Ex-Butler basketball star died at 35 from artery disease

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Officials in Chicago say 35-year-old former Butler University basketball star Joel Cornette died from coronary artery disease.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office told The Indianapolis Star on Thursday (http://indy.st/2bK0cAH ) that Cornette suffered from narrowing and hardening of the arteries. The manner of his death was natural.

Cornette was found dead Aug. 16 in a Chicago apartment. He was remembered at a memorial last month at Hinkle Fieldhouse where the Butler Bulldogs play.

Cornette was the first player in school history to score 1,000 points and participate in 100 wins during his career and played a prominent role in Butler’s rapid ascension from mid-major program to national contender. He later returned to his alma mater to serve on the staff of then coach Todd Lickliter.

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com