As part of the diocesan faithful, we were thrilled to see the St. John’s University men’s basketball team reach the “Sweet 16” in this year’s NCAA Tournament — the first time since 1999.
The road will be challenging against some tough competition, but the Johnnies surely have the support of a lifelong fan on their side. That fandom dates back to the late 1940s — back when the St. John’s campus was in Williamsburg.
Born in the Bronx in 1931, Bill Croutier moved to Middle Village when he was 7. His family joined Resurrection Ascension Parish, Rego Park, where young Bill was enrolled in the first-ever grammar school class. From those early days, sports were a major part of his life.
“When I was growing up, I primarily played baseball,” said Croutier, who turned 95 in February. “Basketball wasn’t that popular back then. But once I started playing basketball, that took up all of my time.”
He played in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) and some outside veterans leagues before making the team at Xavier H.S., Manhattan. He then went to St. John’s, and while he didn’t play for the school’s team, he often found himself playing 3-on-3 pickup games in DeGray Gymnasium after the team finished their practices.
Among those playing was future St. John’s legendary head coach Lou Carnesecca, who would later rack up 526 career wins and an enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“He’d hang around because he was a neighborhood guy, and he’d play with us,” Croutier said. “He wasn’t bad.”
Croutier was a classmate at that time with the team’s point guard, Al McGuire, and shooting guard Jack McMahon. Given his connections to these classmates, he started following the team closely as a passionate supporter.
Upon graduating in 1952, Croutier was drafted into the military during the Korean War. He never saw combat overseas and was instead stationed first in Georgia and then just outside of Washington, D.C.
While in D.C. with the Army Security Agency, he played on the base’s basketball team. That team won the Military District Washington Tournament and was invited on a two-week tour to play against bases throughout the Northeast.
Following his barnstorming hoops journey, Croutier was back at St. John’s for law school, while of course continuing to support the hoops team. When he graduated in 1958, he moved his family out to St. Agnes parish in Rockville Centre, Long Island.
Croutier and his late wife, Marie, had 10 children: Billy, Kevin, Patty, Matthew, Vincent, Eugene, Lee Ann, Danny, Brian, and Michelle. All 10 attended grammar school at St. Agnes, and a number of them played sports in college: Billy, Kevin, Danny, Brian, and Vincent played basketball, while Matthew ran track. This sports family keeps on growing, as Croutier has 27 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Croutier’s son Billy has been a St. John’s season-ticket holder for 40 years, so he makes sure to take his dad to as many games as possible each season at both Carnesecca Arena and Madison Square Garden. This keeps Croutier connected to the St. John’s basketball community, which has given him so much excitement throughout the years.
Back in December, the St. John’s Law School held a special luncheon at the Garden City Hotel to honor three generations of graduates: Croutier, his son Billy, and Billy’s daughter Bridget. In the law school’s history, there had never been three successive generations of graduates.
Setting his sights on this year’s NCAA Tournament, Croutier has high hopes for a Red Storm team looking to avenge an early exit during last season’s March Madness. St. John’s is in a tough bracket, but having Croutier’s prayers on their side can only be a blessing.
“This year’s team, I think, is a sleeper team,” said Croutier, who highly complimented third-year head coach Rick Pitino for a job well done with his squad. “They play really hard. They don’t necessarily have the best team talent-wise all around, but by God, I wouldn’t want to play them. They’re tough.”
No matter what happens, Croutier will remain loyal to his Johnnies. Basketball has played an important role in his life as a student, soldier, father, grandfather, and now great-grandfather.
“Basketball was great for me,” he said. “It helped in taking care of the kids and then them taking care of themselves. I love basketball; it’s a great game.”
Just like he still supports the Johnnies, Croutier is now a regular at St. Agnes CYO games for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Basketball is truly his lifeblood.
“I’m back in the stands again,” he said. “It’s meant a lot.”