SJU Holds 100 Years Of Basketball Symposium
BY DAN MILLER

(l. to r.): Frank Alagaia, Phil Pepe, Lou Carnesecca, George Johnson and Tarik Turner.

On Saturday December 15, St. John's University hosted a 100 Years of Basketball Symposium that included basketball stars of yesteryear and Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca in panel discussions hosted by Daily News sports writer Phil Pepe. More than 150 spectators came to St. John's to hear the 12 panelists, some of St. John's all-time greats, talk about their involvement in the St. John's University basketball program

Pepe served as the moderator, introducing each of the panelists and making comments about each one's career at St. John's throughout the event. When Pepe himself was introduced, it was pointed out that he is the author of the only comprehensive biography of Lou Carnesecca.

Pepe said the first time he saw a St. John's University basketball game was on television about 1948. "We were one of the first families in our neighborhood who had a television, said Pepe. "Frank MaGuire was the coach. I knew nothing about St. John's. I watched this game and from that day on, I guess I became a St. John's fan. I followed the team, which may be one of the reasons when it was time to go to college I attended St. John's. The first live game I attended was in 1952, my freshman year. I covered the game at the great gym. I do go back, not a hundred years, but half a hundred."

(l. to r.): Jack Griffin, Bill Shea, Phil Pepe, Tom Tolan and Dick McGuire.

Three panels covered the different decades of St. John's basketball glory.

The first panel, "The Early Years", heard comments from Bill Shea, 1944- 45, Dick McGuire, 1943-49, Jack Griffin, 1941-44, and Tom Tolan 1946- 49. Tolan was the manager of the St. John's basketball team during his years as a student. He remembered that while he was the manager, St. John's went on to win the NIT Tournament and Dick McGuire was a star on that team. He later went on to become sports editor at UPI, where he worked for more than 40 years.

Most questions were directed to McGuire, a former schoolyard basketball star who played basketball in Far Rockaway with his brother, Al McGuire. Both Dick and Al went on to the NBA and played for the Knicks following their college playing careers at St. John's. Dick McGuire is well known as one of the best backcourt aces in St. John's history. His brother Al, who died a few years ago, is well known for the time he spent as a player at St. John's, with the Knicks and in later years as the voice of the Knicks.

(l. to r.): Gerry Houston, Carmine Calzonetti, Mel Davis, Phil Pepe and Jerry Johnson. Photos Dan Miller/DMD Images

The second panel, "Classic Times", heard comments from Carmine Calzonetti, 1966-69, Gerry Lawrence, 1953-56, Mel Davis, 1970-72 and Gerry Houston, 1962-65. Only Davis went on to the NBA. He was a first round draft pick by the New York Knicks in 1973. Davis said he was told that he was drafted to eventually replace Dave DeBusschere. Davis holds the all time rebound record at St. John's, having pulled down 436 rebounds. Davis told the audience that he became very friendly with Knicks star Dave DeBusschere and learned many of the secrets of playing defense from him.

Calzonetti spent many years after graduation as an advisor and a scout for St. John's University basketball. Houston spoke about how he hit the winning free throw to help St. John's win in the NIT finals. He also remembered how coach Joe Lapchick took him aside earlier in the season prior to his taking foul shots in the game against Cincinnati. Lapchick said, "Jerry, I know you can do this. Just go out there and do it!" And he did, to help St. John's beat Cincinnati.

Panel three consisted of George Johnson, 1974-78, Hall of Fame Coach Lou Carnesecca, Frank Alagaia, 1972- 76 and Tarik Turner, 1994-98.

Turner, who calls the play by play of St. John's basketball games, spoke about how he grew up in Virginia and played high school ball with Alan Iverson, one of the greatest high school back court players in the country, who later went on to play for many years with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. Turner remembered how St. John's was at the Garden about to face Georgetown and Iverson. He told the coach at St. John's about Iverson. Before the game as both teams were going up in the freight elevator at the Garden reserved for players and coaches, Iverson and Taruk saw each other and joked around during the elevator ride. Iverson said he was going to score 40 points on them. "He actually did, but St. John's won the game," Taruk said.

Johnson spoke about the St. John's- Indiana game. He remembered, "The electricity in the Garden was amazing vs. Indiana." Johnson was a first-round draft pick for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Alagaia, who played for Carnesecca, was most remembered for being one of the smallest players who ever played for St. John's.

Carnesecca shared a number of different stories and added comments to the remarks of some of the other panelists. Carnesecca was asked how he felt about John Thompson, the Georgetown coach, coming out at the Garden wearing a sweater like that worn by Carnesecca. "That's the only one I wore. They probably sold it in the lobby," responded Carnesecca. Carnesecca also spoke about the pride he had observing his players grow up. The coach drew many smiles with a story in which he told the team, "You better beat them tonight because those guys are going to be your bosses in five years."

In closing, Pepe commented: "The other thing that I am coming away with is that the camaraderie that the basketball players at St. John's have had for each other has filtered down from generation to generation. I think that is the message that I leave you with and have appreciated so much."