RIP Lou Carnesecca

[texasdave]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/college-basketball/article-14144903/Lou-Carnesecca-dead-99-St-Johns-Hall-Fame.html

[Kingspoint]

They were the last team to beat the '85 NCAA Champion Villanova Wildcats that year, defeating them in the semi-finals in the Big East tournament, eventually losing to Georgetown in the NCAA Semi-Finals.

[M2]

They were the last team to beat the '85 NCAA Champion Villanova Wildcats that year, defeating them in the semi-finals in the Big East tournament, eventually losing to Georgetown in the NCAA Semi-Finals.

That was peak Big East.

Louie almost made it to the century mark. He hasn't coached for more than 32 years and he was old when he retired. He was winning Catholic High School Athletic Association championships in the 1950s. His first NCAA tournament was also Dean Smith and Kareem Abdul Jabbar's first NCAA tournament. In fact, Kareem was still known as Lew Alcindor at that time. Carnesecca lost the 1970 NIT championship to a Marquette team coached by Al McGuire. He coached the New York Nets with Rick Barry and Trooper Washington to the 1972 ABA finals where they lost to the Indiana Pacers juggernaut led by Roger Brown and Mel Daniels.

[KoryMac5]

The Big East tournament was a gauntlet of Hall of Fame coaches. Boheim, Thompson, Lou, Rollie, Calhoun, Pitino, Carlisemo. Each had distinct personalities and knowledge of the game. Lou always wore his sweater…definitely one of the greats. His team with Mullen is one of the best.

[Revering4Blue]

Lou also coached an amazing NCAA Tournament run as a #4 seed in 1991, reaching the Elite 8. They fell to eventual champion, Duke. That team featured my All-Time favorite St. Johns player - who is also, sadly, no longer with us - Malik Sealy.