PAGE 6   THE CATS' PAUSE, DECEMBER 10, 1977
St. John's Coach Has Illustrious Background In The Cage World
One of the most respected basketball minds in the nation is Lou Carnesecca, coach at St. John's. Having spent nearly 25 years involved with Eastern basketball in some way, Carnesecca has seen the evolution of the sport from a vantage point unfamiliar to most Kentuckians.
For years, Eastern basketball has been, well, diffeient from the type played in other localities. The emphasis in the East was on passing and moving, not shooting.
With the coming of such one-on-one operators as Julius Erving and Earl Monroe, the eastern cities, such as New York and Philadelphia, have given rise to the new breed of. flambouyant performers.
Carnesecca's seen it all -- the passing of a Bob Cousy, the slam dunks of Dr. J and Connie Hawkins, the college and the professional game. He's currently in his tenth year as head coach at St. John's, where he first served as an assistant to the legendary Joe Lapchick. Carnesecca also has coached in the pro ranks, guiding the New York Nets for three seasons in the early seventies.
Back at his alma mater now, Carnesecca has assembled a good, young team, which will be playing in this year's UKIT. Recetnly, Carnessca consented to an interview, and he talked about his current team, the
state of the game, and basketball in general.
Q: We hear a lot about Eastern ball. Is it really that different from other styles of play?
Carnesecca: "I would think there's very little difference any more. The tube has served as a great stabilizer for the game. Kids all over the country are exposed to the game via television, and they all learn the same basic game. TV is the great disseminator of
Carnesecca
ideas."
Q: Maybe Eastern ball isn't different, but that game we all saw Holy Cross play in the NCAA against Michigan was far removed from the Nevada Las Vegases of the world.
Carnesecca: "Holy Cross ran a clinic. They are a perfect example of the give-and-go. And remember, they almost beat Michigan without their best player, Ronnie Pery. The Princeton team that won the NIT a few years ago (1975) was like that, too. That's just the old give-and-go."
Q: You've coached in both the colleges and the pros. Which type of game do you prefer?
Carnesecca: "Both are great, great games, but when it comes down to watching the best basketball, you have to go with the pros. When they're well-rested, and not pacing themselves, they play the best brand of basketball."
Q: How much difference was there in the way you handled your pro players and the way you handle college kids?
Carnesecca: "Fundamentally, you approach the game in the same way. But you have to allow the professional players more room to express themselves. You've got to remember, you're dealing with a different type of individual in the pro ranks. You're dealing with an individual who already
has achieved a large measure of fame, and who might be more concerned with next year's contract over the good of the team."
Q: You stayed in the pros three years before returning to St. John's. Are you sorry you ever left college ball?
Carnesecca: "No, I'm glad I did it. Each man has to find his own niche, and I think mine is at St. John's. I enjoy coaching at St. John's, I can stay with my family, there's not as much traveling involved. But I am glad I coached the Nets."
Q: People around here probably remember the Net Teams you coached. In 1972, your team upset the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA playoffs when the Colonels were supposed to waltz through to the title. You had guys like Rick Barry, John Roche, Billy Paultz, and some guy named John Baum who came off the bench and did a good job in one game when Barry was sick.
Carnesecca: "You remember that team? That was some bunch of players. We also had Tom Washington and Ollie Taylor, and Bill Melchionni. That was a great thrill to beat a team like the Colonels. We really should have beaten the Pacers in the finals that year."
(Continued On Page 27)
RUSHING - Top Tv.'ent
' Att
Player & School
Att
Yds
Avq 5.4 5.1 5.4
Gair.e Aver.
Statistics
Alexander, LSU 11 311 1636
Davis, Ala. 11 182 931
Cribbs, Aub. 11 161 872
Finch, Tenn. 11 154 770 5.0
Green, Pla. 10 119 696 5.8
McLee, Ga. 11 17 8 717 4.0
McClendon, Ga. 11 116 705 6.1
D.Johnson, M.St. 9 114 .529 4.6
Nathan, Ala. 11 104 ' 642 6.2
Andrews, Aub. 11 137 635 4.6
LeCount, Fla. 11 130 628 4.8
Storey, Miss. 10 143 564 3.9
Ramsey,  Ky. 11 159 618 3.9
Wilder, Fla. 11 87 4S5 5.7
Mordica, Vandy 11 133 449 3.4
Perry, Miss. 11 110 478 4.3
Brooks, Aub. 11 107 467 4.4
Streater, Tenn. 10 136 397 2.9
Williams, Miss. 11 80 433 5.4
Dipre, Ky. 11 116 399 3.4
15JK 3 84.6 79.3 70. 0 69. 6 65.2 64.1 58.8 58. 4 .7
,1 . 4
.2 , 0 .9 ,5 ,5 .7 .4 ,3
TP 17
57
57 56 56 45 44 43 42 39 39 36
3
7 13
4
3
. 3 2
8 2 3v
PASSING - Top Twenty
Player s School      G   Att Cmp
Int Pel
Yds
Gm Cmp
TD
"Wright, Vandy 11 211
Threadgil.'l,K.St. 11 _219
Ramsey, Ky. 11 156
Ensminger, LSU 11 159
Streater, Inrm. 10 105
Rutledge, Ala. ]1 107
LeCount, Fla. 11 13 4
Crane, Aub. 9 108
Ellis, Miss. 8 82
Garner, Miss. 9 56
106 91 7 4 71 59 64 62 43 35 33
13
6 4
4
5 9
10
7 2
5U2 416 474 447 562 59 8 462 398 429 . 58 9
Pyburn, Ga. 8 55 25 6 .454
Kyan, Tenn. 10 65 27 4 .415
Trotman, Aub. 11 47 23 5 .489
Brantley, Fla. 11 31 14 1 .451
Rogers, Ga. 9 24 11 1 .458
Cook, Ga. 10 41 12 3 .293
Woodley, LSU 11 36 12 2 .333
Deaton, Ky. 9 27 9 1 .333
Shealy, Ala. 11 11 5 0 .455
Brown, M.St. 5 23 5 3 .217
1383 1317 892 952 742 1207 848 67 9. 551 462
312 355 389 161 115 124 212 161 57 78
9.6 '8. 3
6.7
6.5 5.9
5.8
5.6 4.8
3.7
2.1 1.3
1.2 1.2 1.1 1.0 1. 0 1.0
7 6 9 4
8 6 4 3 3
2
3 2
2 0
0
3 2
1 0
RECEIVING -			Top Twenty				TANDEM		OFFENS	E - Top	Twenty				
			Yds	Aver	Cght				Rush	Pass	Rec Yds	Ttl	Game		TDR
Player & School	G	Cgt	Gnd	Gain	Pr&n	TD	Player & School	G	Yds	Yds		Yds	Aver		
Cox, Vandy	ii	48	783	16. 3	4 . 4	3	Alexander, LSU	11	1686	17	00	1783	16 2 .	1	17
Newsome, Ala.	n	36	804	22.3	3.3	4	Threadgill,M.St.	11	274	1317	2	1593	14 4".	8	8
Harper, Tenn.	10	30	331	11.0	3.0	1	Wright, Vandy	11	188	1383	-	1571	14 3.	7	9
McDole, M.St.	n	29	510	17.6	2.6	2	Rutledge, Ala.	11	311	12 0"7	-	1518	138.	0	12
Chandler, Fla.	10	25	490	19.6	2.5	6	Ramsey, Ky.	11	618	892 848	-	1510	137.	3	19
Trosper, Ky.	11	25	340	13. 6	2.3	4	LeCount, Fla.	11	628		17	14 93	1 35.	7	9
Carson, LSU	11	23	552	24.0	2.1	10	Streater, Tenn.	10	397	742	-	1139	113.	9	12
Weathers, Miss.	11	23	395	17.2	2.1	4	Ellis, Miss.	8	303	551	-	854	106.	8	8
Brown, Vandy	11	23	146	6.3	1.1	1	Ensminger, LSU	11	206	952	-	1158	105.	3	15
Chatman, M.St.	11	22	266	12.1	2.0	1	Crane, Aub.	9	171	679		850	94.	4	6
Kemp, Vandy	11	21	350	16.7	1.9	1	Davis, Ala.	11	931	-	49	980	89.	1	5
Arbo, Tenn.	11	20	314	15.7	1.8	2	Cribbs, Aub.	11	872	-	57	929	84.	5	4
J.Moore, Tenn.	10	18	275	15.3	1.8	2	Chandler, Fla.	10	353		490	843	84.	3	.12
Quintela, LSU	10	18	215	11.9	1.8	1	Pyburn, Ga.	8	348	312	-	660	82.	5	6
D.Johnson, M.St.	9	14	176	12-6	1.6	2	D.Johnson, M.St.	9	529	-	17 6	705	78.	3	4
Parrish, Vandy	11	16	102	6,4	1.5	0	Finch, Tenn,	11	770	-	76	846	76.	9	9
Gaffney, Fla.	11	14	319	22.8	1.3	2	Garner, Miss.	9	228	462	-	69 0	76.	6	7
Wilson, Ky.	11	14	247	17.6	1.3	3	Green, Fla.	10	- 696	17	34	747	74.	7	3
Franklin, Aub.	11	13	389	29.9	1.2	3	Newsome, Ala.	11		-	8Q_4	8 04	73.	1	4
Murray, Ga.	11	13	216	16.6	1.2	0	Cox, Vandy	11			771	771	71.	8	3