Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball

History

Initial era

The University of Pittsburgh began playing men's basketball in 1905–06 under coach Benjamin Printz. The university did not field a team during the 1909–10 and 1910–11 seasons. The program was resurrected in 1911 under head coach Walter "Dutch" Wohlfarth, and the following year Dr. George M. Flint assumed head coaching duties and began rebuilding Pitt's program essentially from the ground up. Flint led the Panthers to eight winning seasons during his ten years at the helm and coached future Pitt coach H. C. Carlson.

H.C. "Doc" Carlson era (1922–1953)

Henry Clifford "Doc" Carlson, MD took over as coach in 1922 and soon turned Pitt into a national power. In the era preceding the initiation of national tournaments, the Panthers were widely regarded as national champions in multiple seasons, a belief documented in contemporary sources like the 1929 University of Pittsburgh yearbook. 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. While the NCAA lists the historical Helms selections for reference, the Helms selections are not officially recognized as NCAA national championships, and the Premo-Porretta rankings are not acknowledged by the NCAA. 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 who would be inducted into the Naismith and Helms Foundation Basketball Hall of Fames. In the late 1920s, Carlson initiated playing a "national schedule" by taking his teams on midwestern road trips that included games against several Big Ten schools and, in 1931, is credited as the first coach to take an Eastern team out west. He also developed the widely emulated Figure Eight Offense and also experimented with various conditioning techniques, including the use of oxygen on the bench. 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 representing the best of the East, lost a 41–37 season-ending contest to SEC champion LSU in the American Legion Bowl in Atlantic City, a game on which LSU bases its claim on that season's national championship. On February 28, 1940, Pitt played in the first-ever televised basketball game, a 57–37 victory over Fordham at Madison Square Garden that was televised by NBC station W2XBS. Carlson also led Pitt to its first-ever NCAA appearance en route to the 1941 NCAA Final Four. Carlson's tenure at Pitt's helm lasted for 30 consecutive years before he retired following the 1952–53 season.

Pitt moved their competition into the Fitzgerald Field House in 1951, leaving the Pitt Pavilion, housed inside of Pitt Stadium. Pitt would continue to play in the Fieldhouse until 2002.

Bob Timmons era (1953–1968)

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 also led Pitt to an NCAA appearance in 1963 and its first NIT appearance in 1964.

Buzz Ridl era (1968–1975)

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. This Pitt team was filled with local players such as Mickey Martin, Jim Bolla, Tom Richards, Keith Starr, Kirk Bruce and Billy Knight, who went on to star in the ABA for the Indiana Pacers and with several teams in the NBA. Following the graduation of Knight and Martin, Pitt made an NIT appearance the following year, Ridl's last before retiring.

Eastern Eight Conference (1976–1982)

For the 1976–77 season, Pitt began play as a member of the Eastern 8 Conference.

Pittsburgh native Tim Grgurich, who was an assistant coach under Ridl, 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. That initial year, Larry Harris, a 6'6" forward with an impressive outside shot and an ability to score points in traffic, won the league scoring title. Grgurich also led Pitt to the 1980 NIT.

Grgurich was succeeded by Lafayette coach Dr. Roy Chipman who began Pitt's rollercoaster-like ride back to national significance. In his first season at the helm, 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's Panthers enjoyed similar success the following season, defeating archrival West Virginia for their last Eastern Eight tournament Championship, energized by remarks by WVU Coach Gale Catlett. Pitt lost to Pepperdine in the first round of the 1982 NCAA tournament to end Chipman's second season and Pitt's last as a member of the Eastern Eight Conference.

Big East Conference (1982–2013)

For the 1982–83 season, Pitt began play as a member of the Big East Conference.

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. 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. In eight seasons as head coach Evans' teams advanced to a total of five NCAA tournaments and one NIT.

Slumping play led to Evans' departure, and he was replaced by Ralph Willard who headed the Pitt program from 1994–95 through 1998–99. Despite highly regarded recruiting classes and stars such as Mark Blount and Vonteego Cummings, Pitt advanced to only one NIT in five seasons under Willard.

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 as best college basketball coach as named by the United States Basketball Writers Association. Following the 2003 season, Howland left Pitt for the only job he said he would ever contemplate leaving Pitt for: the head coach position at UCLA.

In 2002, Pitt began their first season of play at the 12,508-seat Petersen Events Center which sits on the former site of Pitt Stadium. The first opponent at "the Pete", as the facility is called by students, was against cross-city rival Duquesne University.

Atlantic Coast Conference (2013–present)

For the 2013–14 season, Pitt began play as a member of the ACC.

Jamie Dixon, Howland's assistant at Northern Arizona and Pitt, was named head coach of the team 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 (Pitt 58, UConn 61) and a third straight appearance in the NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen. With Dixon at the helm, Pitt's success continued with frequent national rankings, four Big East tournament championship game appearances in five seasons (2004, 2006, 2007 2008), a Big East tournament Championship in 2008, and NCAA tournament appearances in nine of ten years under Dixon's leadership (2004–11, 2013), including trips to the Sweet Sixteen (2004, 2007, 2009) and Elite Eight (2009).

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. In 2009, Dixon broke the record for the most victories in the first six seasons as a Division I head coach and won the Naismith Coach of the Year award.

The success of the 2008–09 season continued over to the 2009–10 season, somewhat unexpectedly. Having lost the talents of Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields, the Panthers were picked in a pre-season Big East poll to finish ninth in the conference. Instead, Pitt earned a 13–5 Big East record, good enough for a second seed in the Big East tournament, received a third seed in the NCAA tournament, and finished 25–9 overall record. In 2010–11, Pitt won the regular season Big East title and, for a second time in the program's history, earned a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Traditions

Student section

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, primarily across from the teams' benches and on the baselines under the baskets. The "Pete" holds a rowdy crowd of 1,500 students that are typically uniformly clad in gold t-shirts, and the Zoo student section is consistently sold out for Panthers home games. The Oakland Zoo is named after Oakland, the neighborhood in which the university is located. The name "Oakland Zoo" is used for the basketball cheering sections only; the football cheering section has often used the title, "The Panther Pitt."

Rivalries

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. Adding to the importance of the game, Pitt and West Virginia shared membership in the Eastern Intercollegiate Conference (1933–1939), the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League West Division (1977), Eastern 8 Conference (1978–1982), and the Big East Conference (1996–2012). In addition, the two rivals have tangled in the last games played at three of their respective arenas: on February 26, 1951, Pitt defeated WVU 74–72 in the closing seconds of the last college game played at the Pitt Pavilion inside Pitt Stadium; on March 3, 1970, Pitt upset WVU 92–87 in the last game played at the West Virginia University Field House in Morgantown; and on March 2, 2002, Pitt defeated WVU 92–65 in Pitt's last game at Fitzgerald Field House. The two teams met in conference play for the last time on February 16, 2012, resulting in a 66–48 Mountaineer victory.

After five seasons without playing, the schools resumed their series in 2017 with a 69–60 win by the Mountaineers. They have since met in out-of-conference play every year since as of 2024. As of 2024, the school have met 193 times, with West Virginia leading the series 103–90. Pitt's 193 games against the Mountaineers are its most against any opponent.

Another spill-over from the gridiron, the Panthers' third-most frequently-played opponent is the Penn State Nittany Lions, whom they have played 148 times. Penn State leads the all-time series, 76–72. They played at least once every year from 1935 to 1982 and briefly rekindled the rivalry at the turn of the century, playing annually from 2000 to 2005. Since that time, they've gone against each other just three times, in 2013 as part of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, in the 2016 Never Forget Tribute Classic, and in 2025 at a neutral site game at the Giant Center. They are not scheduled to renew the series in the foreseeable future, though there have been significant talks between the universities about doing so.

The Panthers also have a sustained rivalry with crosstown opponent Duquesne University in The City Game. Peaking in ferocity from 1977 to 1982 when both were members of the Eastern Eight Conference, the rivalry has diminished somewhat since Pitt's move to the Big East Conference in 1982.

A spillover from their football rivalry, the Panthers and Syracuse University also maintain a rivalry on the hardwood. The series intensified during the first decade of this century, during which both teams were highly competitive in the Big East and made numerous appearances in both the AP Top 10 and NCAA Tournament. They continue to play at least twice each season as members of the ACC.

Pre-NCAA Tournament Honors and Claims

The Pitt men's basketball teams of 1927–28 (21–0) and 1929–30 (23–2) were retroactively designated by the Helms Athletic Foundation as national champions for the pre-NCAA Tournament era. The Helms titles are not officially recognized as NCAA national championships, but the university hangs banners in the Petersen Events Center honoring the Helms designations. In addition, the 1927–28 team was retroactively listed by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll as the top team of the season. The program's dominance in this period was also noted contemporaneously by sources like the university yearbook.

These teams of "Doc" Carlson, led by three-time All-American and two-time National Scoring Champion Charley Hyatt, played a "national" schedule that during the 1927–28 season that included the following wins:

The 1929–30 national championship team earned wins that included the following:

Although there was no NCAA Tournament at that time, there were contests billed as "National Championship Games". The 1930 game in particular helped Pittsburgh legend Charley Hyatt cement his place in history by scoring 27 points, including a last second game-winning shot, at the defending national champions and assumed #1 squad Montana State.

Early-season national tournaments

Starting with the NCAA rule change regarding exempt tournaments in the 2006–07 season, Pitt has participated in an event every year, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Panthers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 27 times. Their combined record is 25–28.

NCAA Tournament Seeding History

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

NIT results

The Panthers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) nine times. Their combined record is 6–9.

CBI results

The Panthers have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) one time. Their record is 5–1 and they were CBI champions in 2012.

Conference Championships

1932–33 Eastern Intercollegiate Champions

1933–34 Eastern Intercollegiate Champions

1934–35 Eastern Intercollegiate Champions

1936–37 Eastern Intercollegiate Champions

1980–81 Eastern 8 Tournament Champions

1981–82 Eastern 8 Tournament Champions

1986–87 Big East Regular Season Co-Champions

1987–88 Big East Regular Season Champions

2001–02 Big East Regular Season West Champions

2002–03 Big East tournament and Regular Season West Co-Champions

2003–04 Big East Regular Season Champions

2007–08 Big East tournament champions

2010–11 Big East Regular Season Champions

Pitt was the only team in Big East Conference history to reach the Big East Championship Game seven times in eight seasons having earned a trip to the title game in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.[1] Pitt played in the Eastern 8 Tournament Championship games in 1979, 1981, and 1982.

Individual awards & honors

National honors

Charley Hyatt won the National Player of the Year in 1929–30, he was the America's leading scorer that season (his second time as leading scorer) and made a last second basket to win the National Title Game with 27 points against what many considered the best team in the country. This season was also to be the third consecutive time he had earned consensus All-American status (the second time he won the honor owing to him being in the inaugural class of consensus in his second season).

2001–02: Ben Howland won National Coach of the Year honors from the Associated Press, Naismith, USBWA, ESPN The Magazine, and The Sporting News.

2008–09: Jamie Dixon won the Naismith Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year as well as the Jim Phelan Mid-season Coach of the Year award.

2009–10: Jamie Dixon won the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award.

2010–11: Jamie Dixon won the Sporting News National Coach of the Year award.

Three inductees represent the University of Pittsburgh in the Helms Foundation Basketball Hall of Fame; two of them, Carlson and Hyatt, are also represented in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Both Carlson and Hyatt were selected as the first class inducted to each hall.

Henry Clifford "Doc" Carlson, M.D., Pitt head coach from 1922 to 1953. He is noted as the innovator of the "figure 8" play, the first coach to take his team cross country and a leading advocate for intersectional games. Despite great modern eras in Pitt basketball (late 1950s, mid 1970s, 1980s, 2000s), he continues to be the winningest coach in program history as well as the only one to lead the program to unofficial national championship recognition.

Charley Hyatt, Pitt player and three-time All-American and two-time national scoring leader, he also was a senior year All American in High School and earned three other all-pro awards in the pre-NBA era playing after Pitt. He was a member of the very first Consensus All American team in 1929.

Conference stat champions

Larry Harris won the Eastern 8 Scoring Title in the 1976–77 season (22.9 ppg).

Clyde Vaughan won the Big East Scoring Title in the 1982–83 season (22.0 ppg).

Sam Clancy won the Eastern 8 Rebounding Titles in both the 1978–79 (12.8 rpg) and 1979–80 (11.1 rpg) seasons.

Jerome Lane won the Big East Rebounding Titles in both the 1986–87 (14.0 rpg) and 1987–88 (11.6 rpg) seasons.

Isaac Hawkins won the Big East Rebounding Title in the 1997–98 season (9.7 rpg).

Aaron Gray won the Big East Rebounding Title in the 2005–06 season (10.5 rpg).

DeJuan Blair won the Big East Rebounding Title in the 2008–09 season (12.4 rpg).

Dwayne Wallace won the Eastern 8 Assist Title in the 1981–82 season (6.2 apg).

Darelle Porter won the Big East Assist Title in the 1989–90 season (7.6 apg).

Levance Fields won the Big East Assist Title in the 2008–09 season (7.5 apg).

University honors

Four players have had their jersey numbers retired at Pitt.

41 total Panther players have achieved the 1,000 points club. Of these, fourteen total Panther players have scored over 1,500 points in their career. Two of these Panther players, Charles Smith and Clyde Vaughan, scored over 2,000 points in their career.

Stats updated through February 5, 2014.

Charles Smith (1984–1988) 2,045

Clyde Vaughan (1980–1984) 2,033

NBA players

Pittsburgh Panthers have been selected 28 times in the NBA draft, 3 times in the ABA draft (Billy Knight was drafted by both the NBA and ABA in 1974). In addition, 11 former Panthers were selected in the CBA draft. Eight Panthers have been selected as first-round NBA draft picks with Bub Carrington being the most recent in 2024.

In addition, 48 former Panthers have played professionally in international basketball leagues. Clyde Vaughan especially stands out in averaging 28 points per game over his decade-long basketball career in Europe.