Tag Archives: Joe Lapchick
Nat Holman
Nat Holman (College basketball. Born, New York, NY, Oct. 19, 1896; died, The Bronx, NY, Feb. 12, 1995.) After graduating from Savage in 1917, Nat Holman went on to become one of the most famous professional basketball players of his era and then one of the great college coaches. The fact that his City College […]
Fuzzy Levane
Fuzzy Levane (College and pro basketball. Born, Brooklyn, NY, Apr. 11, 1920.) After serving as an assistant to Vince Boryla for two seasons, Andrew Levane succeeded Boryla as Knicks head coach Apr. 8, 1958. Levane was replaced by Carl Braun Dec. 18, 1959, having compiled a 48-51 record (plus 0-2 in the playoffs), when the […]
Walter T. McLaughlin
Walter T. McLaughlin (College athletics. Born, Brooklyn, NY, Jan. 21, 1906; died, Largo, FL, Nov. 28, 1989.) When Ray Lynch, the former football coach, left as athletic director at St. John’s in 1933, he was succeeded by Walter T. McLaughlin. Recognizing that the emphasis of the school’s athletics program was now on basketball, McLaughlin worked […]
Dick McGuire
Dick McGuire (Pro basketball. Born, Huntington, NY, Jan. 25, 1926; died, Huntington, NY, Feb. 3, 2010.) One of the finest playmakers in the history of pro basketball, Dick McGuire made New York basketball fans conscious of the assist. After completing his collegiate career at St. John’s, McGuire was drafted in the first round of the […]
Joe Lapchick
Joe Lapchick (College and pro basketball. Born, Yonkers, NY, Apr. 12, 1900; died, New York, NY, Aug. 10, 1970.) Joseph Bonhomiel Lapchick had two distinct careers in professional basketball, and another in college basketball, and any one of them would have been sufficient to make him one of the sport’s most significant contributors. Although he […]
Hy Gotkin
Hy Gotkin (College basketball. Born, Brooklyn, NY, Aug. 16, 1922; died, Boca Raton, FL, Apr. 11, 2004.) A two-time St. John’s basketball captain, at 5’8” Hymen Gotkin helped Redmen teams win back-to-back N.I.T. titles in 1943 and 1944. Gotkin starred at Brooklyn’s Thomas Jefferson H.S. with 6’9” Harry Boykoff and both went to St. John’s to play […]
Neil Cohalan
Neil Cohalan (College and pro basketball. Born, The Bronx, NY, July 31, 1906; died, New York, NY, Dec. 2, 1967.) As the first coach of the Knickerbockers in 1946, Cornelius J. Cohalan brought an illustrious background from Manhattan College. Cohalan won 11 letters in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball for the Jaspers before […]
Lou Carnesecca
Lou Carnesecca (College basketball. Born, New York, NY, Jan. 5, 1925.) “Louie” became indelibly identified with St. John’s basketball over the better part of 30 years as his mentor, Joe Lapchick, was before him. Like Lapchick, Carnesecca also took a break between two terms as coach of the Redmen to handle a New York pro basketball […]
Carl Braun
Carl Braun (Pro basketball. Born, Brooklyn, NY, Sept. 25, 1927; died, Stuart, FL, Feb. 10, 2010.) A lanky 6’5” with jet black hair and a deadly two-handed set shot, Carl August Braun came to the Knicks from Colgate in 1947 and before departing in 1961 set virtually every club scoring record. Beginning in an era […]
Harry Boykoff
Harry Boykoff (College basketball. Born, Brooklyn, NY, July 24, 1922; died, Santa Monica, CA, Feb. 20, 2001.) Harry J. (Heshie or Big Hesh) Boykoff was the first big-time point producer in St. John’s basketball history. Coach Joe Lapchick built his team around this 6’9” center from Brooklyn’s Thomas Jefferson H.S. in 1942-43 with excellent results. Boykoff […]
