This sounds a lot like a drunken post I wrote my freshman year after we won the Big East championship

earlier this year way way early (somewhere around the Indiana game) I said I could see this team winning 20 games.

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

What can I say other than I remember when this all started. An unlikely run the big east championship in 2001 including a one point thriller against cuse in the quarters puts us up against Boston College and Troy Bell. We lose the game, big, but I remember feeling hope. Sure 3 rivers was blown up, but we had sick new stadiums coming, and we even won a game in the NIT.

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 🙂

HTP

And then this happened, I wonder what Elijah did to get kicked off our team… oh Yeah here is the pic

link to twitpic.com

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

Amen, brotha. I’d get this sentiment tattooed on my arm as a reminder, but that would surely send the program into tailspin.

Very well put, Chas. Indeed to all of it.

Hail to Pitt!

So nice to finally beat Marquette on the road, they have always been a thorn in our side. JD is a special coach and as the saying goes you don’t know what you got til its gone. He is a tremendous motivator and gets the most out of his talent. He also has a great understanding of knowing exactly how to best use each player. Lets be honest, take these same Pitt players and put them in a St Johns uniform, are they 20-6 right now?

We are truly lucky to have two men leading our football and basketball programs that represent the university with class.

I’ve been “in” since the Grgurich era,like the Evans era, great recruiting, but poor coaching decisions down the streach, caused mediocracy. 69-70 record. Jamie has put it all together.

I was at Pitt in the early 90’s, and didn’t even know we had a basketball team!

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?

A sweet 16 is definitely possible, but it will require a consistent effort from everybody. Gilbert can’t perform his disappearing act, Gibbs can’t hit the front of the rim all night, Wannamaker can’t have so many turnovers he could fill up a bakery. Need our top players to be on their games and a 2-3 game run in the big dance is very possible.

My freshman year was the 2000-2001 season, when the rise started… I remember being able to buy a ticket 10mins before the game at the fieldhouse, my how that has changed. Its just awesome to see how the program has grown and become on of the tops in the country.

Well put, Chas. Pitt fans need a reminder like this so we don’t get too jaded by what Ben and Jamie – mostly Jamie – have given us.

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!

DaveD, I remember the skepticism with predicting a 20 win season way back when. I had us winning 20, but not the way this team has knocked off the preseason favorites. We have beaten the ‘Cuse, UConn, WVU, Louisville and now Marquette. Nobody saw that coming.Coach Dixon, the reigning Naismith winner, continues to solidify his status as one of, if not the, best Pitt coaches in any sport as any time. 20 wins/9 yrs in a row/9 big dances in a row. Pretty amazing. Hail to Jamie D. Hail to Pitt.And yes, hail to my man Gary McGhee on another impressive outing—6 blocks!

I was also there during the Evans era. The best thing about that time was the post-game free wings at Hemmingways and drinking $0.25 drafts with Brian Shorter at Zelda’s.

HTP!

As much as Pitt’s defensive and rebounding woes upset me at WVU…last night’s incredible 3 pt shut down defense and rebounding delighted me!

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…

i think we should have a poll and see the timeframe of when we became a pitt hoops fan…i wouldnt be suprised if most of us came from that 1985-1991 era…..i know i am, and see a few comments that others are too. Evans made some mistakes back in the day, but was never thought of as an elite coach….so we got what we paid for…great win yesterday…it was one that got us some seperation from mediocre teams to top teams…even if we cant get past nova….but home court will be a huge advantage.

I admit to being a 20-win doubter after the Indiana game but glad that my skepticism was unfounded.

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.

I’d like to say I’ve been a hoops fan my whole life. Didn’t pick up season tix until I had a real job in the early 90’s.

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

Pardon my lack of humility,but I was a student and Panther fan in the early ’50’s. “Doc” Carlson was the hoop coach and names like Mickey Zernich, Dutch Burch, Dick Dietrich Joe Resutek were well known. In western Pa. people knew about Pitt basketball, but drooled about the Dukes. It is a new era, a better era and we “old geezers” are savoring every moment. AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME. George from Columbus.

Pitt basketball is something else. We should all perform at our job like Jamie Dixon does at his. I think his recruiting is truly underrated. I saw some serious athletes on the floor last night. That play where Jermaine sprawled out and dived for the ball and somehow got it to Gilbert for the flush might be my favorite play in a few years. That was just an incredible effort. This team is more talented than people think.

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!

Interesting anecdotes, but I don’t know about calling guys out by name on the internet like that. Seems like a pretty uncool thing to do. I hung with some of the football players who went on to play NFL and got lots of stories. Won’t catch me dropping their names. Suggest sticking to basketball analysis.

Add to the Willard bunch, Fred Primus and Kelli Taylor.

silver:

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.

If this was the “easiest game left” on Marquette’s schedule, it should be a fun ending to the season for them.

I go back to the Atlantic 10, rooting for Sam Clancy, countless games at Fitzgerald when it was an easy and cheap ticket (pre Charles Smith teams) and Pitt summer basketball camps. I still have the blue and gold ball with replica Roy Chipman signature.

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.

To be fair to the Marquette bloggers, their statement about Pitt being the “easiest” game on their schedule was based on the Pomeroy predictive model, which gave them a 76% chance of winning the game. At the time, that was their highest percentage of their remaining games. Pomeroy’s model is largely based on past results, and gives a large edge for home court (see how he predicts a Pitt win over Villanova on Sunday). I’m not sure if they really believed that Pitt was their easiest game, especially with a home game against Notre Dame coming up, but they may have used a poor choice of words.

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!

Ghost – I started attending about the same time you did, back in the ’70s (the Eastern Eight days). Clancy, Neverson, Gissendanner (so fast, he could turn off the light switch and be in bed before the lights went out), not to mention Tiger Paul running up and down the sidelines. Thinking back, the changes from then to now are simply amazing.

Omar,
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.

I started at Pitt in 1973 when we had Billy Knight and Tiger Paul was an unofficial institution at the Field house games. In my first freshman Econ 101 I sat next to Tony Dorsett. Elite Eight in basketball and national championship in football a few years later. I appreciate how hard it is to get to that level and I’m enjoying every moment of our current run. Hail to Pitt

I graduated with Charles Smith (’87), so I will always be haunted by the memory of Vanderbilt’s Barry Goheen – for you younger folk, our version of Scottie Reynolds. Pitt a #2 seed, allowed him to shoot a 3 to send the game to OT where Vandy won, denying us the Sweet 16. Paul Evans could recruit but he was supposedly a tyrant and the players began to hate playing for him. Ralph Willard could coach but had no discipline. Looks like Jamie has it all together, this is awesome.

Ironically, one of the reasons Evans was brought in was because of a perceived lack of fire from Roy Chipman (who was a good man and an underrated coach, IMHO). Evans built his reputation as a disciplinarian at Navy, and rode the success of David Robinson to Pitt. He was considered a very good hire at the time, but it did seem like every year he would lose the players down the stretch. From what I understand, most of the players from those teams do not look back fondly on him at all.

@KeyboardKev

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.

Ditto Chas.

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.

Great post, Chas. It is always good to keep things in perspective.

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!

Rev. George, I go back to the Bob Timmons era. You mentioned Dr. Dick Deitrick. There was also Dr. Don Hennon – both physicians. A couple of years later Dr. John Fridley, Dr. Dick Falenski, Dr. Brian Generalovich, who became dentists. There was also John Maczuzak, an electrical engineer who later became president of National Steel. Lawyers Paul Krieger (who also got a degree in engineering) and Bob Lovett. Ben Jinks who later earned an MBA from Columbia and a myriad of others. That was a bygone era that the raven will state, “Nevermore”.

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?

that was a big win for this team. they needed the win and they got it. it looks like the young guys are maturing.

@BigGuy

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.

Ghost, I believe that an athlete playing football can reasonably pursue an academic degree. They play 5 or 6 away games. Typically, they would leave on a Friday and return to campus on Saturday. Not too many classes are missed. With basketball, it is radically different. The system (schedule) is totally against the “students”. I would think that a student-athlete with marginal academic skills who plays basketball would have a slim or no chance of obtaining a “traditional” marketable degree.

im only 18 so most of my early memories come from the ricardo greer days. all of my extended family went to pitt so ive been a crazy pitt fan since birth. that 2001 year changed everything even though we didnt make the tourney. julius page is my homeboy. ever since that year ive become a huge fan of the big east tournament. its nice to have two teams to pull for after football season with the pens and panthers

@BigGuy

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.

the first Pitt game I ever saw was against Westminster, and Pitt barely beat them. Brian Generalovich played; I remember his warmup had General (for short) on the back.

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.

Unfortunately, I was an early 90’s Pitt student and was subjected to some of our most distugsting losses in Pitt history (albeit mostly in Football). Hard to believe now, but there were grumblings that Pitt should pack it up and go down a division to IAA. Some dark days at Pitt, but, my how things have changed!

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!

I was at pitt from 87-94….watched every hoop game except the “send it home jerome” game..was playing IM’s against the football team at Tree’s. also had glass, because the team mascot delivered it all to us, 7th floor, tower A. That was a great time for pitt hoops, that class of 87 was alot of fun to watch, and if i was dixon i would show video of Lane and Shorter to these kids and show them how to rebound…..didnt have 12 foot arms like blair. now durring this run, i have had season tix for most of it, and make a point to go to the nccaa tournament games, only been to the big east dance once, and knight injure his leg to come off the bench and attempt a 3-pointer on the sideline for the win…..it has been so much fun….as for the old days, those guys whom you speak of that have become Dr’s and such, some of them i know…but those are not the athletes of today…it is a different time.

Ghost, thanks for your post. I assume that the BB players limit their courses to 12 credits for both the fall and winter/spring semesters. I also assume that they attend classes in the third semester. Even four three-credit courses can be a heavy load when you miss a lot of classes due to traveling, etc. Baseball takes up a lot of time because of the number of games and length (from warm-up to completion). Other than that, I question whether there is a sport as disruptive as basketball. Very few of the interviews with our basketball players over the years gave me a comfort level that when they leave Pitt (irrespective of whether they received a degree) that they are “college-educated”. Some interviews were downright embarrassing with regard to grammar where the reporters chose not to edit the same for print.

Great walk down memory lane. WBB, I was also at that Westminster game. Played basketball on my street corner for years with Mickey Martin and watched him grow as a player at Pitt. Loved the “amoeba” defense and as a coach, never did figure it out. These are truly heady times. Let me pose this question to the group “is this team better than last year’s??”

I’ve been a Pitt fan since Brian Brush was a player!

TMGPanther – I was right behind you as I started at PITT in 1974. Since I was, and had been, a gym BB rat that played in HS I ended up playing pick-up ball against a lot of the PITT varsity in Fitzgerald and Trees. Since I was also 6’6″ they kept trying to talk me into walking on for the team, however I wasn’t in their league and didn’t actually want to be. Drinking and girls were more important, hence my 25 year sabbatical before actually getting a degree.

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.

dugdog

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.

Thanks for the memories, gentlemen. It is indeed a pleasure to recall that the Panthers are not a new discovery or a short-lived comet. Pitt’s athletic programs and athletes deserve respect. A fine university produces exemplary products. I have never regretted my collegiate pedigree and probably never will. Seems as if most of us who blog on this site are PROUD TO BE PANTHERS! George

PITT continues to be IT….and Jamie is the son of God. This team has the most heart of any of the previous Pitt BB teams, IMHO….They continue to keep their cool even when playing from behind and after stupid turnovers. I love this team and Miss Lydian Jane (a 2 year old fan who had her picture taken with the team at a Pitt football game)had given them her blessing even before the season began. A new generation of Pitt fans has started.

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.

drgags, you have me stumped. I can’t recall the other guy’s name, but I’m pretty sure he was from Hermitage(Hickory High). As for the 3rd player, I have no clue what-so-ever.

drgags, iteresting quetion. I believe that Dr. John Fridley (Sharon) graduated before Dr. Brian Generalovich (Farrell) but Dr. Don Hennon (Wampum) may have played with Dr. Fridley.

The Bear:

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!

What a great thread! My first Panther B-ball game (on-tv) was with Joey David and a very young but promising Curtis Aiken. Smith and Gore and then Lane came a couple years later. Maybe 1982-83.

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!

Was at Pitt for the first year of the Buzz Ridl era, and since the football program was so pitiful, became an instant basketball fan. It was not hard. You could see the program growing. And in 4 years, I got to know Coach Ridl, Fran Webster (who doubled as the tennis coach) and Tim Gurgrich all to varying degrees. You could not help to root for them. They were all class acts (at least then) who would never hesitate to stop and talk to a student hanging around the field house waiting for a pick-up game, and great coaches. With had very little recruiting budget, particularly after Johnny Majors arrived. To me, it was the standard of what an athletic program should be. But for the fact that NC State basically had the entire last 2 rounds of the NCAA tournament practically on its home court (where I beleive they ultimately beat a Walton-led UCLA team), that team could have easily made it to the final 4. That was really the turning point for Pitt basketball. While there have been a few lean years in between, and a few turkeys for coaches, by and large, the program has been successful.

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.

I also remember when the mighty Duquesne Dukes, who were the “gold standard” in Pittsburgh in the 50s and 60s, would not even schedule Pitt. The goal was to be as good as Duquesne. Led by the legendary Red Manning (not clear what he was legendary for, however), Duquesne would only play Pitt in the old “Steel Bowl” tournament, and I think each had to win their first game to meet. The first Pitt victory I remember was in 1970, and with the football team still struggling, that was a true source of pride.

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.

[…] the heels of my post after the Marquette game about how great a time this is for Pitt basketball is this from Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News. You don’t have to be old to remember when […]

Really have to disagree about the “coaching graveyard” comment. Actually, if you look at the numbers, the success that those coaches had at Pitt was impressive. And Chipman and Evans both benefited from being at Pitt, not the other way around. How many schools (above the high school level) went after them after they left? Grgurich was simply not head coaching material, and brought in some players who should have never seen the inside of a college classrom (and probably never did). How Ralph Willard ever had success anywhere is a mystery. His had to be the most undiciplined of any Pitt teams I have ever seen. But I don’t think that is because the school is a coaching “graveryard.”

Meant “graveyard.”

trivia answer…..yes generalovich and fridley were both from the area, however wampum would be in lawerence county and not mercer..also the league was not the big east…back then alot of talent came from this area, mostly from Farrell..and a few players from sharon…..but the 3 players from mercer county that played in the big east at the same time were Brock Generalovich, Brian Brush and Chris Massotti(villanova)….1989-90 i do believe without looking it up….