INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Joel Cornette, who helped Butler make the transition from a traditional mid-major program into a surprising power in college basketball, died Tuesday 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 was scheduled for Tuesday 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.
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