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The Big East Conference will honor Lou Carnesecca on Saturday with a special tribute that includes coaches wearing sweaters and commemorative pins. This celebration coincides with what would have been Carnesecca’s 100th birthday weekend, emphasizing his lasting impact on college basketball.
As part of the weekend festivities, St. John’s will host a heartfelt celebration of Carnesecca’s life during their game against Butler at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. Coaches from across the conference will don sweaters reminiscent of the iconic attire that Carnesecca sported during his successful tenure at St. John’s in the 1970s and 80s.
Following Carnesecca’s passing at the age of 99 on November 30, Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman and Senior Associate Commissioner Dan Leibovitz quickly sought ways to pay tribute to one of the conference’s founding figures. Carnesecca was a celebrated leader, known for his seven Big East championships and his endearing personality that earned him the affection of many in the sport, as noted by FOX Sports analyst Bill Raftery.
Leibovitz initiated a group chat with the coaches, leading to a unified decision to wear 80s-style sweaters and commemorative pins provided by the league. The reverence for Carnesecca’s accomplishments is profound; he led St. John’s for 24 years without a losing season and was instrumental in guiding the team to the Final Four during the 1984-85 season with stars like Chris Mullin and Walter Berry. His vibrant personality and coaching prowess made him a legendary figure in both the conference and New York City’s basketball scene in the 80s.
On December 7, St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino and Kansas State’s Jerome Tang paid homage to Carnesecca by entering the arena wearing replicas of his famous sweater. Following the Red Storm’s 88-71 victory over the Wildcats, Pitino honored Carnesecca’s memory by laying the sweater at halfcourt.
Here’s the lineup of Big East games where coaches will pay tribute to Carnesecca this weekend:
Friday
- Xavier at Georgetown – 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
- Creighton at No. 8 Marquette – 9 p.m. ET, FS1
Saturday
- DePaul at Villanova – Noon ET, FS1
- Butler at St. John’s – 2 p.m. ET, FS1
Sunday
- Providence at No. 11 UConn – 2 p.m. ET, NBC
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