Perry, a guard from Ukiah High School in Ukiah, California, made history when he teamed up with future Hall of Fame players K. C. Jones and Bill Russell to make San Francisco the first college to win an NCAA tournament title with three black starters in the 1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season, Perry's junior year.

Perry increased his scoring average to 9.1 points per game for the year and was named second team all-conference.

However, when star guard Jones was declared ineligible for the 1956 NCAA tournament, coach Phil Woolpert asked Perry to take a larger role.

Perry responded by averaging 14 points per game in the Final Four and joined national player of the year Russell on the All-Tournament team.

However, Globetrotters owner Abe Saperstein told Perry he was too smart for the barnstorming life and offered to pay his way to law school.