Former Butler standout Joel Cornette, a four-year player from 1999-2003 and key member of three NCAA tournament teams, died Tuesday morning at age 35.
He died of natural causes, according to a statement released by the school.
A 6-foot-10 forward, Cornette made his presence felt in more ways than one, providing a reliable scoring option and rebounding force for the Bulldogs during his college career.
Cornette was a starter on three different Butler teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament. In his four years, Cornette averaged 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds along with 1.6 assists, 1.1 blocks, and one steal per game.
After his playing career, Cornette held coaching positions at his alma mater as well as Iowa. He also worked as a commentator at ESPN before becoming a sports agent.
Cornette's death comes seven months after former Butler player Andrew Smith died at age 25 of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
