Chris Holtmann paid tribute to the late Lou Carnesecca by wearing a colorful sweater during DePaul's 89-61 loss to St. John's on Tuesday night in Queens.
“When you're my age, I'm in my early 50s, it's like I grew up watching and admiring and having a lot of respect for a group of coaches. You follow your teammates, you follow your league. '' Holtmann said. “I remember watching him. I grew up in Kentucky. I remember seeing him wearing a sweater. I remember that iconic moment when he wore a sweater. I am. [Georgetown coach] John Thompson appeared with a jacket and opened. [it to show a sweater].
“He had a tremendous impact on the game and this university, and we wanted to pay tribute.”
Holtmann said one of DePaul's staff members found the sweater at a thrift store and ordered it, which was the same brand as the one made famous by Carnesecca.
“It had definitely been worn a few times before I wore it,” Holtmann said.
For the first time this year, St. John's University freshman center Carman Maker played in a game. Rick Pitino said it was never his plan for the 7-foot-1 big man from South Sudan to redshirt.
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“I think redshirting a player is a waste of time because you get four years and you have to develop the player,” the Hall of Fame coach said. “I don't think he'll benefit.” [by it]. By next year, he has to put on 20 pounds of muscle and be ready to play. I think it's good to put him in a spot and learn how to play, and he did a good job tonight. ”
Maker, a four-star prospect, played high school ball at SFBA Trinity Prep in Las Vegas and was known for his defensive ability as a rim-protecting center. He appeared in the final three minutes of Tuesday's win.
