bill Rankin in 1944–45,[10] he helped lead the team to its first basketball championship,[11] winning the PCC Southern Division title with a 34–28 victory over their crosstown rivals, USC.

[7][20] In 1945, Putnam played on the 20th Century-Fox team that advanced to the consolation round of the Amateur Athletic Union's national basketball tournament, finishing in fourth place.

[3][25] Putnam died of a heart attack on December 12, 1992,[10] while returning home from a UCLA basketball game at Pauley Pavilion against San Diego.