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LOCATION: Pittsburgh, PA
CONFERENCE: Big East
LAST SEASON: 14-16
CONFERENCE RECORD: 5-13 (10th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Panthers
COLORS: Blue and Gold
HOMECOURT: Fitzgerald Field House (6,798)
COACH: Pittsburgh Civic Arena (16,725)
record at school Ben Howland (Weber State '80)
career record First year
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ASSISTANTS: 79-59 (5 years)
ASSISTANTS Jamie Dixon (Texas Christian '87)
Lennie Parham (Gonzaga '87)
Patrick Sandle (San Francisco State '86)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 10-10-18-11-14
RPI (last 5 years) 112-134-62-129-118
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference first round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Ben Howland would appear to have no illusions about the challenge the steep challenge facing him at Pittsburgh. The program is lacking talent and depth. Failure and a bit of off-court shenanigans cloud its recent history. It looks up at a huge logjam of Big East contenders (and pretenders). Yep, sounds just about the right time for Howland to show up. Devotees of Big Sky Conference basketball (if there are such animals) will remember that Howland encountered much the same situation when he took over at Northern Arizona in 1994. The Lumberjacks were miserable even by Big Sky standards and had virtually no hopes of mounting a run at .500, much less playing in the NCAA Tournament. His first two teams amplified that. But by the time he left town, NAU had made it to the show and had reeled off three straight 20-victory seasons. Not bad. While some might wonder why a Big Sky turnaround earns somebody a shot at coaching in one of the country's marquee conferences, Howland approaches his new assignment with a confidence generally found in people who have seen bad situations before and know what must be done to fix them. "Everything starts with recruiting, in terms of long-term success," he said. No mystery there. Howland understands that Pitt must upgrade its recruiting profile in order to compete. When Ralph Willard was brought to town back in 1994, he was a hot, young coach expected to lure the best and the brightest to Steeltown. His Rick Pitino pedigree and track record of turning Western Kentucky into a tournament team were strong resume items.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B- BENCH/DEPTH D
FRONTCOURT C- INTANGIBLES B
It took coach Ben Howland two years to turn Northern Arizona into a winner, so don't expect any miracles in Pittsburgh. The Panthers lack size, scoring pop and depth, not the best combination in a league that gets better every year. That doesn't mean there isn't reason for optimism. Howland will recruit well, particularly with the arena as a carrot for future classes. He'll be able to sell immediate playing time, because the Panthers lose four seniors from this year's thin team, and only a couple of the returnees can be considered untouchable. For now, expect the team to play good defense and take full advantage of the three-point line. Pitt will fight hard, but more than likely fade as games against tougher opponents wear on. The Panthers are a pretty safe bet for the Big East bottom, but that won't last for long, if Howland's track record is any indication. The coach knows what's ahead of him, but doesn't mind being patient and working for the long-term. Then again, what's his alternative? |
But Willard never got it done at Pitt, partly because of some bad injury breaks, but mostly because he couldn't get the players to come, even though he did forge an alliance with a solid AAU program. Howland must change that. And he has a pretty powerful weapon in the fight for talented newcomers. In three years, Pittsburgh expects to open the John and Gertrude Peterson Events Center, a 12,500-seat on-campus arena that will put the Panthers on a par with virtually every other program against which it competes, at least from a facility standpoint. Howland will still have to overcome the lack of blue-chippers in the Pittsburgh area and must convince players that coming to western Pennsylvania isn't a career death sentence. But that's little stuff, compared to the facility question. "This will probably be the nicest on-campus arena anywhere," Howland said, already in full sales pitch. "There will be three luxury suites at court level, right behind the benches and 12 more above. It's huge for the future." You're going to hear a lot of talk about the future from Howland, because the present doesn't offer too much hope. Placing Pitt at the bottom of your preseason Big East standings is a pretty good way to start the prognostication process. Even Howland knows that. The Panthers will have only nine scholarship players on the roster this year, thanks to some defections and the ineligibility of a recruit. And while Howland does have some options, Pitt will be undersized and can't be expected to score all that many points. That doesn't mean the Panthers won't fight hard. If there's one thing Howland can promise, it's maximum effort. His teams at NAU played defense and fired up the three-point shot, so at least fans can expect some positive steps to be made this year. As for victories, well, that's another story. "This is a challenge," Howland said. "We've got a lot of work to do to build this program to where we want it to be five years from now." It doesn't help the immediate efforts that center Attila Cosby transferred to New Mexico. To some, that move may not make any sense, because he is a lifelong Easterner. But a closer look reveals that new Lobo coach Fran Fraschilla hired Cosby's former AAU mentor, Troy Weaver, and the junior decided to head west with his old pal. Gone also are Fred Primus, who was implicated in a theft in the Philadelphia area during last season, and Stephen Flores, who transferred to Youngstown State. And don't forget the loss of last year's leading scorer and assist man Vonteego Cummings (16.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 112 assists), who was drafted by Golden State in June. As for what's left, start with 6-8 senior forward Isaac Hawkins (12.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 38 blocked shots), whose season started on a bad note with a broken leg but could get much better by the end of the season, particularly if he can improve his scoring numbers. His injury is expected to sideline him until mid-December. Hawkins is a solid interior player who busts his backside on the boards particularly the offensive glass and plays good defense. He's a solid finisher in close who needs to diversify his offensive game a little, particularly if he wants to play at the next level. Had the Panthers been able to pair him inside with Cosby, they would have had a good interior foundation. But that won't happen. Howland must hope 6-7 junior college transfer Derrick Worrell (Allegany, Md., College/South Wayne HS/Goldsboro, N.C.) can help out underneath. He should get his share. The 215-pounder averaged 15.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks last year and has the mindset to work hard inside. A good athlete who was sixth in the country among junior-college rebounders, Worrell also proved himself to be a diligent student by passing necessary summer school work to become eligible. The rest of the frontcourt is rather shaky. Sophomore Chris Seabrooks (0.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg) saw precious little time last year but will be forced to play more in '99-00. He goes 6-9, 230, but didn't show the necessary quickness to hang with Big East frontcourters. If he is to be a valuable contributor this season, Seabrooks needs to cut down on his fouls and hit the backboards. However, his future is in jeopardy following an arrest for aggravated assault in late October. Although he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and avoided any jail time, Seabrooks still awaits a decision from the university's non-criminal disciplinary hearing. Sanctions against Seabrooks could range from a warning to expulsion from school following the hearing, said Robert Hill, Pitt's executive director of public affairs. Rounding out the frontcourt is 6-8 freshman Donatas Zavackas (St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio/St. Benedict's, N.J., Prep/Klaipeda, Lithuania), who did not play last season because he was ruled ineligible by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The previous year, Zavackas averaged 17.0 points for St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J. In the summer of '98, Zavackas played for the Lithuanian Junior National team, averaging 27.0 points and 12.0 rebounds. He has the typical inside/outside game of most European immigrants and will be found posting people up and launching three-point shots. "He looks like he could be a good shooter, but he hasn't played in a year," Howland said. The point-guard position is an interesting one, because the Panthers welcome back two players who have demonstrated the ability to run the show and also welcome a recruit, Brandin Knight, who is a pure point. That does give Howland some options in the backcourt, and that's some much-needed good news. Knight (Seton Hall Prep/East Orange, N.J.), 6-0, is the brother of former Stanford standout and current Cleveland Cavaliers guard Brevin Knight. He signed last November and then helped Seton Hall Prep to the fourth spot in last year's final USA Today rankings by averaging 12.5 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 steals. He also led the team with 42 three-point goals. "I think he'll be a very good player," Howland said. "His signing was a great thing for the program." If Howland doesn't want to turn things over to a freshman right away, he could use 6-0 senior Jeremy Holmes (3.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 74 assists), who came to Pitt last year and gave Cummings some time at the wing. Just don't expect too much magic from Holmes. He can handle and distribute, but he isn't the best shooter around, a fact evidenced by his .333 percent "accuracy" from the field last year. Then there's Kellii Taylor (8.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 54 assists), who finally played injury-free basketball last year and was a steady contributor. The 6-0 senior is probably the team's best three-point shooter and is a veteran capable of handling most situations. Unfortunately, Taylor will miss the first eight games after being ruled academically ineligible for the fall semester in late September. Taylor can practice with the team and could be eligible to play in Pitt's Dec. 20 game against Duquesne. Junior Ricardo Greer is most likely a candidate for the two spot. The 6-5 returning starter averaged 12.6 points last year third on the team and chipped in 6.5 rebounds per game and 73 assists. He gets to the basket well and has a scorer's mentality. He followed up a strong freshman season that earned him a spot on the Big East All-Newcomer team by playing 32 minutes a game and starting all but one game. In Howland's system, which emphasizes the three, Greer will have to improve his outside shot. The junior made only .182 percent of his 44 three-pointers last year. He'll get some backup from 6-3 senior Jarrett Lockhart (7.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg), who must also get sharper from the outside. Rounding out the backcourt picture are three walk-ons, 6-4 junior Griffin Abel (0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg), 6-3 junior Mike Westbrooks (0.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg) and 6-3 senior Jason Boyd (0.8 ppg, 0.3 rpg), none of whom is expected to see all that much time.
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