St. John's University Athletics
Nolan Richardson Highlights an Evening with St. John’s Basketball
10/25/2019 4:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Hall of Fame coach and mentor of Mike Anderson addressed crowd of Red Storm supporters
QUEENS, N.Y. – Nolan Richardson, the owner of more than 500 collegiate coaching victories and the winner of the 1994 NCAA National Championship at Arkansas, headlined the University's annual Evening with St. John's Basketball event held at the Roosevelt Hotel on Thursday evening.
The dinner, which serves as the primary fundraiser for the men's basketball program, generated proceeds to support Red Storm student-athletes.
Richardson, the pioneer of the "40 minutes of Hell" style that tormented opponents throughout his coaching career, attended the event that benefitted the team led by his former player and protégée, Mike Anderson. Anderson, along with Special Assistant to the Head Coach Paul Pressey, played for Richardson at Tulsa in the early 1980s, winning a NIT Championship in 1981 at Madison Square Garden. Anderson immediately joined Richardson's coaching staff upon graduation and spent the next two decades under his tutelage.
"I played and coached with him for 22 years," Anderson said of Richardson. "I came to play for him in 1980 and, at the time, he told my mom he'd send me back a man. In the year 2002 he sent me back home as the head coach at UAB and I was 42 years old. So it took 22 years to send me back as a man, but I appreciate you."
The night began with introductory remarks from Vin Parise, a college basketball analyst for FOX Sports and the evening's emcee, and an invocation from Father Richard Rock, Campus Minister for Athletics.
Next to the podium was Athletic Director Mike Cragg, who further welcomed the crowd of supporters.
"I want to start by thanking each of you for continuing to show your support of St. John's Athletics, St. John's Basketball, the great student-athletes and all that we're trying to do at St. John's," said Cragg, who enters his second season at the helm of the program in 2019-20. "We can't do it without you."
After Parise welcomed numerous special guests in attendance including many members of the St. John's Board of Trustees and Board of Governors, he called Anderson and senior guard Mustapha Heron to the stage for a brief Q&A session.
Following dinner and a live auction, the evening concluded with Richardson, Anderson and Pressey ascending the dais for a panel discussion about their distinguished careers in the game of basketball.
The Red Storm will kick off the 2019-20 campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 6, taking on Mercer for a 6:30 p.m. contest at Carnesecca Arena. The Johnnies will host an exhibition matchup prior to that game, hosting Queens College on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.
The dinner, which serves as the primary fundraiser for the men's basketball program, generated proceeds to support Red Storm student-athletes.
Richardson, the pioneer of the "40 minutes of Hell" style that tormented opponents throughout his coaching career, attended the event that benefitted the team led by his former player and protégée, Mike Anderson. Anderson, along with Special Assistant to the Head Coach Paul Pressey, played for Richardson at Tulsa in the early 1980s, winning a NIT Championship in 1981 at Madison Square Garden. Anderson immediately joined Richardson's coaching staff upon graduation and spent the next two decades under his tutelage.
"I played and coached with him for 22 years," Anderson said of Richardson. "I came to play for him in 1980 and, at the time, he told my mom he'd send me back a man. In the year 2002 he sent me back home as the head coach at UAB and I was 42 years old. So it took 22 years to send me back as a man, but I appreciate you."
The night began with introductory remarks from Vin Parise, a college basketball analyst for FOX Sports and the evening's emcee, and an invocation from Father Richard Rock, Campus Minister for Athletics.
Next to the podium was Athletic Director Mike Cragg, who further welcomed the crowd of supporters.
"I want to start by thanking each of you for continuing to show your support of St. John's Athletics, St. John's Basketball, the great student-athletes and all that we're trying to do at St. John's," said Cragg, who enters his second season at the helm of the program in 2019-20. "We can't do it without you."
After Parise welcomed numerous special guests in attendance including many members of the St. John's Board of Trustees and Board of Governors, he called Anderson and senior guard Mustapha Heron to the stage for a brief Q&A session.
Following dinner and a live auction, the evening concluded with Richardson, Anderson and Pressey ascending the dais for a panel discussion about their distinguished careers in the game of basketball.
The Red Storm will kick off the 2019-20 campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 6, taking on Mercer for a 6:30 p.m. contest at Carnesecca Arena. The Johnnies will host an exhibition matchup prior to that game, hosting Queens College on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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