An unforgettable day in Queens, New York, came with a fitting tribute and an indelible image: Rick Pitino wearing a Lou Carnesecca-inspired sweater as he coached St. John's to an emphatic 88-71 win over Kansas State on Saturday.
The game was played, naturally, in the building named after the most important person in St. John's history: Carnesecca Arena. The St. John's coaching legend and Naismith Hall-of-Famer died Nov. 30 at 99. The school also unveiled a new logo on the floor Saturday, an emblazoned and enlarged replica of Carnesecca's signature.
"I don't think I would have ever forgiven myself if we lost this game," Pitino said. "It's been an emotional week for me personally, not only with my two best friends, but with Lou, and it was really, really important that we get a win for Lou. Great crowd, a great second half. A lot of emotion behind the game, and Lou lived a great life. … I told the guys, you got all these St. John's legends, and St. John's ruled the world on the East Coast in the '60s, the '70s, the '80s, and it was all for the name on the front."
The sweater Pitino donned on Saturday was literally tailor-made: Due to the classic "Looie sweater" from the 1980s being long out of production and essentially not findable, Pitino went to his tailor to custom-design it in the days leading up to Saturday's game, including getting the fabrics from Calvin Klein.
"Had five people look online and nobody could find that sweater. Rightfully so Lou was a legendary person, legendary coach, but one of the five worst dressers in the history of the game," Pitino said. "We couldn't find that sweater anywhere, so we found the pieces, cut out the pieces, and took it to a seamstress and put it together, and that sweater is going to rest in peace with Lou."
Back in 1985, Carnesecca wore the bizarrely hideous sweater after catching a bad cold and choosing to don it at the advice from his wife Mary. St. John's went on to win 12 games in a row; Carnesecca wore it every game as means of a superstition. But that apparently won't be happening now. Pitino said the sweater was a one-time thing to honor Carnesecca, going so far as to retire it ceremoniously at mid-court after the win.
A special day in Lou’s House pic.twitter.com/99pQSNRS9A
— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) December 7, 2024
As for the game, the Johnnies got the best performance of Zuby Ejiofor's career; the junior center had a personal-best 28 points and 13 rebounds and keyed a second half push that saw SJU pull away from Kansas State. St. John's senior Kadary Richmond added 13 points, six boards, four assists and three blocks, while RJ Luis Jr. and Simeon Wilcher each had 11 points.
"In this day, where all our greats have come back, in this day when our legendary coach has left us, you got to play for that name on the front and nobody characterized that more than Zuby," Pitino said. "His heart was as big as a mountain."
Said Ejiofor: "(Carnesecca's) death was something that we all felt, especially those that were here last year and just knowing the history of what he meant to not only just St. John's, but the whole league. We kind of just fed off that, and we were going to play for him this game, and we came up with a win."
"The Sweater Game"... 40 seasons later pic.twitter.com/VgZtNwUcMV
— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) December 7, 2024
Kansas State coach Jerome Tang made sure to complete the day by coaching in a gaudy sweater of his own. It was a really nice gesture and tapped into the spirit of an emotional scene in Queens — and an important game for both teams. Tang, 58, said afterward he felt the impact of the day and wanted to honor Carnesecca as well.
"Really special and emotional," he said. "To see the videos, and I actually watched the games where they won the Big East and made it to the Final Four. That one Final Four had three Big East teams in [1985]."
The game came less than 24 hours removed from Carnesecca's memorial service Friday in New York. Many of his former players made the journey back to the area, including some of his greatest: Chris Mullin, Walter Berry, Mark Jackson and Bill Wennington. They all watched Saturday's game in the building named after their coach.
"Lou's going to be missed because of what he represented but, the one thing I want is I want all these players to come back," Pitino said. "This is their home. Like I told Chris Mullin, when I first got the job, I said, 'Chris, I'm nothing for this program compared to you. This is your home, your program. I'm just a caretaker for Lou. It's all I am. So please come back to your home. You're the most celebrated player in history, along with Mark Jackson and Walter Berry.'"
The 7-2 Johnnies will be back at Carnesecca Arena on Wednesday night when they host Bryant. The game will air at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
