Yardbarker: Pittsburgh Panthers

Projected 2013-14 Lineup: Pittsburgh Panthers

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:17:17 -0400

It’s been one interesting off-season for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Players leaving early for the NBA, players heading elsewhere, transfers coming in, transfers coming in and then maybe changing their minds, other transfers being blocked, every day there is something new in the news. The fact is, over half of Pittsburgh’s roster will consist of players who have never stepped on the floor for Jamie Dixon before. Despite this, projecting the Panthers lineup wasn’t too much trouble. GONE: Tray Woodall, Trey Zeigler, Steven Adams, Dante Taylor, Malcolm Gilbert, John Johnson and J.J. Moore (he’s suppose to be transferring, but hasn’t left as of this posting). * Note: I’m projecting that DeAndre Kane will eventually end up with Pitt. Projected 2013-14 Lineup: PG – James Robinson (SO), 6-3/200 SG – DeAndre Kane (SR), 6-4/195 * SF – Lamar Patterson (SR), 6-5/220 PF – Talib Zanna (SR), 6-9/230 C – Mike Young (FR), 6-8/245 It had to be heartbreaking for Panthers’ fans when they learned that Stev

Kane But Not Able

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:03:07 -0400

Dammit, I’m going to shoe-horn in the bad puns while I still can. The formality that was supposed to be DeAndre Kane’s transfer to Pitt for as a graduate transfer, now is not. However, the 6-foot-4 guard, a Pittsburgh native, did not wind up pulling the trigger, whether it was due to the fact that Panthers coach Jamie Dixon was non-committal about taking him at the time, or whether Kane just wasn’t enamored with the visit. Now Kane told CBSSports.com that he is still open, with both Pittsburgh still under consideration and Memphis also in pursuit. From my own perspective, I’m not exactly broken up by the possibility that Kane may not be coming to Pitt. The thing everyone wants to know is why. Did Kane not hear the sweet nothings of assurances of how much he will be featured? Was it that Dixon started to review what went down in Huntington, WV and get a little nervous. Did Memphis make a really strong push that made Kane reconsider? Some of this? All of this? None of this? The one thing that doesn’t

Double-double performer Joseph Uchebo picks Pitt

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:49:39 -0400

The Pittsburgh Panthers made a key addition on Monday, landing a reported verbal pledge from 6′-11″ center Joseph Uchebo of Chipola JC (FL). Uchebo will have three years to play at Pitt, and interestingly will face off at least twice a season against the NC State Wolfpack in ACC play, a squad he was formerly committed [...]

Is JJ Moore transferring from Pitt?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:08:39 -0400

As if this month weren't tumultuous enough (what, with the Trey Zeigler transfer, Steven Adams' announcement of leaving for the NBA, and losing out on recruit Jon Severe and transfer Eli Carter), the offseason just got a little more difficult with news that forward J.J. Moore may be transferring out of the program. First things first - as of now this doesn't appear to be a done deal. CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein tweeted the news but it's not been confirmed by the local sources yet. The Post-Gazette says that (as of now, anyway) Moore has not yet asked for his release or informed Jamie Dixon he wants out. The Moore transfer rumor has been around the message boards for quite a while, but I've never been able to make much of it. Moore surely would like more minutes and has been blocked a bit by Lamar Patterson the past two seasons, but he's still seen plenty of time in my opinion. There are times over his career where I've called for him to play a bit more, but since he's a bit s

Panthers regrouping after loss of Adams, Zeigler

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:53:12 -0400

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon says he understands why freshman center Steven Adams is heading to the NBA even if he remains a raw talent. Adams announced Tuesday he would make himself eligible for the draft and plans to sign with an agent. Dixon said Wednesday there were strong family considerations that Adams took into account before making the decision. The 7-footer from New Zealand is the youngest of 18 children. Dixon says he spoke to NBA personnel and is confident the 19-year-old Adams will be chosen. Adams is projected as a second-round pick after averaging 7.1 and 6.3 rebounds in 32 games for the Panthers. The Panthers are also looking to replace guard Trey Zeigler, who is transferring.

Pittsburgh guard Trey Zeigler to transfer

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:18:40 -0400

Pittsburgh guard Trey Zeigler is on the move again. The school announced Tuesday the junior guard is transferring. Zeigler averaged 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in 31 games for the Panthers this year after transferring from Central Michigan. Zeigler received a waiver from the NCAA to play right away at Pitt after his father, Ernie Zeigler, was fired as Central Michigan coach at the end of the 2011-12 season. Zeigler saw his playing time and production dip significantly with the Panthers but he did score a season-high 18 points in a 93-55 victory over DePaul and helped lead Pitt to an upset of Syracuse on Feb. 2. Zeigler was expected to compete for the starting shooting guard spot next year.

Trey Zeigler to transfer from Pittsburgh

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:49:00 -0400

Pittsburgh shooting guard Trey Zeigler is once again on the move. Zeigler reportedly will be leaving Pittsburgh after one year. Zeigler will received a waiver after transferring from Central Michigan and averaged 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in his one season for the Panthers. Hardly what anyone expected after a star studded high school career and averaging 15 points for the Chippewas. “We will assist Trey in finding the best situation for him to reach his goals both academically and athletically,” Pitt head basketball coach Jamie Dixon said in a press release. “He’s a great kid, hard worker and good player. We thank Trey for his contribution to our program over the last year and wish him much success in the future.” Zeigler's playing time and production took a dive as the year went on. He was brought in to be a scorer off the bench but didn't make an impact during an uneven year. Zeigler was expected to compete for the starting shooting guard position next season. No word yet to

Trey Woodall breaks down during presser

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:16:05 -0400

Pitt's Trey Woodall breaks down in tears after his Panthers lost to Wichita State in the Round of 64 of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Doug Gottlieb flips out over flagrant foul called on Pitt’s Lamar Patterson (Video)

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:30:35 -0400

Pittsburgh’s Lamar Patterson was whistled for a flagrant foul during his team’s game against Wichita State on Thursday after he hit an opponent in the face with an elbow. The contact occurred as Patterson was driving to the basket and did not appear to be intentional. However, the call was correct in that even an unintentional elbow to an opponent is a Flagrant 1 by rule. The officials made the right call, but that didn’t stop analyst Doug Gottlieb from having a meltdown over how much he hates the rule itself. “This is the dumbest thing we do in basketball,” Gottlieb said. “This is dumb. This is absolutely, completely moronic. This is not a foul. It’s not a purposeful elbow. It’s a guy driving to the basket and his elbow happens to hit (Tyler Baker) in the mouth. That’s incidental contact. It’s considered a flagrant by letter of the rule book. “You mean to tell me that in the process of driving to the basket he sees Ron Baker, lines him up and elbows him? Come on, he’s protecting the b

Don’t think you can do that in college basketball

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:52:07 -0500

At last night’s Pitt vs Seton Hall college basketball tilt we witnessed one of the better illegal moves in college basketball. Seton Hall center Gene Teague goes up for a dunk, misses it, the ball pops out and he continues to hold onto the rim while grabbing the rebound and trying to put it back. Teague gets an A+ for creativity, A+ for effort, and F for legality. That type of move might work in MTV’s Rock n Jock basketball but not in the Big East. We know you spend countless hours wasting time on Facebook. Why not LIKE US and allow us to help contribute to your procrastination and make your day better. The post Don’t think you can do that in college basketball appeared first on Bacon Sports.

Random Athlete of The Day- Levance Fields

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 13:21:03 -0500

Levance Fields was a college basketball player for the University of Pittsburgh from 2005 to 2009. During his time at Pitt, he started at point guard for three years, and dished out 645 assists, third most in school history. He also had a knack for hitting clutch shots, like in his senior year when he hit a long go-ahead three pointer to give Pitt the lead in a Sweet 16 game against Xavier. Fields was part of a dynamic trio, which also included DeJuan Blair and Sam Young. They were the emotional leaders for a Pitt team that was a #1 seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament and reached the Elite 8. Fields, Blair and Young all declared for the 2009 NBA Draft. While Blair and Young were drafted, Fields unfortunately did not get selected with any of the 60 picks. Fields made the Orlando Magic’s summer camp roster, but was cut before the season began. Fields then played two years in Russia for Spartak St. Petersburg, but his professional basketball career ended there. It is always sad to see...

Catching up with Chris Jones, courtesy of Josh Verlin

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:41:21 -0400

Josh Verlin covers the Philadelphia basketball scene for the website Philahoops.com. Recently, he caught up incoming Pitt Panther Chris Jones and the two discussed his game, Jamie Dixon and his recruitment. <<------------------------->> Though the Pittsburgh Panthers are coming off their worst season in seven years, there are plenty of reasons for hope on the horizon. One big reason is the incoming freshman class, a consensus top-15 group due mostly to the presence of 7-foot New Zealander Steven Adams, who many believe could have been a first-round NBA draft selection as early as this year. After Adams and point guard James Robinson, a consensus top-60 recruit out of basketball powerhouse DeMatha (Md.), had both committed by September of 2011, it seemed the Panthers had found their two-man class to replace graduating seniors Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson. The surprise transfer of Khem Birch meant a third scholarship was open to add to that stellar 2012 class, and ...

Former Pitt Basketball player blasts School

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:32:05 -0500

Pitt freshman Khem Birch was something that not many Pitt fans are use to he was a McDonald’s All-American. Now, the 6-foot-9 Birch is gone as he decided to leave the team. Birch was Jamie Dixon’s highest recruit since taking over the Pitt program in 2003. Birch will transfer to UNLV. As you will read below Birch will not have some kind words for the Pitt program. On the season Birch has played in all ten games and was averaging 4.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. However that was only in 15 minutes of play per game. He was starting every game since Dante Taylor was out of the lineup because of migraine headaches. However, since Taylor returned Birch has not played more than 15 minutes in any of the past four games. He only played 4 minutes in the Tennessee game. Why do I think Birch is leaving, that easy playing time? All top freshman want to play, and if they don’t they will either transfer, and maybe even play overseas before trying out the NBA. Pitt has built a st...

Pitt Panthers recruit gets sick tattoo

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:01:25 -0500

Things tend to get a little backed up around here this time of year. The few weeks of football regular season and basketball overlap make it tough to cover everything in a timely fashion. But we'll get around to everything, eventually at least. As for last week, the big news was the official signing of Pitt's 2012 basketball recruiting class, guard James Robinson and center Steven Adams. From Pitt: Despite signing only two players, Pitt's 2012 class is considered a consensus top-10 nationally ranked unit. Pitt is ranked No. 8 by ESPNU, No. 8 by Rivals.com and No. 5 by CBSSports.com/MaxPreps. "We are extremely excited about Steven and James," Dixon said. "Both are good players from winning backgrounds and both have outstanding work ethic." Of course, these numbers could all change since there is a spring signing period as well and several elite prospects remain on the board. Whether Pitt would go over the scholarship limit again remains t...