The University of Pittsburgh Men’s Basketball Team was ranked 3rd in the NCAA Division 1 standings released March 7th.
The Panthers entered the Big East Championship quarterfinals with an overall record of 27-5 and a conference record of 15-3. The Panthers lost in the quarterfinals game to a game winning shot by UConn.
The Panther’s Season
The Panthers had a very successful season as they entered the Big East Championship. They were the No. 1 seed for the third time in school history and will appear in its 10th straight NCAA Tournament when the brackets are released on the CBS Selection Show March 13.
With the win against Villanova, Pittsburgh earned its sixth all-time Big East regular season title, third outright league title, and the No. 1 seed.
Before facing UConn, the Panthers had won 8 of 10 of the last games, tied a school record for most league wins with 15, and reached the 20-win mark. The game against UConn stayed very close until UConn made a last second buzzer beater. Head Coach Jamie Dixon leads the Panthers, but looks to Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker to win.
About The Team
Jamie Dixon is in his eighth year as the University of Pittsburgh’s Head Coach position. Since being at Pittsburgh, he has tied the all-time NCAA Division 1 record after seven seasons for most wins at 188.
He also guided Pittsburgh to their first-ever NCAA Regional Final and Elite Eight appearance, a school-best 31-5 record, seven consecutive 20-win seasons, seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and a No. 1 seed entering the NCAA Tournament. Dixon is also winner of the 2009 Naismith National Coach of the Year and 2010 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.
Junior Ashton Gibbs was named to the All-Big East First Team and is considered to be one of the best shooters in the nation. He is a Wooden Award All-America Team finalist. Gibbs averaged 16.4 points per game and also led his team with 89 three-pointers made, 46.6 three-point field goal percentage, and 89.5 free throw percentage.
He has scored over 20 points ten-times, reached double figure scoring in 23 of 28 games and hit at least three 3-pointers 19 times. Senior Brad Wanamaker was selected to the All-Big East Second Team, and is also a Wooden Award and Naismith Award finalist.
He leads the team with 934 minutes played, 105 free throws made, 160 assists, 2.29 assist-turnover ratio, 48 steals, 11.9 points per game, 5.3 rebound per game, and 124 field goals made. Wanamaker can also add over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 400 assists to his career record.
About The School
The University of Pittsburgh is located in Pittsburgh, PA and is an internationally recognized center of learning and research. There are 15 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools that over 34,000 students can choose from.
The school employs 3,800 full-time faculty to teach today’s minds. Whether it’s for the campus location, academics, or athletics, the University of Pittsburgh has something for everyone.
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