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Pittsburgh Panthers (2001: 19-14)

The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I teams, be sure to order the 2001-02 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.

Program overview

Ben Howland can't wait for that new arena to open up at Pittsburgh. It's going to be great. There will be luxury suites on the court level. It will seat 12,600, nearly twice what creaking Fitzgerald Field House can accommodate.

Yes, sir, the John and Gertrude Peterson Events Center will be state-of-the-art. In fact, it will be the best on-campus arena in the Big East.

"It will be spectacular," Howland said.

If things keep going the way they are, Howland will have a team quite worthy of its new digs. After just two seasons at Pitt, the former Northern Arizona boss has created some excitement in a program that had stagnated for several years.

And while contention for the Big East title and the magic of an NCAA Tournament run remain off in the future, the Panthers have served notice that they can become something formidable, in time.

Pittsburgh made a resounding statement in last year's Big East Tournament, with a four-day run that almost ended in miraculous fashion. The Panthers defeated Miami, Notre Dame and Syracuse to reach the tournament final, against Boston College.

Although BC prevailed in the title game, 79-57, over a Pitt team that was clearly out of gas, the late run secured an NIT berth for Howland and Co. and provided a nice send-off for seniors Ricardo Greer and Isaac Hawkins. Despite playing with a short bench and an extremely young roster (Greer and Hawkins excluded), the Panthers were able to stage a pretty impressive late rally and grab some postseason time.

Backcourt

One of the reasons for optimism this year is the return of 6-0 junior point man Brandin Knight (9.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.5 apg), entering his third year as a starter.

This year's challenge for him will be to become a more potent offensive weapon. He continued to struggle from the field (38.7 percent), three-point range (25.8 percent) and the free-throw line (60.9 percent) last year, numbers which all must come up considerably, if the Panthers are to be capable of beating the league's better teams on a consistent basis.

Knight is a strong defender and a war horse capable of handling many minutes. It's possible his production and percentages will improve this year, thanks to the arrival of freshman Tony Tate, who should be able to log some minutes at the point.

The 6-0 Tate, from Marist High School in Jersey City, N.J., played two years at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, before transferring to Marist, where he was an all-county selection. He's not a future star, but he could be a solid player.

The Panthers would like to have added 6-2 freshman Carl Krauser, from St. Thomas More (Conn.) Prep and Notre Dame Prep in the Bronx, to the roster. But Krauser is a partial qualifier who can practice this year but not play.

The two-spot belongs to 6-3 sophomore Julius Page (9.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg), who flashed the ability to score well last year as a complement to Greer. Page had 18 at Georgetown and 17 against both Penn State and Robert Morris. Page needs to improve his accuracy and get to the free-throw line more.

He is also impressed with 6-4 sophomore Jaron Brown (4.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg). Though more of a slasher than a scorer, Brown is good on the boards and on the defensive end.

With Greer gone, Brown has a chance to grab a starting spot on the wing, provided he improves his offensive repertoire.

Expect to see rugged 6-5 senior Chad Johnson (4.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg) on the wing, too. The Nebraska transfer struggled some last year but never quit on the defensive end. His challenge in his final year of college ball is to become a more consistent offensive player.

The Panther perimeter gets a boost from 6-4 redshirt freshman Yuri Demetris, From Shaler Area High School in Glenshaw, Pa., Demetris sat out last year because the Panthers had depth on the wing, and Howland didn't want him to waste a season on the bench.

Frontcourt

The loss of Hawkins puts pressure on the two frontcourt holdovers and makes it essential that newcomers Chevy Troutman and Mark McCarroll step up immediately.

The one proven commodity up front is 6-8 junior forward Donatas Zavackas (7.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg). Zavackas got stronger over the spring and has the potential to become a 10-15 points per game man. Howland doesn't have to worry about the Lithuanian's heart, however.

The other returnee is 6-10, 280-pound sophomore Toree Morris (2.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg), who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his one start last year (Seton Hall).

By the end of last season, Morris was seeing about 15 minutes a game and helping out in the middle. His challenge this year is to improve his conditioning so he can stay on the floor longer.

The inside game gets a big boost from Troutman, who sat out last year to help his conversion from an inside banger to more of a wing. Though 6-7 and 230 pounds, Troutman showed he could shoot it from the outside during his season off and could have a big impact in 2001-02. Troutman scored 1,563 points and grabbed 1,128 rebounds during his prep career.

The final piece up front is 6-10 redshirt freshman McCarroll from Milford (Conn.) Academy and Christ the King High School in Queens, N.Y. McCarroll played 10 minutes of one game last year before succumbing to a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the season.

Bottom line

The Panthers may have to step back a bit this year with a young team that features just one senior and only 10 scholarship players on the bench.

Although Howland is happy with all the components on the team, he doesn't have that many bodies available. And those that are available are quite young. With four freshmen and three sophomores among his main men, Howland will have to be patient.

The wing brigade of Knight, Page, Brown and Demetris has promise, but it needs to be consistent and handle the responsibilities of leading the way on the perimeter. Without Greer, Pitt has no main scorer, so someone must step up, or a committee has to be formed.

Troutman will team with Zavackas up front in a good starting forward tandem, but McCarroll and Morris have to provide some stability and minutes, or the Panthers will be worn down inside by most of their Big East rivals.

Howland is right to be excited, particularly after what the Panthers accomplished last year, but the program needs some more time to grow and mature. Another recruiting class, followed by continued experience, will help Pittsburgh become a Big East competitor.

The new building beckons, but Pitt isn't quite ready for those bright lights. Chances are, however, it will be. Just wait.