By Dylan Butler
The press release was only five paragraphs long and it appears to have been ignored by the mainstream media. But it's an announcement that is long overdue.Carnesecca was, is and will forever be St. John's basketball. As current coach Norm Roberts told me, people associated with Carnesecca, and, in turn, with St. John's, because he was – and still is – a New Yorker. He is the grit of the city, the heart of it, and there is no one who is more deserving of that honor. “We are deeply grateful for Lou's dedication to St. John's, both through our men's basketball program and his contributions to the university since his retirement,” said the school's president, the Rev. Donald Harrington, in the release. “What better way to honor our beloved coach – and his wife, Mary – than by naming the court where he spent so many years of his life. We thank the Carneseccas for their love and devotion.”Under Carnesecca's leadership, the Redmen made the postseason every one of his 24 years on the sideline – 18 times to the NCAA tournament and six times to the NIT. There were no tricks to his game – they played straight man-to-man but still managed to win a lot more than they lost. And he did it with the best players in New York City, year in and year out.The raspy-voiced Jamaica Estates resident has an all-time record of 526-200, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, reached the Final Four in 1985 and won five Big East championships.It was that 1985 season that stands out for most as the greatest of Carnesecca's years. Wearing what have become his trademark multicolored sweaters, Carnesecca had four memorable battles with John Thompson and Georgetown. The first one, a Redmen victory in D.C., lifted the Johnnies over the hated Hoyas into No. 1 in the country. Thompson got his revenge at the Garden, when he whipped out a replica Carnesecca sweater and Patrick Ewing got the better of Chris Mullin.They met again twice more that year, with Georgetown winning both – including the national semifinal – before the Hoyas were upset by Villanova in the final.”This is really something,” Carnesecca said in the release. “I spent so many years of my life on that court, with so many great players and coaches. I remember the passion that they had for the game, and how much I had for it, too. This is a real honor from my alma mater. I thank Father Harrington and everyone at St. John's for thinking so much of me.”And Carnesecca hasn't stopped working since his retirement from coaching in 1992. When St. John's was reeling from the embarrassment of not only the worst on-the-court season in memory but also the Pittsburgh sex scandal, it was Carnesecca who went back to the local high school gyms, telling recruits and coaches that things would get better, that St. John's would rise up again.This honor, as deserving it is, should be just the beginning. If or when a new on-campus basketball arena is built or Alumni Hall is renovated, the entire building should be named after Carnesecca. Maybe Carnesecca Hall or Carnesecca Arena. As someone on Redmen.com noted, it could be called “The Lou” for short.The school should also do the right thing and retire a few jerseys, starting with Mullin's No. 20. It should be followed by No. 21, which was worn by both Walter Berry and the late Malik Sealy, Mark Jackson's No. 13 and Bob Zawoluk's No. 27.A new or renovated on-campus basketball arena is a must. A return to respectability and the winning tradition should be on the way under Roberts. Naming Alumni Hall for Carnesecca, much like Duke did for Mike Krzyewski at Cameron Indoor Stadium and Arizona did for Lute Olson at the McKale Center, is a step. But it's a step that is well-deserved for someone who is not only still the most recognizable person at St. John's but someone who has yet to give up his crown as King of New York City Basketball.Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at timesledger@aol.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
