This was in the midst of the best winter in St. John's vast basketball history, which meant we were in the midst of the most enjoyable season ever for Lou Carnesecca, and that's something. It tells a story. It was February 17, 1985. The Redmen were scheduled to play DePaul — still an independent and still a tough test under coach Joey Meyer.
It has been 22 days since the Johnnies advanced to Georgetown, defeated the powerhouse Hoyas, and became the No. 1 team in the nation. More importantly, it had been 35 days since Mary Carnesecca slipped an ugly, scratchy sweater into her husband's luggage for a road trip to Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House.
“It might be drafty in there,'' Mary warned.
Louie did as he was told, and the next night his team defeated the Panthers by 31 points. Now they would be in a house, which was still called Alumni Hall, and every inch of it was occupied as usual. The official number was 6,597. An unofficial count was provided by Mark Jackson after the game.
