20 wins or more for a 9th straight year. .500 or better in the Big East for 9 straight years. 9 straight years of making the NCAA Tournament. Anyone who doesn’t understand how special a time it is for Pitt basketball is under 30 and needs to look at history.
I was in school in the Paul Evans era at Pitt. A period of great talent and tremendous underachievement. Pitt’s basketball history is long, but no one can reasonably claim it is a high and proud legacy. It is filled with mediocrity and worse. At best it has been punctuated with moments of excitement and possibilities. But until this new millennium there has never been a period like what Pitt is enjoying.
I am not saying that this is the peak of what Pitt can accomplish in basketball. It isn’t. I believe this team and program has greater things ahead of it. It doesn’t happen without what has come before and will come after. Right now, it is something special. This is a time where we are in the midst of a golden age. We are so lucky to be part of it even as fans.
I was ridiculed by one or two guys on what I may have been smoking at the time. (btw–understandable it seemed pretty dismal at the time)
I thought it would be best to not reply…we all have our opinions. Mine is no more or less correct than anyone else’s.
Now that it has happened I think I will explain why I thought 20 wins was obtainable.
It’s just this simple reason…I know the man (Dixon)…I have seen his work…he has been able to take lesser talent time and time again (lesser than what we have here today) and create results. I think they recruit heart, character and a willingness to learn/buy in to a system.
I saw the team as young but like other Pitt teams of the past they buy in to his system.
that is why I thought he could get 20 wins out of this team.
I am proud of these kids…all of us should be proud to be a Pitt fan…and be thankful for the kids who pushed for Dixon to take over for Howland.
DaveD
Since then all we’ve done is win 20 games a year, made the big east championship almost every year, win it twice times, win the regular season three times including back to back the first two years. And we’ve done it with less desirable recruits.
What a great run we are on, and I look forward to watching it continue.
Now Panther fans it’s time to get ready for some good ol fashioned vengence against those country club card carrying, khaki pants blue shirt red striped tie and blazer David Spade in PCU looking MoFos from way west of West Philadelphia. I look forward to watching Wannamaker go off on those hacking punks.
LOL ass I finish my rant, Larry Fitzgerald has just tried to sell me on the University of Phoenix… c’mon Pederson, do something about that please 🙂
what a jag. I mean I hope that idiot doesnt get pinched now, or worse get someone else pinched leading to retribution of some sort. This could get ugly
Hail to Pitt!
We are truly lucky to have two men leading our football and basketball programs that represent the university with class.
I’d like to think we have one more miracle in us, and could pop ‘Nova on Sunday. Truthfully, I’d like us to make an unexpectedly deep run in the NCAA’s come March. Does this team have a Sweet 16 or better in them?
I was at Pitt during the Buzz Ridl era, so I’m probably one of the oldtimers on this board. It’s mostly been a roller-coaster ride season to season until this recent run. As one of the ESPN talking heads said earlier in the year, ‘Jamie has built a PROGRAM at Pitt.’
Let’s all hope he stays with us like Izzo, Krzyzewski, Boeheim and Calhoun have at their respective schools. If he does, our Final Fours and National Championships are sure to come.
Hail to PITT!
HTP!
I said earlier in the year that we are now the Villanova, Marquette, and (former) WVU that we used to hate to play.
I used to sit in the stands at the Field house in the early 70’s when a big crowd was 2000. How far this program has come.
Lastly, I would point to a time out called by JD late in the game with Pitt up 5 and MQ suddenly going to a full court press…timely and sealed the game with his coaching and patience. What a joy last night was to watch. Let’s take them one at a time OK…
Elmore talked about Gibbs being a candidate for BE most improved player, but I’m not so sure that McGhee isn’t a better candidate. I know I am more pleasantly surprised about McGhee than Gibbs … and he is showing some athleticism that I never thought he had.
Chas liked a recent article from a Marquette blogger who stated that the Pitt game was their easiest game left … if so, they appear to be in big trouble.
Last night was a wonderful win. The D was just awesome and obviously carried the team to the W. The O will be inconsistent…as we know. If we can pull it all together in time for the post-season…an already fun year could just turn into something downright filthy! HTP
I graduated in 2002, so I saw the end of the Willard era and the beginnin of this great run. Just the difference in the character of the players is an accomplishment. I lived in Bates Hill apartments one summer and the smell of weed that came from Isaac Hawkins apartment was potent and constant. I hung out with Chris Seabrooks on occasion and that kid was insane. Literally insane. Same with Atilla Cosby. I don’t know this current group, but I sincerely doubt that Brad Wannamaker, Ashton Gibbs, or Gary McGhee are as crazy as those dudes. I’m sure they aren’t saints, but the aforementioned dudes should not have been at Pitt.
Great win last night and another great season. Can’t wait until Sunday!
point taken. however, the fact that the two players mentioned were kicked off the team for punching a female cop and punching a coach, respectively, should have let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.
Gotta agree with @rev. george mehaffey — from a generational standpoint, there were still a lot of ‘grown ups’ into the Dukes when I was growing up in Pgh in the 70s-80s. It was a genuine rivalry and only tilted to Pitt’s favor in the 80s.
I know that makes me old, but Chas is right about this being a golden age. I’m a little too young to remember the Billy Knight teams, but the Howland/Dixon era stands out not only in Pitt history but also NCAA D-I over the past decade. The only thing needed to complete the picture is a national title, but even the best team in a given year needs a little luck to pull that off.
Speaking of Pomeroy, for whatever it is worth, his model now has Pitt finishing 13-5 in Big East play…although, if you go to the site you’ll notice the oddity that it predicts Pitt to win out on an individual game basis.
Pitt’s RPI is now up to 11. Even if they lose on Sunday, it won’t drop far. It will be interesting to see if their poll ranking continues to lag behind their RPI next week.
It’s all gravy at this point!
Hawkins was also busted for weed by cops so I don’t think there was anything wrong with you mentioning it. It’s not like you let some big secret out on those three guys. All three had public incidents, and you were just making a point that the players now seem to be far more disciplined and are “better guys” than quite a few of the past (Willard) players. I didn’t have any problem with your post.
AARGH!!! F*@!ing Barry Goheen! I’m still pissed that Dmitrius Gore didn’t fouled him (no hard feeling against Gore). I still root against Vandy on principle.
Funny thing about Evans — an old HS friend ran into him on the street in downtown Washington DC about 8 or 9 years ago and struck up a conversation. Evans was out of coaching at the time and working as a project manager for (I think) a commercial real estate firm. Evans was very nice and even somewhat flattered to be recognized and called “Coach Evans.” Evans spoke very highly of Pitt and thought Howland was doing great things for the program. Considering his rep for being tough on players, my friend found him surprisingly friendly.
I was in school during the Smith, Lane, Gore era…..I wasn’t at the game that night but we had part of the Lane’s broken backboard in our apartment..had a roommate who worked at the Field House and he took a whole section of the glass. Also could tell some first hand stories of a brawl that whole team wsa in one night at our apartment building. It actually made the local news and was headline in the Pitt News before they hushed it up. The kid the team beat the crap out of who lived upstairs from us left school and we never did find where he went. Sure he was given soem incentive to leave. As great as the talent was on that team they were a disfunctional bunch.
What a huge win last night. I’d like to give some credit to Nasir Robinson, who’s shortcomings are always noted but sometimes doesn’t get his due when he does well. He made a few clutch plays yesterday and took Lazar Hayward as a personal challenge. I thought he dominated the matchup defensively and that was a key to the victory.
Hail to Dixon, Hail to Pitt!
Even if a present-day player wanted to (or could) pursue one of those degrees, the schedules wouldn’t allow it. The Marquette game: players missed at least two days of classes. ‘Nova? There goes the weekend for any studying. Midterms are either now or next week. Any opportunities for the players to study? In three weeks or so, most of the week will be lost on the BE tourney. Then the NCAA tourney. The only player who appears to be in a tough major (Economics) is Gil Brown, and he was academically ineligible. From interviews, none of the players talk of their studies. They watch NBA games, play computer games, Twitter, search the Internet. When they are quoted precisely, their grammar is usually atrocious (“Me and Joe…etc.”) They may get degrees, but I don’t think that they would pass proficiency tests. Does anyone know what the players who played within the last 10 or 15 years are doing now?
From my experience at Pitt, it wasnt’ a typcial two semester system. You could cram course loads into several concentrated summer sessions (3 hour classes 2 days/wk) and finish the equivalent of a semester in 6-8 weeks. As long as players take the minimum number of credits to remain eligible and on track to graduate they don’t need a heavy spring load.
College sports are highly structured, ‘professionalized’ and largely year round endeavors — that’s true everywhere in D-1 and in most major team sports (men’s and women’s). I wouldn’t knock players for scheduling with this fact in mind. Maybe it’s more pronounced now than in other eras, but there is a broad spectrum of athletes who do and don’t take academics seriously, and there are also plenty cases where student athletes excell on the field and in the classroom. And there are plenty of student non-athletes who dog classes, play video games and party, mostly with little scrutiny.
My point is that they don’t play during the summer (other than AAU) and they can take lighter course loads during fall and (especially) spring. It requires some understanding from professors, but they will accomodate student athletes who are engaged and take their academic responsibilites seriously. The athletic department itself offers many resources to help student athletes manage school and sports. Not all of the students are able or willing to take full advantage of this opportunity, but plenty do complete meaningful academic careers.
Think about elite schools like Stanford or Duke. There’s a broad range of student athletes from brilliant to marginal (my brother taught his share of both at Stanford as a doctoral student). It sounds like you’re quick to assume the worst about student athletes who make a huge commitment to their universities, in some cases generating enough revenue to finance every other non-revenue generating sports program on campus. Do you make the same assumptions about Pitt’s track or swim teams?
Very few undergraduate degrees are obviously “marketable” — more like an entry point to a higher degree which could be marketable.
Westminster was coached by Buzz Ridl who would take over at Pitt circa 1970, and when he left about 6 yrars later, Pitt surpassed Duquesne as the best team in the city .. although it was close.
I’m with Chas that we absolutely must NEVER take this for granted!
As for JD…I always say, it’s not a matter of IF (he will get the NC banner in the gym), it’s a matter of WHEN.
HTP!
Anyway I digress as usual – it’s great to see the University field such a consistently strong and entertaining program. That would have been a real pipe dream back then.
that is funny….what is the only division I basketball team to ever have two players from Mercer County, Pa on it at the same team…….and for 2 years i believe we had 3 players in the big east….can anyhone name all the players i speak of…???? I will buy you a pizza at the game on sunday.
I have but one complaint and that is we need to stop referring to all that is happening as a product of the Howland/Dixon era. This is all of Jamie’s doing now and from here on it should be referred to as only THE DIXON ERA. No disrespect is meant for Howland but he has been gone for many years and Jamie should be the only one getting the props for his own work. I hope you all agree and will follow my lead. THE DIXON ERA is upon us…enjoy and HTP.
I believe most on this board have the same respect for Jamie as you and recognize what he’s done for Pitt basketball. However, since Chas’ post is about 9 straight 20+ wins and NCAA tourneys, it must be the Howland/Dixon era. The first two in the streak were under Ben and he should be given credit for starting it. I’m sure Jamie would agree. For that reason, I hope it remains as the Howland/Dixon era because it means the streak continues.
To the other oldtimers: Thanks for all the memories. Even though I was at Pitt during the Ridl era, I followed Pitt and the Dukes as a kid because of all of the Beaver County guys who played at both schools. Knew I was going to be a Panther by choice very early in life thanks to trips to Oakland for games with my dad when he was in grad school at Pitt. I remain Panther Proud to this day.
Hail to PITT!
Strange question, does anyone happen to know a link for the Pitt rap video put together during Evans’ tenure. I think Gore was maybe the mastermind… there may have been two of them…
Hail to Pitt!
But what has happened since 2001 is the kind of thing you expect at a Duke, North Carolina, UCLA, etc. It is a new level, and I agree with all of the posters above. It cannot be taken for granted. The frustration of not making a final 4 still hits hard, and you wish we could recruit a few more 4 and 5 star recruits, but nothing but kudos to JD now. This season has been amazing, and perhaps a few more suprises still to come.
Again, shows how far the program has come. I now complain about not making a final four.
And I while I now cheer for them otherwise, I have never gotten past enjoying kicking Duquesne’s ass once a year.