{"id":110101,"date":"2024-12-01T11:15:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T16:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=110101"},"modified":"2024-12-01T11:15:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T16:15:57","slug":"lou-carnesecca-tributes-coming-in-from-basketball-legends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/01\/lou-carnesecca-tributes-coming-in-from-basketball-legends\/","title":{"rendered":"Lou Carnesecca Tributes Coming In From Basketball Legends"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The college basketball mourns the <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lou-carnesecca-st-johns-basketball-d7ed263ad4c9b5abe960a4ed4e88e13c\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">loss of a legend<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the passing of former St. John&#8217;s men&#8217;s basketball coach <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lou Carnesecca.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/redstormsports.com\/sports\/mens-basketball\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">St. John&#8217;s announced<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that Carnesecca passed away peacefully at the age of 99. The Lou Carnesecca tributes continue to come in at a fast and furious pace for a brilliant coach who is one of the most beloved figures in college basketball.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In Memoriam of Lou Carnesecca (1925-2024) <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wpSon2v9k2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/wpSon2v9k2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; St. John&#39;s Men\u2019s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StJohnsBBall\/status\/1863082482360254966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 1, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carnesecca had two stints at St. John&#8217;s and in between, he coached the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He is a true basketball legend.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lou Carnesecca Tributes Coming In From Basketball Legends<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carnesecca is one of the key figures in the early days of the Big East when the league became a major player in college basketball. It culminated when St. John&#8217;s joined conference rivals Georgetown and Villanova in the <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sportingnews.com\/us\/ncaa-basketball\/news\/building-the-bracket-how-the-1985-ncaa-tournament-expansion-turned-march-into-madness\/lzp5hjncbsk1vlqitu3nx855\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1985 Final Four<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He retired in 1992 with 526 wins at St. John&#8217;s, leading the Red Storm to two Big East Tournament titles. St. John&#8217;s also won five Big East regular-season titles. The news of Carnesecca&#8217;s death quickly spread, and tributes soon followed. More tributes will follow in the coming days.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Death of Carnesecca Generating An Outpouring of Tributes<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media was flooded with Lou Carnesecca tributes not long after St. John&#8217;s announced Carnesecca&#8217;s death. It was not unexpected, but the news still hit hard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.bigeast.com\/news\/2024\/12\/1\/mens-basketball-big-east-statement-on-passing-of-coach-lou-carnesecca.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">released a statement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after Carnesecca&#8217;s death was confirmed by St. John&#8217;s.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Big East Conference is deeply saddened by the passing of Lou Carnesecca, a quintessential New Yorker and one of the most successful coaches in our history. \u00a0 His basketball accomplishments abound: 526 wins in 24 seasons, post-season bids in each of those years, the &#8220;sweater game&#8221; and other magic moments at Madison Square Garden, and the superstars he mentored along the way who are themselves part of Big East lore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;But Coach Carnesecca&#8217;s impact extended far beyond the basketball court.\u00a0 He was tough, fiery and resilient, qualities he shared with the conference he helped launch, build and define.\u00a0 His successes propelled the Big East in its early years to the top of the college sports world. His belief in the power of basketball to define universities remains at the heart of our DNA.\u00a0 A tactical genius on the sidelines, Coach was equal parts teacher, mentor, master motivator, father figure, storyteller, ambassador, icon, champion and friend.\u00a0 He was truly beloved, and his mark on St. John&#8217;s, the Big East and college basketball will be indelible.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><b>Carnesecca&#8217;s Legacy Extends Beyond The Victories<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Top coaches aren&#8217;t always beloved by opposing fans. However, good luck finding people who had bad words to say about Carnesecca even while he was coaching. There is no question that his popularity grew following his retirement.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">One of a kind &#8211; loving caring &amp; passionate is what I have felt about Coach Carnesecca as I loved the many conversations we had during my time <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@espn<\/a> of covering \u2066<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StJohnsBBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@StJohnsBBall<\/a>\u2069 during his era .May COACH RIP! <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pxY5I4Nz8z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/pxY5I4Nz8z<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Dick Vitale (@DickieV) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DickieV\/status\/1863098233653784622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 1, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former Villanova head coach <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jay Wright<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, current Georgetown coach <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ed Cooley<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and many other basketball figures offered condolences on social media. Moments of silence will be held at basketball games in the coming days in honor of Carnesecca.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Carnesecca is Part of New York Basketball History<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is impossible to tell the story of New York basketball without mentioning Carnesecca&#8217;s impact. When looking back, his coaching career started in 1950 at St. Ann&#8217;s Academy. He was 205-34 at St. Ann&#8217;s. St. Ann&#8217;s was 32-0 in Carnesecca&#8217;s final season. St. John&#8217;s hired Carnesecca in 1958 as an assistant coach at his alma mater to start a memorable run at St. John&#8217;s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carnesecca coached the Red Storm from 1965 to 1970 before coaching the Nets. In 1973, he returned to St. John&#8217;s and never had a losing season. Led by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chris Mullin<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the 1984-85 team <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2020\/05\/04\/big-east-all-time-series-part-2\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">made history<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Sweater Game Part of Carnesecca&#8217;s Legacy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carnesecca won 17 games in the NCAA tournament and 10 more in the NIT. The game remembered by most people is one that he lost during the magical 1984-85 college basketball season. Few games had the hype of the Feb. 27, 1985 clash with Georgetown. None of this year&#8217;s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/12\/breaking-down-the-top-10-big-east-mens-basketball-matchups\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">top Big East games<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will approach what happened on that day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">St. John&#8217;s picked up wins in 13 games in a row with Carnesecca wearing a sweater that he lovingly termed to be &#8220;ugly.&#8221; As Carnesecca came onto the court, Georgetown head coach John Thompson flung open his jacket to reveal a replica of Carnesecca&#8217;s sweater. The laughter could be heard throughout the area. Good luck finding a similar reaction to games these days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Georgetown would win the <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.qchron.com\/editions\/queenswide\/when-a-sweater-defined-one-of-the-best-rivalries\/article_9be3f747-9d3a-5c91-8a41-6a48591b7e69.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Sweater Game\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 85-69. The Hoyas won again in the 1985 Big East Tournament Final. The Hoyas made it three wins in a row at the 1985 Final Four before falling to Villanova in the title game in one of the biggest college basketball upsets of all time. Even with the Final Four loss, New York basketball fans will never forget that 1984-85 season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was the highest-rated game on ESPN putting up numbers that stunned network executives. The Sweater Game is considered one of the greatest games and spectacles in Madison Square Garden history.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The college basketball mourns the loss of a legend with the passing of former St. John&#8217;s men&#8217;s basketball coach Lou Carnesecca. St. John&#8217;s announced that Carnesecca passed away peacefully at the age of 99. The Lou Carnesecca tributes continue to come in at a fast and furious pace for a brilliant coach who is one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5287,"featured_media":110121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,773],"tags":[4447,1468,49865,1450],"class_list":["post-110101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-college-basketball","tag-big-east-basketball","tag-big-east-tournament","tag-lou-carnesecca","tag-st-johns-red-storm"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}