Pittsburgh—Many Duquesne fans were devastated when they heard the news last March: 3rd team All-Conference point guard T.J. McConnell to transfer out of Duquesne. McConnell, who ran Duquesne’s offense the past two years, was also the Atlantic-10 Freshman of the Year in 2011. In addition to McConnell’s departure, the Dukes were plagued with the loss of sophomore guard Mike Talley. At the conclusion of last season, things looked pretty hopeless for the Dukes. Even though the team was undersized ... Read More
Strong Second half Powers Pitt Past Lehigh
After blowout wins in their opening two games, Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers were sure to be tested more by a very good Lehigh team. And tested they were. For a half. Led by Tray Woodall and Talib Zanna, the Panthers came out of the locker room smoking hot in the second half and turned a close game into a route, defeating the Mountain Hawks 78-53 in Preseason NIT action at the Petersen Events Center. “That’s a very good team,” Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said. ‘I thought all 10 of us ... Read More
Panthers Get Up Close Look at Lehigh’s McCollum
On paper, an early season tilt between a perennial Big East Conference power in Pitt and a Lehigh out of the Patriot League screams mismatch. But that won't exactly be true when the Panthers and Mountain Hawks meet Tuesday night in the second round of the Preseason NIT at the Petersen Events Center. The reason why is fairly simple- Lehigh's C.J. McCollum. Lehigh returns 82 percent of their scoring and 80 percent of their rebounding from a team that upset Duke in last year's NCAA ... Read More
John Johnson No Longer a Member of Pitt Basketball Team
Pitt sophomore guard John Johnson expressed his frustrations with not playing in Friday's opener against Mount St. Mary's. That has led to Johnson no longer being a member of the Pitt team as the Panthers prepared to begin the Preseason NIT against Fordham on Monday night. Johnson didn't show up for practice or shoot around and Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said during his postgame press conference that Johnson would be transferring from the program. "I talked to John a few times over the ... Read More
Pitt Looks Strong Again; Cruises Past Fordham
The Pitt Panthers men’s basketball team opened up the season in impressive fashion, with a school record performance from the floor. As they opened up the Preseason NIT against Fordham, Jamie Dixon’s Panthers weren’t nearly that efficient shooting the ball, but still shot well enough to cruise to an 86-51 victory and advance to the tournament’s next round. It was the same recipe as the Pitt’s opening win against Mount St. Mary’s. “I was really pleased with our effort and the results,” ... Read More
Chris Jones and Aron Nwankwo Likely to Redshirt for Panthers
One tidbit, though expected, that came from Jamie Dixon's initial postgame press conference was the fact that guard-forward Chris Jones and forward Aron Nwankwo will both likely redshirt this season. "I liked what I saw from us tonight and I like how deep we are as a team," said Dixon after the Panthers defeated Mount St. Mary's. "That will make it an easier decision to probably redshirt Chris and Aron this season." Jones is a true freshman from Teaneck, N.J. who didn't sign with the ... Read More
Pitt Set to Host Preseason NIT
Jamie Dixon and the Pitt basketball team get back at it tonight when the Preseason NIT tips-off at the Petersen Events Center. After a record-setting performance from the floor in their season opening win against Mount St. Mary's, Pitt will attempt to duplicate the results in their first round matchup against Fordham, the first game of the evening. While it is doubtful that Dixon's Panthers shoot anywhere near the 71 percent they did on Friday against the Mountaineers, it should prove ... Read More
Dukes Come up Short Again, Despite Late Scoring Run
Washington— The Duquesne Dukes fell to 0-2 in a hard-fought, physical basketball game Sunday night. Sean Johnson led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, while Georgetown’s D’Vauntes Smith-Riviera finished with 19. Although physical, the Hoyas season opener proved to be a sloppy one. Duquesne finished with 14 turnovers to Georgetown’s 17. The visiting Dukes shot a lousy 4-24 (16.7 percent) from three-point range. Duquesne was able to jump out to a short-lived 8-5 lead in the early ... Read More
Duquesne falls by three in season opener
The Jim Ferry era opened with a loss Friday night at the SEFCU Arena in Albany, NY. In what Ferry would describe as an ugly basketball game, the Dukes found their freshmen doing a lot of the scoring. Derrick Colter led all scorers with 17 points, while fellow freshman Quevyn Winters came off the bench with 15. Winters also came down with 11 rebounds to complete the double-double. Duquesne came out with two freshmen in the starting lineup, Colter and Jeremiah Jones. When playing on the road ... Read More
Pitt Wins Opener Behind Record Setting Performance
The Pitt Men’s Basketball team opened the 2012-13 season Friday night and did it in a big way. Many people questioned how well the Pitt offense would perform, but if Friday night is any indication, it will be just fine. The Panthers jumped out to a 42-27 first half lead, thanks to an impressive performance shooting the basketball. Pitt shared the basketball well and knocked down 71 percent (34-of-48) of their shots on the night, en route to an 80-48 victory over Mount St. Mary’s. The ... Read More