I posted something a few weeks showing how these three freshman have basically outperformed all of the previous freshmen during the Howland/Dixon era (save for Dejuan).
What this, let's go back to the last year's of Williard and first year's of Ben. First of all, we need to frame this with the fact that while Pitt BB had some elite talent in the 80's and early 90's, it was nowhere near a great basketball program. Unlike what we have seen at Pitt between 2002-2011, when we averaged like 26 wins a year. So you had a lot of patience and low expectations with this fanbase compared to now. We were never a 1 seed, never reached #1 in the polls, never was a regular in the top 10 let alone top 5 like we were.
So let's look at those years, and see what we have in front of us.
1997-1998: Pitt finished 11-16 overall, 6-12 in the Big East. Vonteego was a Jr on that team. Isaac Hawkins was a Soph, Ricky Greer was a Fr (but I forget if he was a true or a RS Frosh), Jarrett Lockhart was a Soph, Kelli Taylor was a Soph. So Pitt had some talent, but really aside from Hawkins, no inside presence. This was not a good team, but I think we can all argue they had more talent than this team and last year's team.
1998-1999: Pitt finished 14-16 overall, 5-13 in the Big East. Vonteego was a Sr here. Isaac Hawkins a Jr, and Ricky Greer a Soph. All of these guys averaged over 12 points a game. Atilla Crosby, Jarrett Lockhart and Kelli Taylor also were on this team, they all averaged at or above 8 ppg. So again, you had some talent here. Also, this team had those noted Eagle Scout, Fast Freddie Primus and Chris Seabrooks as Fr. But man, 5-13 in the Big East? The highlight of the year was knocking off 13th Xavier then 4th ranked Kentucky in some early season tourney. the Ralph Williard came to an end in opening rd of the Big East Tourney, with a pedestrian loss to Rutgers.
Ben Arrives!!! Ben Howland and company obviously inherited a much, much, MUCH better situation than what Jeff Capel did.
1999-2000: Pitt finished 13-15 overall, 5-13 in the Big East. Vonteego graduated to the NBA. Issac Hawkins (need confirmation) I believe was academically ineligible this year. So this is Ricky Greer's team, he had a great year 18.1 ppg, 9.8rpg. Chris Seabrooks took over at the 5. Jarrett Lockhart finished his Sr year avg 12 points. Two freshmen had some impact, Brandin Knight had a really solid freshman year 8.5 ppg 5.5 apg and Donatas Zavakas also was a big contributor. But this was more of the same, a thin team, not deep. Greer carried them.
2000-2001: Pitt finished 19-14 overall, 7-9 in the Big East. NIT Berth. This is where it all changed. This year, in March. Pitt made that improbable run to the BET title game, which would start an amazing streak. Pitt in the regular season finished a pedestrian 15-12 and 5th place in the Big East West (remember there were divisions then). Ricky Greer was a Sr, he averaged 16.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg. Issac Hawkins also came back for his Sr year contributing 9.3 ppg and 7.9 rpg. Brandin had a statistical year that matched his Fr year, Donuts averaged around 8ppg. But two Freshman came on to the scene and made an impact. Julius Page averaged 9.1ppg and Jaron Brown came on to be a versatile sub.
Here's the difference. You can argue XJ, Trey and Au'diese is Brandin, Julius and JB. But next year, where is our Ricky Greer? Where is our Issac Hawkins? My point here is man, we were absolutely rock bottom with what Capel took over. Far worse than we were back then.
Just for fun.
2001-2002: Pitt finished 29-6 overall, 13-3 in the Big East and Sweet 16 NCAA Tourney berth. NONE of us saw this coming. Not yet, yeah the next year (2002-03) we all saw that as being the year. Pitt didn't appear in the AP poll until January 8th. It fell out came back in and fell back out and in mid February was there to stay, 14, 11, 10, 7 going into the NCAA's and final of 9.
Brandin and Julius became one of the elite backcourts in the nation. BK avgd 15.6, 5.5 rpg and 7.8apg!!! Julius averaged 12.2 ppg. DZ 11.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg. JB 9.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg 2.3 apg. We rode a 2 headed physical Center OLett and Torree Morris to 12.5 ppg and 8 rpg and 20 fouls per game! Chevy Troutman came onto the scene and contributed more and more and this program was off and running.
I don't think it is going to happen this quickly. We badly need guys who can come in and contribute. We are limited to what impact these guys may have, unless we get a few top 50 kids, even then you don't know. This is a process, and it is going to be longer than we want to think. I am fine with that. You can see above the challenge the Howland/Dixon group had when they took over, but that was easy street to what Capel and company have had to take over.
What this, let's go back to the last year's of Williard and first year's of Ben. First of all, we need to frame this with the fact that while Pitt BB had some elite talent in the 80's and early 90's, it was nowhere near a great basketball program. Unlike what we have seen at Pitt between 2002-2011, when we averaged like 26 wins a year. So you had a lot of patience and low expectations with this fanbase compared to now. We were never a 1 seed, never reached #1 in the polls, never was a regular in the top 10 let alone top 5 like we were.
So let's look at those years, and see what we have in front of us.
1997-1998: Pitt finished 11-16 overall, 6-12 in the Big East. Vonteego was a Jr on that team. Isaac Hawkins was a Soph, Ricky Greer was a Fr (but I forget if he was a true or a RS Frosh), Jarrett Lockhart was a Soph, Kelli Taylor was a Soph. So Pitt had some talent, but really aside from Hawkins, no inside presence. This was not a good team, but I think we can all argue they had more talent than this team and last year's team.
1998-1999: Pitt finished 14-16 overall, 5-13 in the Big East. Vonteego was a Sr here. Isaac Hawkins a Jr, and Ricky Greer a Soph. All of these guys averaged over 12 points a game. Atilla Crosby, Jarrett Lockhart and Kelli Taylor also were on this team, they all averaged at or above 8 ppg. So again, you had some talent here. Also, this team had those noted Eagle Scout, Fast Freddie Primus and Chris Seabrooks as Fr. But man, 5-13 in the Big East? The highlight of the year was knocking off 13th Xavier then 4th ranked Kentucky in some early season tourney. the Ralph Williard came to an end in opening rd of the Big East Tourney, with a pedestrian loss to Rutgers.
Ben Arrives!!! Ben Howland and company obviously inherited a much, much, MUCH better situation than what Jeff Capel did.
1999-2000: Pitt finished 13-15 overall, 5-13 in the Big East. Vonteego graduated to the NBA. Issac Hawkins (need confirmation) I believe was academically ineligible this year. So this is Ricky Greer's team, he had a great year 18.1 ppg, 9.8rpg. Chris Seabrooks took over at the 5. Jarrett Lockhart finished his Sr year avg 12 points. Two freshmen had some impact, Brandin Knight had a really solid freshman year 8.5 ppg 5.5 apg and Donatas Zavakas also was a big contributor. But this was more of the same, a thin team, not deep. Greer carried them.
2000-2001: Pitt finished 19-14 overall, 7-9 in the Big East. NIT Berth. This is where it all changed. This year, in March. Pitt made that improbable run to the BET title game, which would start an amazing streak. Pitt in the regular season finished a pedestrian 15-12 and 5th place in the Big East West (remember there were divisions then). Ricky Greer was a Sr, he averaged 16.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg. Issac Hawkins also came back for his Sr year contributing 9.3 ppg and 7.9 rpg. Brandin had a statistical year that matched his Fr year, Donuts averaged around 8ppg. But two Freshman came on to the scene and made an impact. Julius Page averaged 9.1ppg and Jaron Brown came on to be a versatile sub.
Here's the difference. You can argue XJ, Trey and Au'diese is Brandin, Julius and JB. But next year, where is our Ricky Greer? Where is our Issac Hawkins? My point here is man, we were absolutely rock bottom with what Capel took over. Far worse than we were back then.
Just for fun.
2001-2002: Pitt finished 29-6 overall, 13-3 in the Big East and Sweet 16 NCAA Tourney berth. NONE of us saw this coming. Not yet, yeah the next year (2002-03) we all saw that as being the year. Pitt didn't appear in the AP poll until January 8th. It fell out came back in and fell back out and in mid February was there to stay, 14, 11, 10, 7 going into the NCAA's and final of 9.
Brandin and Julius became one of the elite backcourts in the nation. BK avgd 15.6, 5.5 rpg and 7.8apg!!! Julius averaged 12.2 ppg. DZ 11.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg. JB 9.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg 2.3 apg. We rode a 2 headed physical Center OLett and Torree Morris to 12.5 ppg and 8 rpg and 20 fouls per game! Chevy Troutman came onto the scene and contributed more and more and this program was off and running.
I don't think it is going to happen this quickly. We badly need guys who can come in and contribute. We are limited to what impact these guys may have, unless we get a few top 50 kids, even then you don't know. This is a process, and it is going to be longer than we want to think. I am fine with that. You can see above the challenge the Howland/Dixon group had when they took over, but that was easy street to what Capel and company have had to take over.
