2010–11 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team

The 2010–11 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their Head Coach was Jamie Dixon, who was in his 8th year as head coach at Pittsburgh and 12th overall at the University. The team played its home games in the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and are members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 28–6, 15–3 in Big East play to capture the regular season conference championship. As the 1 seed in the 2011 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, they were upset by 9 seed Connecticut in their first tournament game. They received an at-large bid in the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as the 1 seed in the southeast region. They defeated 16 seed UNC Asheville in the second round before being upset by 8 seed Butler in the third round.

2010–11 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Big East Regular Season Champions
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Champions
Belfast Int'l Basketball Classic Champions
NCAA Tournament, Third Round
ConferenceBig East Conference (1979–2013)
Ranking
CoachesNo. 12
APNo. 4
2010–11 record28–6 (15–3 Big East)
Head coachJamie Dixon (8th season)
Assistant coaches
Home arenaPetersen Events Center
(Capacity: 12,508)
2010–11 Big East men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
No. 4 Pittsburgh153 .833  286  .824
No. 5 Notre Dame144 .778  277  .794
*#12 Syracuse126 .667  278  .771
No. 14 Louisville126 .667  2510  .714
No. 18 St. John's126 .667  2112  .636
Cincinnati117 .611  269  .743
No. 22 West Virginia117 .611  2112  .636
Georgetown108 .556  2111  .656
No. 10 Connecticut99 .500  329  .780
Villanova99 .500  2112  .636
Marquette99 .500  2215  .595
Seton Hall711 .389  1318  .419
Rutgers513 .278  1517  .469
Providence414 .222  1517  .469
South Florida315 .167  1023  .303
DePaul117 .056  724  .226
2011 Big East Tournament winner
As of April 4, 2011[1]
*Syracuse:: 7 wins vacated due to sanctions against the program; Disputed record: Syracuse–(27–8)(10–6); Rankings from AP Poll

Outlook

The Pittsburgh Panthers finished the 2009 season 259, 135 in Big East play and lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament. They received an atlarge bid to the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning a 3 seed in the West Region. They defeated 14 seed Oakland in the first round before being upset by 6 seed and AP No. 25 Xavier in the second round. Finishing at No. 20 in the final Coaches' Poll, Pitt returned four starters and the bulk of their reserves including 86% of its scoring and 88% of its rebounding.[2] Pitt has been ranked in the 2010-11 preseason among the top ten teams in the nation, and among the favorites to win the Big East Conference, by multiple national publications.

The Panthers conducted a preseason tour of Ireland, going undefeated in several exhibition games played against national and professional teams.[3]

At the Big East Conference media day on October 20, Pitt was selected by a vote of the league's coaches to finish first in the Big East Conference receiving 12 out of 15 possible first place votes. Pitt guard Ashton Gibbs received a preseason first-team all-conference selection.[4] The Panthers were ranked fourth in the nation in the preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll[5] and fifth in nation in the preseason AP Poll.[6]

Season

Pittsburgh finished their out-of-conference schedule 12-1, losing only to Tennessee at the Consol Energy Center, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As of March 7, the Panthers are ranked third nationwide in both polls. They finished the regular season at the top of the Big East Conference, with a 15-3 record in conference play.

The Panthers earned a number one seed in the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the third overall seed in the tournament.

The Panthers use a balanced attack, with eight players averaging 4.9 points per game or more. Gilbert Brown and Brad Wanamaker both averaged over ten points a game, while Ashton Gibbs led the team at 15.9 ppg (eighth in the Big East).

Coaching staff

Name[7]PositionYear at
Pittsburgh
Alma Mater (Year)
Jamie Dixon Head coach 12th (8th as Head Coach) TCU (1987)
Pat Sandle Assistant coach 10th San Francisco State (1987)
Brandin Knight Assistant coach 5th University of Pittsburgh (2005)
Pat Skerry Assistant coach 1st Tufts (1992)
Brian Regan Director of Basketball Operations 4th Saint Vincent (1988)
Jordan Marks Video Coordinator 2nd University of Pittsburgh (2008)
Jason Richards Video Assistant 1st Davidson (2008)

Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Isaiah Epps
point guard
Chatham, Virginia Hargrave Military Academy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jan 11, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 93
J. J. Moore
small forward
South Kent, Connecticut South Kent School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Nov 11, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 94
Cameron Wright
shooting guard
Cleveland, Ohio Benedictine High School 6 ft 4.5 in (1.94 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Aug 9, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 93
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: not ranked   Rivals: not ranked
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Pittsburgh Commit List for 2010". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  • "Men's Basketball Recruiting". Scout.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  • "Pittsburgh Basketball Recruiting 2010". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  • "2010 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.

    Roster

    [8]

    Name#PositionHeightWeight (lb.)YearHometownPrevious School
    Gilbert Brown5Forward6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)2152Senior (RS)Harrisburg, PASouth Kent School
    Isaiah Epps2Guard6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)1752FreshmanPlainfield, NJHargrave Military Academy/Plainfield HS
    Ashton Gibbs12Guard6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)1901JuniorScotch Plains, NJSeton Hall Prep
    Gary McGhee52Center6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)2502SeniorAnderson, INHighland HS
    J. J. Moore44Forward6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)2002FreshmanBrentwood, NYSouth Kent School/Brentwood HS
    Aron Nwankwo15Forward6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)2002FreshmanBaltimore, MDBaltimore City College
    Lamar Patterson21Guard/Forward6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)2201Freshman (RS)Lancaster, PASt. Benedict's Prep/J.P. McCaskey H.S.
    J. J. Richardson55Forward/Center6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)2351SophomoreMissouri City, TXFort Bend Hightower HS
    Nick Rivers14Guard6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)1801SeniorPhoenix, AZBrophy College Prep
    Nasir Robinson35Forward6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)2201JuniorChester, PAChester HS
    Dante Taylor11Forward6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)2401SophomoreGreenburgh, NYNational Christian Academy (MD)
    Brad Wanamaker22Guard6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)2102SeniorPhiladelphia, PARoman Catholic HS
    Travon Woodall1Guard5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)1901Sophomore (RS)Brooklyn, NY-Paterson, NJSt. Anthony HS
    Cameron Wright3Guard6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)2001FreshmanCleveland, OHBenedictine HS
    Talib Zanna42Forward6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)2251Freshman (RS)Kaduna, NigeriaBishop McNamara HS (MD)

    Schedule

    Pitt's 2010–11 schedule.

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Ireland Summer Competition Tour
    Sat. Jul. 31*
    2:00 pm
    Ireland Select W 9954 
    Neptune Stadium (1,650)
    Cork, Ireland
    Sun. Aug. 1*
    9:00 am
    South Regional All-Stars W 9252 
    Neptune Stadium (857)
    Cork, Ireland
    Tue. Aug. 3*
    2:30 pm
    Ireland Select W 11061 
    DCU Arena (897)
    Dublin, Ireland
    Wed. Aug. 4*
    2:30 pm
    Dart Killester W 8862 
    DCU Arena (1,253)
    Dublin, Ireland
    Fri. Aug. 6*
    3:30 pm
    vs. Melbourne Tigers
    Belfast International Basketball Classic
    W 9276 
    Odyssey Arena (3,309)
    Belfast, Northern Ireland
    Sat. Aug. 7*
    12:00 pm
    vs. England National Team
    Belfast International Basketball Classic
    W 8269 
    Odyssey Arena (1,830)
    Belfast, Northern Ireland
    Scrimmage
    Fri. Oct. 22*
    7:00 pm, Comcast Network
    Blue-Gold Scrimmage Petersen Events Center (4,295)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Exhibition
    Sun. Oct. 31*
    2:00 pm, Comcast Network
    No. 5 Northwood (Fl.) W 10462 
    Petersen Events Center (6,240)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Thu. Nov. 4*
    7:00 pm, Comcast Network
    No. 5 No. 2 (Div. II)^ Indiana (Pa.) W 7356 
    Petersen Events Center (6,728)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Regular season
    Mon. Nov. 8*
    7:00 pm, ESPNU
    No. 5 Rhode Island
    2K Sports Classic/Coaches vs. Cancer
    W 8375  10
    Petersen Events Center (9,256)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Wed. Nov. 10*
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    No. 5 Illinois-Chicago
    2K Sports Classic/Coaches vs. Cancer
    W 9754  20
    Petersen Events Center (9,148)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Nov. 13*
    4:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 5 North Florida W 9549  30
    Petersen Events Center (10,052)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Thu. Nov. 18*
    7:00 pm, ESPN2
    No. 5 vs. Maryland
    2K Sports Classic/Coaches vs. Cancer
    W 7970  40
    Madison Square Garden (n/a)
    New York, NY
    Fri. Nov. 19*
    7:35 pm, ESPN2
    No. 5 vs. Texas
    2K Sports Classic/Coaches vs. Cancer Championship
    W 6866  50
    Madison Square Garden (11,723)
    New York City
    Tue. Nov. 23*
    7:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 5 Robert Morris W 7453  60
    Petersen Events Center (10,121)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Nov. 27*
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    No. 5 Penn W 8258  70
    Petersen Events Center (10,594)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Wed. Dec. 1*
    9:00 pm, ESPNU
    No. 3 vs. Duquesne
    The City Game
    W 8066  80
    CONSOL Energy Center (12,860)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Dec. 4*
    2:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 3 Rider W 8768  90
    Petersen Events Center (8,719)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Wed. Dec. 8*
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    No. 3 Delaware State W 7042  100
    Petersen Events Center (8,520)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Dec. 11*
    3:25 pm, ESPN
    No. 3 vs. No. 11 Tennessee
    DirecTV SEC/Big East Invitational
    L 7683  101
    CONSOL Energy Center (15,166)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Dec. 18*
    7:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 8 Maryland Eastern Shore W 9764  111
    Petersen Events Center (9,515)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Wed. Dec. 22*
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    No. 6 American W 6146  121
    Petersen Events Center (9,489)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Mon. Dec. 27
    8:30 pm, ESPN2 Big Monday
    No. 6 No. 4 Connecticut W 7863  131
    (10)
    Petersen Events Center (12,725)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Tue. Jan. 4
    7:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 5 at Providence W 8379  141
    (20)
    Dunkin Donuts Center (9,181)
    Providence, RI
    Sat. Jan. 8
    2:00 pm, ESPN Regional/WTAE-TV, "Big East Game of the Week"
    No. 5 Marquette W 8981  151
    (30)
    Petersen Events Center (11,438)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Wed. Jan. 12
    7:00 pm, ESPN/ESPN2
    No. 5 at No. 22 Georgetown W 7257  161
    (40)
    Verizon Center (15,712)
    Washington, D.C.
    Sat. Jan. 15
    7:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 5 Seton Hall W 7453  171
    (50)
    Petersen Events Center (9,236)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Mon. Jan. 17
    7:30 pm, ESPN
    No. 5 No. 3 Syracuse
    Big Monday
    W 7466  181
    (60)
    Petersen Events Center (12,925)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Jan. 22
    4:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 5 at DePaul W 8050  191
    (70)
    Allstate Arena (8,325)
    Rosemont, IL
    Mon. Jan. 24
    7:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 2 No. 15 Notre Dame
    Big Monday
    L 5156  192
    (71)
    Petersen Events Center (12,591)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Jan. 29
    8:00 pm, ESPN2
    No. 2 at Rutgers W 6562  202
    (81)
    Louis Brown Athletic Center (8,024)
    Piscataway, NJ
    Sat. Feb. 5
    6:00 pm, ESPN Regional/FSN Pittsburgh
    No. 4 Cincinnati W 7159  212
    (91)
    Petersen Events Center (12,615)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Mon. Feb. 7
    7:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 4 at No. 25 West Virginia
    Backyard Brawl, Big Monday
    W 7166  222
    (101)
    WVU Coliseum (14,175)
    Morgantown, WV
    Sat. Feb. 12
    9:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 4 at No. 9 Villanova
    ESPN College GameDay
    W 5754  232
    (111)
    The Pavilion (6,500)
    Villanova, PA
    Wed. Feb. 16
    7:00 pm, ESPN3
    No. 4 South Florida W 6755  242
    (121)
    Petersen Events Center (12,519)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sat. Feb. 19
    12:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 4 at St. John's L 5960  243
    (122)
    Madison Square Garden (14,514)
    New York City
    Thu. Feb. 24
    9:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 4 West Virginia
    Backyard Brawl
    W 7158  253
    (132)
    Petersen Events Center (12,876)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Sun. Feb. 27
    2:00 pm, CBS
    No. 4 at No. 16 Louisville L 5962 OT 254
    (133)
    KFC Yum! Center (22,758)
    Louisville, KY
    Wed. Mar. 2
    9:00 pm, ESPNU
    No. 4 at South Florida W 6650  264
    (143)
    USF Sun Dome (4,640)
    Tampa, FL
    Sat. Mar. 5
    4:00 pm, CBS
    No. 4 No. 19 Villanova W 6050  274
    (153)
    Petersen Events Center (12,843)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Postseason
    Big East Men's Basketball Championship
    Thu. Mar. 10
    12:00 pm, ESPN
    No. 3 (1) vs. No. 21 (9) Connecticut
    Quarterfinal
    L 74–76  275
    Madison Square Garden (19,375)
    New York, NY
    NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship
    Thu. Mar. 17*
    3:10 pm, truTV
    No. 4 (1) vs. No. (16) UNC-Asheville
    Second Round
    W 74–51  28–5
    Verizon Center (17,578)
    Washington, D.C.
    Sat. Mar. 19*
    7:10 pm, TBS
    No. 4 (1) vs. No. (8) Butler
    Third Round
    L 70–71  286
    Verizon Center (18,684)
    Washington, D.C.
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from Division I AP Poll unless otherwise noted.   ^Division II NABC Coaches' Poll.   Postseason ranks represent seeds in the applicable tournament. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

    Rankings

    Ranking Movement
    Legend: ██ Improvement in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. ██ Not ranked the previous week. rv=Others receiving votes.
    PollPreWk 1Wk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Wk 16Wk 17Wk 18Final
    AP 5 5 5 3 3 8 6 6 5 5 5 2 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 n/a
    Coaches 4 4 5 3 3 8 6 6 5 5 4 2 4 4 4 6 5 3 4 12

    Accomplishments

    • Pitt won the 2010 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer tournament championship in November 2010, defeating Maryland in the semifinals and Texas in the finals at Madison Square Garden.
    • Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon won his 200th game with a 61-46 win over American on December 22, 2010. With the victory, Dixon tied the all-time NCAA Division I record held by Mark Few and Roy Williams for the fastest coach to earn 200 wins by achieving the mark in only eight seasons. The achievement of winning his first 200 out of 255 games also ranked Dixon among the all-time top-15 for the quickest coaches to achieve 200 victories in regards to total number of games played.[9]
    • With a win over third ranked and undefeated Syracuse on January 17, 2011, Pitt started the Big East regular season 60 for the first time in school history, and ran its Petersen Events Center record against teams ranked in the top five of the AP Poll to 90.[10]
    • With a win at South Florida on March 2, 2011:[11]
    Pitt clinched at least a share of the Big East Conference regular season championship
    The senior class of Gilbert Brown, Brad Wanamaker and Gary McGhee accumulated the most wins of any class in school history with 109 total wins.
    With his 214th win, head coach Jamie Dixon became the all-time NCAA leader in wins through a coach's first eight seasons.
    Brad Wanamaker became only the second player in school history to score 1,000 points, grab 500 rebounds, and give 400 assists.
    Pitt finished a school record 7-2 in Big East road games
    • With a win over Villanova on March 5, 2011, Pitt won the outright Big East Regular Season Championship and tied a school record for Big East wins with 15.
    • Junior guard Ashton Gibbs was named to the All-Big East first-team and senior guard Brad Wanamaker was named to the All-Big East second team.[12]
    • Senior guard Brad Wanamaker won the Big East Sportsmanship Award.[13]
    • Pitt received a number one seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. The seed represented the third overall seed in the tournament.
    • For the sixth straight year, Pitt won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament, the longest such active streak in the nation.
    • 2010-11: Head coach Jamie Dixon won the Sporting News National Coach of the Year award.[14]
    • Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker were named Associated Press Honorable Mention All-Americans.[15]

    References

    1. "Big East Conference Standings - 2010-11." ESPN.com. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
    2. Hotchkiss, Greg (ed.). "Season Preview". 2010-11 Pitt Men's Basketball Media Guide. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Athletic Media Relations Office. p. 66. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
    3. "Tigers tour of Ireland". Basketball Australia. 2010-08-09. Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
    4. Fittipaldo, Ray (2010-10-20). "Coaches pick Pitt to finish 1st in Big East". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Archived from the original on 23 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
    5. "Preseason Top 25: Defending champion Duke opens at No. 1". USAToday.com. 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
    6. Fittipaldo, Ray (2010-10-28). "Pitt debuts at No. 5 in AP basketball poll". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
    7. Hotchkiss, pg 66–74
    8. http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/pitt-m-baskbl-mtt.html#Alphabetical
    9. "Dixon Ties NCAA Division I Record for Fastest to 200 Career Wins". PittsburghPanthers.com. 2010-12-22. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
    10. Grupp, John (2011-01-18). "No. 5 Pitt sullies Syracuse's record". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
    11. Fittipaldo, Ray (2011-03-02). "Pitt overcomes slow start, dispatches South Florida, 66-50". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
    12. Fittipaldo, Ray (2011-03-07). "Gibbs voted to first team All-Big East". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
    13. Fittipaldo, Ray (2011-03-08). "Pitt's Wanamaker gets 'good award'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
    14. "Sporting News names Dixon national coach of the year". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 2011-03-23. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
    15. Grupp, John (2011-03-28). "Two Pitt guards, PSU senior earn AP All-America honors". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
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