153 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL Teams of Tradition 1952 NCAA FINALISTS Accused by basketball fans and defeated them earlier in the year. In the second round the specula- over the crowd with his rebounding writers alike as undeserving of their Rupp’s squad routed Penn State tion was that it would take a miracle and stifling defensive play. surprise NCAA bid after a hasty and in its NCAA opening round game, for the Redmen to upend the Wild- The spark generated by the un- unexpected ousting from the NIT 82-54. After falling behind early, St. cats. Frank McGuire’s boys took the believable Kentucky triumph carried by La Salle, St. John’s set out for John’s, led by Dick Duckett’s outside court hoping to keep it respectable. over to the next game. St. John’s had Raleigh, N.C., determined to at least shooting, surged back to take a For a change, St. John’s came out a heart-stopping 61-59 win over justify its presence in the Eastern 28-25 halftime lead. In the third relaxed from the start. In their first favored Illinois in Seattle, Wash. The Regionals. The justification would period St. John’s wrapped things up, meeting against the Rupp men down following night in the champion- have to come at the expense of the outscoring NC State 19-8. In the end in Lexington, St. John’s shot just 16.7 ship game, Kansas’ Clyde Lovellette host team, NC State, which had won it was St. John’s 60, NC State 49 percent going 10-for-60; in Raleigh, personally brought the high-flying 29 successive tournament games at with four St. John’s players hitting SJU shot 24-for-53 (45.2 percent). Redmen back to earth. The massive home. double figures. Bob Zawoluk was St. John’s took the early lead and center broke the NCAA record for The Redmen, as they were known, the high scorer for St. John’s with 12 never looked back. Zawoluk and points set days before by Zawoluk needed to beat Coach Everett points, followed by Duckett and Jack McMahon were sensational in their with a 33-point performance. The Case’s team in order get a chance McMahon, who each had 11 apiece. scoring efforts. Zawoluk set a new Jayhawks went on to defeat St. to avenge an 81-40 loss to Adolph Jim Davis added 10, flicking in five NCAA scoring record with 32 points John’s, 80-63, in the NCAA champi- Rupp’s Kentucky Wildcats, who set shots. in the game. Ronnie MacGilvray won onship game to capture the crown. 154 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL Teams of Tradition 1985 NCAA SEMIFINALISTS On their way to the second Final Regional in Denver, Colo., and a State hung close until the Redmen stood between St. John’s and the Four appearance in school history, meeting with Kentucky. Mullin net- managed a 10-point lead with 1:22 title game, which the Redmen had the Redmen began the journey ted 30 and Willie Glass contributed to play, and shortly after Carnesecca not reached since 1952. The rivalry slowly in Salt Lake City, easing past down the stretch to lift the Redmen allowed it to sink in – St. John’s was was intense, as St. John’s had de- Southern University, 83-59, before to an 86-70 win. That game marked headed to the 1985 Final Four. feated the Hoyas earlier that season escaping Arkansas, 68-65. Against the final contest for Kentucky Coach “With five seconds left in the in Landover, Md., to take the No. 1 Southern, St. John’s had three play- Joe B. Hall. game, I looked up at the clock and national ranking. Georgetown won ers who scored 20 or more points, The Elite Eight matchup between kept thinking, ‘We’re going… we’re the next two meetings, once at Mad- led by Walter Berry’s 24 with 13 Lou Carnesecca’s St. John’s squad going.’ I am very much elated to ison Square Garden that snapped rebounds. Bill Wennington contrib- and Jim Valvano’s NC State team think I’m finally going after 1,000 the Redmen’s 14-game conference uted 23 while Chris Mullin added was a back-and-forth affair that games,” said Carnesecca at a win streak, and once in the BIG EAST 21 in the game. Mullin keyed the earned the tongue-in-cheek moniker postgame press conference. “When Tournament title game. Redmen to the victory over Arkansas “Spaghetti Western” from the I’m going to my grave, this I’ll The Hoyas would prevail, 77-59, with 26. Joe Kleine had 23 for the sportswriters. Mullin scored 15 of remember.” ending the storybook season for St. Razorbacks. his 25 in the second half, finding an Patrick Ewing and Georgetown John’s but giving Redmen fans a The wins earned St. John’s answer for every Wolfpack run. NC campaign to remember always. the right to advance to the West 155 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL Teams of Tradition 1943 NIT CHAMPIONS On the way to its first NIT title, St. Season Highlights • Boykoff was picked on several John’s just got by its opening round • Head coach Joe Lapchick led the All-America teams. He received matchup against Rice Institute of squad to a 21-3 record. a gold basketball, emblematic of Houston, Texas. St. John’s next edged • Captain Andrew “Fuzzy” Levane his selection on the All-America Rice in the closing seconds, 51-49. was awarded the Lt. Frank C. basketball team appearing in The Hy Gotkin’s one-hander at the buzzer Haggerty Trophy, being selected Sporting News. proved to be the game-winner. The the MVP of the Metropolitan • Levane was also selected on one team then faced local rival Fordham area. All-America team. in the semifinals. St. John’s defeated • Levane was awarded the C.Y.O. • St. John’s defeat of Fordham the Rams 69-43 and were led by Trophy, donated by the Brooklyn settled the dispute as to who Harry Boykoff’s 22 points. St. John’s Chapter of the C.Y.O. was the 1942-43 metropolitan defeated the University of Toledo, • St. John’s received bids to both champion. 48-27, to capture its first National the NCAA and the NIT. • Three players were named to the Invitation Tournament. Harry Boykoff • Harry Boykoff, St. John’s 6-9 All-Metropolitan team: Boykoff, was named Most Valuable Player of center, was awarded the most Larry Baxter and Levane. the Tournament, scoring 56 points in valuable player award of the the three games. sixth annual NIT. This marked the second time that a St. John’s player received such a distinction. Bill Lloyd of the 1938-39 team received it previously. Championship Game: St. John’s 48, Toledo 27 Sixth Annual National Invitation Tournament March 29, 1943, Madison Square Garden St. John’s FG FTA FT PTS Baxter 3 3 2 8 Levane 3 3 0 6 Boykoff 5 6 3 13 Moschetti 6 1 1 13 Plantamura 1 1 1 3 Gotkin 2 1 1 5 Totals 20 15 8 48 Toledo FG FTA FT PTS Bolyard 2 2 1 5 Turnell 0 0 0 0 Minor 0 3 0 0 Edwards 0 0 0 0 Glass 1 1 0 2 Heiny 0 0 0 0 Harmon 2 2 2 6 Zuber 3 4 3 9 Grove 2 3 1 5 Kucer 0 0 0 0 Totals 10 15 7 27 1st 2nd Final St. John’s 22 26 48 Toledo 16 11 27 All Games: March 18, 1943 (1st Quarterfinals) Wash 43, Creighton 42 Toledo 54, Manhattan 47 March 22, 1943 (2nd Quarterfinals) St. John’s 51, Rice 49 Fordham 60, Western Kentucky 58 March 27, 1943 (Semifinals) Toledo 46, Wash 39 St. John’s 69, Fordham 43 March 29, 1943 (Consolation) Wash. & Jeff. 39, Fordham 34 156 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL 2 0 0 9 - 1 0 ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY R E D S T O R M MEN’S BASKETBALL Teams of Tradition 1944 NIT CHAMPIONS In the first victory on the way to Season Highlights • Bill Kotsores was named the • McGuire and Gotkin were back-to-back NIT titles, St. John’s • During head coach Joe Lap- Most Valuable Player of the placed on the All-Metropolitan defeated Bowling Green in the chick’s eighth year at St. John’s, NIT. This marked the third time team by the Basketball Writers quarterfinals by a score of 44-40. the varsity played 23 games and in seven years that a St. John’s Association. St. John’s was led by Bill Kotsores’ won 18. player received such a distinc- • Five of St. John’s players were 15 points.