We’ve had so many good players from NYC over the years, and you can add Femi and Justin to the list. We should always make that area a priority.
Pitt and NYC Players
- Thread starter TheSpecialSauce
- Start date
Amen. NYC area, including NJ right across the river. Pitt should always have a presence in that general area.
The last 25 years: Brandin Knight, Carl Krauser, Chris Taft, Levance Fields, Tyrell Biggs, Ronald Ramon, Keith Benjamin, Ashton Gibbs, Tray Woodall, Femi, Champagnie, Horton, etc ... I know that I am missing an obvious one or two ...
Yeah, I've said this when we were recruiting the Champagnies, when we were recruiting Odukale, and every other time that we target a player from NYC. We absolutely need to live there, we have such a great history from New York and the local competition isn't offering a ton of resistance.
I thought that we agreed never to talk about Epps? 😄
Jerry Mac and Jarrett Lockhart were about 25 years ago as well.
He is hard to remember, honestly. Went from a top 40 prospect to out of basketball (I think) like 3 years into college. Odd, odd story.
First of all you usually have to have coaches with
a background from the NYC area for obvious
reasons. Capel and his brother are from N.C. and
have ACC roots. Milan Brown is originally from
Virginia, went to Howard U. and coached in the
mid atlantic area.
Tim O'toole on the other hand, is from Westchester
County (White Plains). He's coached in that area as
an assistant at Iona and Fordham, and as a h.c. at
Fairfield (Conn.). He has roots there, but how that
relates to NYC Bball is unknown to me. Basically
you have to have contacts with NYC AAU programs
and h.s. coaches and programs. Slice for example
was a New Yorker and in touch with those very
programs. BK would have those contacts.
My guess is head coach Capel has as many contacts
there as O'toole because of his time at Duke.
IMO, if we could hit NYC/NJ and the Philly area,
and land some recruits from there, we'd be doing
very well. I do think the ACC and our staff gives
us a presence in the mid atlantic area where there
are plenty of talented players.
a background from the NYC area for obvious
reasons. Capel and his brother are from N.C. and
have ACC roots. Milan Brown is originally from
Virginia, went to Howard U. and coached in the
mid atlantic area.
Tim O'toole on the other hand, is from Westchester
County (White Plains). He's coached in that area as
an assistant at Iona and Fordham, and as a h.c. at
Fairfield (Conn.). He has roots there, but how that
relates to NYC Bball is unknown to me. Basically
you have to have contacts with NYC AAU programs
and h.s. coaches and programs. Slice for example
was a New Yorker and in touch with those very
programs. BK would have those contacts.
My guess is head coach Capel has as many contacts
there as O'toole because of his time at Duke.
IMO, if we could hit NYC/NJ and the Philly area,
and land some recruits from there, we'd be doing
very well. I do think the ACC and our staff gives
us a presence in the mid atlantic area where there
are plenty of talented players.
O'Toole has extensive connections in NYC/NJ. He has coached at Seton Hall and Syracuse previously. He recruited Champagnie for Pitt. Maybe Femi too, I cannot recall.
Pitt should most definitely have a presence there. Past success and now Champ and Femi. Wish Pitt hired their DOB from there or DMV, let's say, but hopefully Capel and staff can get their foot-in-the-door from recruiting their for the past 2+ years.
O'Toole needs to make an impact there.
Looks like this staff so far has a skill set finding 3 stars that playb way better than their rankings.
Xj, Champ, Femi.... there's been 1 every year so far.
Feel free to toss in Clyde Vaughan from Mt. Vernon and Eric Mobley from New Rochelle.
Absolutely!
I was just going along with the 25 year timeframe. Orlando Antigua was a decent player as well.
Mt. Vernon (lower Westchester County, (right outside
of NYC). Maybe the best h.s. team I've ever seen:
Gus Williams....NBA career
Ray Williams....NBA career
Sam Williams.....starting pg at U of San Francisco
Earl Tatum,,,,,,,,NBA career
Rudy Hackett... a few years in ABA, starting
center, Syracuse Final Four team
This was the starting five on a Mt Vernon
team that was on an entirely different level.
Four players became pros, the fifth started
as a Div1 pg. They all were great Div1 college
players. Gus, Ray, and Tatum were starters
on their NBA teams.
