St. John’s basketball HOFer Alfieri dies at 87

NEW YORK CITY– Gus Alfieri, a standout basketball player at St. John’s who later on ended up being a really effective high school coach and an author, has passed away. He was 87.

St. John’s said a relative informed the school that Alfieri died Monday. No cause of death was provided.Alfieri helped St.

John’s win the 1959 National Invitation Competition, scoring 15 points in the national championship, a 76-71 success over Bradley in double overtime at Madison Square Garden. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 72 profession games over 3 seasons from 1956-59 and in October was inducted into the university’s Hall of Popularity as part of the 2023 class.Following his college

career, Alfieri ended up being the head coach at Saint Anthony’s High School on Long Island. He led the program to two New york city State champions, four NSCHSAA titles and 328 wins from 1968-86. The basketball court at St. Anthony’s was renamed in his honor in 2016. Alfieri ran the All American Basketball Camp on Long Island for more than 50 years.Also a teacher, Alfieri authored a book about Hall of Fame coach Joe Lapchick, his coach at St. John’s.” Lapchick: The Life of a Legendary Gamer and Coach in the Magnificence Days of Basketball”made use of more than 250 interviews with basketball greats such as Lou Carnesecca, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Knight and John Wooden.St. John’s said visitation will be held Thursday and Friday at Branch Funeral Service Home in Smithtown, and a

funeral mass will occur Saturday early morning at Christ the King Church in Commack.