St. John's to honor late coach Lou Carnesecca at men's and women's games this weekend

NEW YORK (AP) — The men's and women's basketball teams at St. John's will wear "Lou" patches on their uniform jerseys for the rest of this season to honor Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca, who died Saturday at age 99.

A funeral mass at St. Thomas More Church on the university's Queens campus will be held Friday morning, and the athletic department will host “A Tribute to Coach Carnesecca” this weekend during men's and women's games at the arena that bears his name, St. John's announced Tuesday.

Led by coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm men play Kansas State on Saturday as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle. The women's squad faces Wake Forest on Sunday.

Carnesecca’s reserved seat in Section 7, Row JJ, Seat 3, where he was often a fixture at games after retiring in 1992, will remain empty in his honor.

Both games will be preceded by a video tribute to Carnesecca and a moment of silence inside the arena. A commemorative decal will be installed on the court, and St. John's players will wear “526” shooting shirts to mark his career win total.

The school also plans to salute his life and legacy with digital billboards on the Long Island Expressway, Whitestone Expressway and New Jersey Turnpike.

The winningest coach in the history of the men's program, Carnesecca went 526-200 in 24 seasons at St. John's over two stints from 1965-92. He guided the team to five Big East regular-season titles, 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1985 Final Four.

St. John's also will host Lou Carnesecca Day when the team plays Butler on campus Jan. 4, a day before his 100th birthday.

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