INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Joel Cornette, who helped Butler make the
transition from a traditional mid-major program into a surprising
power in college basketball, died today in a Chicago apartment.
He was 35.
The Cook County coroner said Cornette was found dead in the
apartment at 1:02 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled for this
afternoon.
Cornette was an inspirational part of the group that helped turn
the Bulldogs into a perennial NCAA Tournament team. In four
seasons, he scored 1,100 points and grabbed 712 rebounds as the
Bulldogs went 100-30. He was part of the 2003 team that reached the
Sweet 16 for the first time in 41 years.
Cornette may be best known for his soaring dunk off of a rebound in
the closing seconds to beat Indiana 66-64 in 2001. The Bulldogs’
victory ended Indiana’s 39-game winning streak in the Hoosier
Classic.