'A Privilege to Be the Coach' By BERNARD P. BEGLANE ALUMNI QUARTERLY he record books will indicate that Tthe 1982-83 team of St. John's Volume V, No. 1 May 1983 University was the winningest in the school's illustrious basketball history - 28 victories against only five defeats. 'A Privilege to Be the Coach' ............................... Page 3 Reason enough to make Lou Rival Coaches Helped SJU ................................ Page 5 Carnesecca happy, right? Yes, but the way Little Looie sees it, there are others 'People Helping People' . Page 7 far more important. St. John's University Today ................................ Page 9 "As far as personal satisfaction is concerned, this has to be one of the What's Happening? ....................................... Page 12 greatest seasons of my career," said a Alumni Personals . Page 14 grinning Carnesecca, a 1950 graduate ofSJU. Travel . Inside Back Cover "Not because of the record alone. I had the privilege of coaching probably the greatest group of people ever to ST. JOHN'S ALUMNI QUARTERLY, the Alumni magazine of St. John's University, New York, is wear a St. John's uniform. Every coach published four times a year -August, November, February and May- by the Office of Alumni Relations. An should be blessed with a group like this. office is located at St. John's University, Jamaica, New York 11439, telephone (212) 990-6232, and Staten Island, "Mind you, I'm not saying it was the New York 10301, telephone (2 12) 447-4343, Ext. 228. best team as far as talent is concerned. I'm talking about as people. There was cooperation ... willingness to learn . .. everything that a coach could want." Lou Carnesecca was all smiles as he was carried by, left to right, Kevin Williams, Chris Mullin, OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS The starting five was comprised of David Russell and Trevor Jackson after the Redmen defeated Boston College for The Big East title. David Russell and Billy Goodwin up Director front, Jeff Allen in the middle, and Chris of the gym and went upstairs to my upsetting North Carolina, the defending Rev. Thomas V. Concagh, C.M. Mullin and Bob Kelly in the back court. office. National Collegiate Athletic Association ey reserves? George Garrison, "When the players reached the locker champion, in the Hall of Fame Classic Assistant Director Assistants to the Director K Kevin Williams, Rob James, Bill room, David and Trevor took over and at Springfield, Mass. Thomas M. Kitts Queens Campus Wennington, Jeff Allen, Trevor Jackson held a meeting. After it was over, the Following that, the Redmen con­ Diana M. Conboy and Ron Stewart made valuable team returned to the floor and held a tinued to dominate the Joe Lapchick Claire C. McKeever contributions as the squad was selected practice for 45 minutes. Memorial Tournament, routing Army Editor Assistant to the Director No. 1 in the East by The Eastern "I didn't go back and neither did any and holding off a well-coached Ohio Bernard P. Beglane Staten Island Campus College Athletic Conference and also in of the staff. The players did very well University which later earned the Alumni Quarterly Mary M. Kenny The Widmer Cup balloting. without us." NCAA playoffs. Russell and Jackson were co-captains rinceton discovered that the next By the time the first of two contests and one particular incident dealing with Pnight. From the victory over the Ivy against Georgetown was played - Jan. their effectiveness sticks in the mind of Leaguers, the Redmen went on to sweep 8 at Madison Square Garden - SJU On the front cover: Debbie Beckford, holding the trophy, and Laura Martinez, co-captains of the women's Carnesecca. the ECAC Holiday Festival at Madison was still in the ranks of the undefeated. team, are flanked by Dave Gavitt, Commissioner of The Big East Conference, and Don Perrelli, SJU Coach, at "It was the day before the Princeton Square Garden with Russell earning The Hoyas became victim No. 13, and the awards presentation at Providence. Lou Carnesecca proudly holds The Big East title trophy with co­ game (played Dec. 18) and nothing was MVP honors for the second time in his with that triumph, memories of last captains David Russell, No. 11, and Trevor Jackson. Jack Kaiser, the Redmen's Director of Athletics, also going right," recalled the man fondly career. The 6-7 forward had captured year's travesty at the Eighth Avenue participated in the ceremonies at Madison Square Garden. called the Italian Leprechaun by many. the award for the first time as a arena were erased. "Passes were being thrown out of freshman. Two games later the unbeaten streak bounds . wrong plays were being run Not to be overlooked was the fact was snapped at Boston College. The The opinions and viewpoints expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of St. John's University, its administration or . shots were being missed. It was just that St. John's moved into the national Eagles also defeated the Redmen at its officers. a terrible session and I chased them out rankings at the outset of the season by Alumni Hall, while the other losses were 3 All Star voting • Winner of the Haggerty Award as the Player of the Year in the Metro­ politan area as voted by the Met College Basketball Writers Association • U.S. Basketball Writers Associa­ tion NCAA District II All Star squad • Widmer Trophy as Player of the Year in the East • United Press International All America third team. ther achievements for Mullin, a 0 product of Xaverian High School, Brooklyn, N.Y., who is a major in the College of Business Administration: • The Redmen's leading scorer with a 19.1 average • No. 3 scorer in the Big East at 19.8 • 1,127 points after two seasons making him only the third player (Bob Zawoluk and Mel Davis are the others) in SJU history to accomplish the feat of Members of the St. John's championship team are Laura Martinez, Tara Nelsen, No. 35, Patti Leonard (partially hidden), Dianne Pugh, scoring 1,000 or more points in that Faye Gerald (partiall y hidden), Debbie Beckford, Jackie Smith, No. 2, Maureen Dillon, No. 44, Lisa Scandaglia, Anne Marie McNamee span of time and Ulrica Qvarnstrom (No. 42) . Janet Roos (No.22) is in the front. • Twentieth place on the list of all­ time Redmen scorers • Scored in double figures in 38 Rival Coaches Helped SJU consecutive games over two campaigns and in 59 of his 63 career contests By Bernard P. Beglane And how does Chris feel about his accomplishments? , 'We're very much a team that likes to beat a 1977-78 and 1980-81 squads. "I'm just a victim of circumstances," team that beat us." n addition there were six records established by he replied in all honesty and humility. "If Sound confusing? Not really. I Debbie Beckford: we didn't play as a complete team I Don Perrelli was saying that St. John's was • Most points in a game at Alumni Hall - 34 wouldn't have won anything." confident that it would upset Providence for the first against Massachusetts on Jan. 24. ow to Little Looie and his collection Big East conference women's basketball champion­ • Most points in a game - 36 against Seton Nof awards: ship. Hall on Feb. 9. • Big East Coach of the Year The fact that the 74-63 triumph was registered at • Most field goals in a game - 18, also against • Met College Basketball Writers the Providence Field House, home court of the Lady Seton Hall on Feb. 9. Association Coach of the Year • Most points in a season - 705. Lou Carnesecca with the Kodak Award for being selcted Coach of the Year by the National Friars, gave additional meaning to the accomplish­ Association of Basketball Coaches. • National Association of Basketball ment. After all, the Dominican Fathers' school had • Most field goals in a season - 314 . Coaches Division I Coach of the Year routed St. John's by 14 points at Alumni Hall during • Highest scoring average in a season - 21.4. on the road - at Pittsburgh and at and Boston College) that had beaten us with the trophy coming from Kodak the regular-season schedule. Diane Pugh shattered two records: Villanova - in Big East affairs and earlier in the schedule." • ESPN (the cable TV sports "Winning the conference title was just one of four • Most blocked shots in a season - 77 . against Georgia in the NCAA playoffs The 28-5 record, as might be ex­ channel) Coach of the Year pre-season goals that the team set for itself," con­ • Most rebounds in a season - 295 (8.9 average). at Syracuse. pected, meant all sorts of honors, • Basketball Times Coach of the tinued Perrelli, who has completed four campaigns The final record - most free throws in a season Prior to the NCAA competition, particularly for Mullin, a 6-6, 190-pound Year at St. John's. -105, was established by Janet Roos. which included a victory over Rutgers, sophomore who played like he was a • NBC TV sportscaster Al McGuire's "The other coaches in the league probably never Beckford, who concluded her four-year career there was a sweep of the Big East 10-year veteran of the National Basket­ selection as Coach of the Year realized it, but they helped. In their pre-season with 1,752 points (Ling-Ling Hou set the record playoffs at the Garden with the victims ball Association, and for Carnesecca. "Naturally, I'm happy to receive all of predictions, the coaches picked St. John's to finish -1,950 from 1976-1980), was named 'Player of the being Connecticut, Villanova and First, for Chris: these honors," grinned Carnesecca.