Pitt Basketball: A Legacy of Excellence in the NCAA Tournament and Beyond

The Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team, representing the University of Pittsburgh, boasts a storied history marked by success, innovation, and memorable moments. From pre-NCAA Tournament national championships to recent appearances in the NCAA Tournament, Pitt basketball has left an indelible mark on the sport. The program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and plays their home games in the Petersen Events Center.

Early Dominance and National Recognition

The University of Pittsburgh began its men's basketball program in 1905-06. After a brief hiatus, the program was resurrected, and H.C. Henry Clifford "Doc" Carlson, MD, took over as coach in 1922, transforming Pitt into a national powerhouse. In the era before national tournaments, the Panthers were widely considered national champions in multiple seasons. The 1927-28 and 1929-30 teams were retroactively designated national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation, and the 1927-28 team was also listed as the season's top team by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. The NCAA does not officially recognize the Helms selections or the Premo-Porretta rankings as national championships. Those teams were led by National Player of the Year, 3-time All-American and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Hyatt.

Carlson was a ground-breaking coach inducted into the Naismith and Helms Foundation Basketball Hall of Fames. He initiated playing a "national schedule" and is credited as the first coach to take an Eastern team out west. He also developed the widely emulated Figure Eight Offense and experimented with various conditioning techniques. Under Carlson, and led by two-time All-American Claire Cribbs, Pitt continued success through the 1930s, winning four Eastern Intercollegiate Conference championships. In 1935, Pitt, as Eastern Intercollegiate champions, lost a season-ending contest to SEC champion LSU in the American Legion Bowl.

The Program's NCAA Tournament History

The Panthers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 27 times, with the most recent trip coming in 2023. Carlson led Pitt to its first-ever NCAA appearance en route to the 1941 NCAA Final Four.

Fitzgerald Field House Era and the "Amoeba" Defense

Pitt moved their competition into the Fitzgerald Field House in 1951. Robert Timmons took over as head coach from Carlson for the 1953-54 season and led by two-time All-American and Helms Foundation Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Don Hennon, appeared in two NCAA tournaments during the late 1950s. Timmons was succeeded by head coach Charles "Buzz" Ridl who became famous for his 'amoebe' defense, an ever changing man to zone match-up defense. With All-American Billy Knight, Ridl led Pitt to the Elite Eight in 1974, with early round victories over St. Joseph's and Furman. Pitt lost to eventual national champion North Carolina State in the Eastern Regional Final (Elite 8) played in Raleigh, North Carolina amid a hostile local crowd.

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From the Eastern Eight to the Big East

Pittsburgh native Tim Grgurich became Pitt's next head coach. He led Pitt into the inaugural 1976-77 season of the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, which would change its name to the Eastern Eight (forerunner to the Atlantic 10) the following year. Grgurich was succeeded by Lafayette coach Dr. Roy Chipman who began Pitt's rollercoaster-like ride back to national significance. In his first season, the Panthers won the Eastern Eight Conference tournament. In the 1981 NCAA tournament, Pitt defeated Idaho in overtime in the first round; they lost to North Carolina in the second round. Chipman would lead Pitt to three more postseason appearances, he retired from coaching after the 86 season and was replaced by Paul Evans as head coach in 1986-87.

Big East Championships and National Prominence

Led by All-Americans Charles Smith and Jerome Lane, Pitt would capture its first two regular season Big East Championships and secure several top 10 rankings reaching as high as number two in the nation. However, compared to the expectations of the fans, these teams had disappointing showings in their Big East and NCAA tournaments appearances. After the departures of Smith and Lane, Pitt basketball continued to have a national, if not inconsistent, impact with players such as Sean Miller, Brian Shorter, Jerry McCullough, and Eric Mobley. Slumping play led to Evans' departure, and he was replaced by Ralph Willard who headed the Pitt program from 1994-95 through 1998-99.

The Howland and Dixon Eras: Sustained Success

Ben Howland was hired as head coach of the Panthers in 1999-00 and led them to sustained success for 4 seasons. In Howland's second season (2000-01), the Pitt team, led by senior standout Ricardo Greer and All-American guard Brandin Knight, advanced to the Big East tournament championship game and NIT. In Howland's third (2001-02) and fourth (2002-03) seasons, Pitt won back-to-back Big East regular season championships, appeared in back-to-back Big East tournament championship games and won the Big East tournament in 2003. Pitt advanced to consecutive NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteens (2002, 2003). For his success in the 2001-02 season, Howland was named the Big East Coach of the Year, Naismith College Coach of the Year, and won the Henry Iba Award.

Jamie Dixon, Howland's assistant, was named head coach in 2003. Under Dixon, the Panthers continued the progress begun under Howland, registering a third straight Big East regular season championship (2004), a fourth straight appearance in the Big East tournament championship game and a third straight appearance in the NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen. The 2008-09 season was notable for several historic accomplishments. The Panthers were ranked #1 in the Associated Press poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll for the first time in school history, claiming the #1 spot for a total of three weeks. On February 16, 2009, the #4 ranked Panthers defeated the #1 ranked UConn Huskies, 76-68, for Pitt's first-ever win versus a #1 ranked team. The Panthers repeated the feat on March 7, 2009, when the #3 ranked Panthers again defeated #1 ranked UConn again, 70-60, for Pitt's second-ever win versus a #1 ranked team. In doing so, Pitt became only the seventh school in NCAA Division I history to defeat two #1 ranked teams in the same season. On Selection Sunday, March 15, 2009, the Panthers received their first ever No.1 seed (East Region) in the 2009 NCAA tournament. They reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1974. Pitt's 78-76 last second loss to fellow Big East Conference foe Villanova in the East Regional final for a trip to the Final Four became an instant classic.

The success of the 2008-09 season continued over to the 2009-10 season, somewhat unexpectedly. The program achieved a school record 10-straight seasons with at least 20 overall wins, 10 conference wins, and an NCAA Tournament appearance from 2002 through 2011. In 2011-12, Pitt failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament, but managed to again surpass 20 wins for the 11th consecutive season and qualify for the College Basketball Invitational for a 12th consecutive post-season appearance. Dixon's record at Pitt stood at 262 wins and 86 losses (.753 win percentage) in ten seasons (2003-04 through 2012-13), second in school history behind only Carlson. On March 31, 2010, Pitt extended Dixon's contract by two years, making him Pitt's head coach through 2017-18 season. Dixon signed another contract extension on March 23, 2013. This extension ran through the 2022-2023 season.

Recent Years and a Return to the Tournament

On March 28, 2016, the school hired Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings to fill the vacant head coaching position. In Stallings's second season, Pitt went 8-24 and went 0-18 in ACC conference play. On March 27, 2018, Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel reached an agreement to become the 16th head basketball coach at Pitt. In the 2022-23 season, the Panthers finished with a regular season record of 21-10 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years.

The All-Time Starting Five

Here is the program's all-time starting five:

C: Charles Smith (1984-1988): Smith set school records in points (2,045) and blocks (346). His four All-Big East teams and the title of Big East Player of the Year in the 1987-88 season are a testament to his skill and dedication. As a Panther, Smith's average of 16.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from the field is a benchmark for aspiring players.
PF: Sam Young (2005-2009): Young won the Big East Most Improved Player in the 2007-08 season when he averaged 18.1 points per game. He also scored 13.2 points and grabbed 5.0 rebounds per game for his career at Pittsburgh. In his senior season at Pitt, Young averaged 19.2 points per game and was honored as a Third Team All-American.
SF: Billy Knight (1971-174): Knight was dominant during his three years at Pittsburgh, averaging 22.2 points and 12.0 rebounds on 52% shooting from the field. He scored 1,731 total points and was part of the team that won 22 straight games in the 1973-74 season, a remarkable feat that led them to the Elite Eight.
SG: Brandin Knight (1999-2003): Knight was a floor general for the Panthers, setting school records in assists (785) and steals (282). He dished out 6.2 assists per game for the program. He also averaged 11.3 points per game and scored a total of 1,440 points. Knight won Big East Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in the 2001-2002 season.
PG: Don Hennon (1956-1959): Hennon averaged 24.2 points per game in three years as a Panther.

Rivalries and Traditions

The fiercest rivalry was with former Big East Conference member West Virginia University in the basketball version of the Backyard Brawl, an extension of the football rivalry. After five seasons without playing, the schools resumed their series in 2017. Another rivalry is with the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Panthers also have a sustained rivalry with crosstown opponent Duquesne University in The City Game. A spillover from their football rivalry, the Panthers and Syracuse University also maintain a rivalry on the hardwood.

The "Oakland Zoo" is the student cheering section for the men's and women's basketball teams. The Zoo cheers on the Panthers from the bottom tier of the stands at the Petersen Events Center.

Beyond the NCAA Tournament: NIT and CBI Appearances

The Panthers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) nine times. St. The Panthers have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) one time.

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