Update and Details on the Summer Pro-Am Event ...

[DT_PITT]

It's on ...

Before I get into the schedule, I'm putting out a request for help. We need 3-4 folks to help with score/stat keeping for the event. Anyone interested in helping can e-mail me at dt_pitt@yahoo.com

There will be 8 teams in the event with no more than 7-8 players per team. At this point, all of the Pitt players should be participating, as well as players from Duquesne and Robert Morris (don't know if any will be missing from these teams). I don't know one way or another about the Youngstown State players yet, but it doesn't look like the WVU players will be there (although that's not final).

What could make this Pro-Am solid is a strong representation from the Pro category. If I'm not mistaken, some older solid players such as Jokim Donaldson, Nick Novak and Lance Jeter are on board. There are some other really good names in the mix, but are not yet confirmed. As soon as I know, I will post them.

The set up should go as follows. At Montour High School, on July 6, 11 and 13, there will be four games -- two each at 7:00pm and 8:15pmn. The 8 teams will play in two pools, and the teams will play 3 games total against the other teams in their pool. This will set up the playoff round on Monday & Tuesday the following week (July 18 &19) with the Championship on July 20.

The Pittsburgh Basketball Club is still working on a "pre-event" night on Wednesday, June 29, including an introduction of all of the players, and perhaps a shooting and/or slam dunk contest. I hope this will happen, but it's far from set at this point.

I hope you will be able to come and see some of the games.

 

[DT_PITT]

I'm still looking for help to keep stats. It's kind of fun, as it's a nice chance to meet and talk with the players.

I don't have any new details of some of the pros who will be there. I'll probably get some information this week.

 

[ameoba defense]

I'm still looking for help to keep stats. It's kind of fun, as it's a nice chance to meet and talk with the players.

I don't have any new details of some of the pros who will be there. I'll probably get some information this week.

Have you asked for help on the RMU and Duquesne boards? Maybe some of their fans would like to help.

 

[Atch]

Have you asked for help on the RMU and Duquesne boards? Maybe some of their fans would like to help.

Duquesne has a board?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Duquesne has a board?

Robert Morris has a board?

 

[ameoba defense]

Robert Morris has a board?

https://robertmorris.forums.rivals.com/forums/the-free-forum.6/

http://duquesnefans.boardhost.com/viewforum.php?id=1
The RMU forum isn't that busy, but the Duquesne forum is fairly active.

 

[DT_PITT]

A couple of updates ...

The "pre-event" night (June 29) will not happen. I believe there will be some player introductions on July 6, however.

Couple other confirmed players include former Duquesne standout Bill Clark, and Zeke Marshall from Akron.

Still waiting on some other confirmations.

 

[ameoba defense]

RPI friendly schedule. Bunch of decent, but not great teams that Pitt should beat. The group in NYC is pretty decent though. SMU looks to be the best of the bunch. Wish we were playing them in Pittsburgh. Those 3 would all look good on a regular ooc schedule.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Just some advice.

Stagger the start times.

Why would you do competing 7:00 and 8:15 games simultaneously?

Maybe do 6:45 and 8:00 on 1 court and 7:15 and 8:30 on the other so fans can move courts during halftime and between games.

 

[DT_PITT]

Just some advice.

Stagger the start times.

Why would you do competing 7:00 and 8:15 games simultaneously?

Maybe do 6:45 and 8:00 on 1 court and 7:15 and 8:30 on the other so fans can move courts during halftime and between games.

l'll pass your suggestion along.

 

[DT_PITT]

A couple of updates ...

The "pre-event" night (June 29) will not happen. I believe there will be some player introductions on July 6, however.

Couple other confirmed players include former Duquesne standout Bill Clark, and Zeke Marshall from Akron.

Still waiting on some other confirmations.

Chevy Troutman will be coming again!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

l'll pass your suggestion along.

A fan could arrive at 6:45, watch the 1st half, leave that court at halftime in time for the 7:15 tip, go back to the 6:45 game for the end of it, then watch the 2nd half of the 7:15 game. Will many people do that? Probably not but it gives fans the option especially with Pitt players being spread across more teams.

 

[mo cheeks]

Isn't Bill clark almost 50 years old ?

 

[ameoba defense]

Isn't Bill clark almost 50 years old ?

I think he may be deceased. If he's not, he's about 58. He graduated from 5th Ave. in 1976. They're probably talking about the kid who played under Ron Everhart. He's probably about 29-30.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

They're probably talking about the kid who played under Ron Everhart. He's probably about 29-30.

When Bill Clark graduated from Duquesne he was in their all time top ten in both scoring and rebounding. Had a couple good game against us too. He was a pretty good college basketball player. Gotta be in his late 20s.

 

[DT_PITT]

When Bill Clark graduated from Duquesne he was in their all time top ten in both scoring and rebounding. Had a couple good game against us too. He was a pretty good college basketball player. Gotta be in his late 20s.

Well, it doesn't matter now, as I learned today that Bill Clark won't be playing after all.

On the other hand, John Degroat and Ashton Gibbs will be. Couple other nice possibilities are still out there.

 

[InfoManiac]

Why doesn't krauser participate? He's always around.

 

[DT_PITT]

Why doesn't krauser participate? He's always around.

Hmm ... don't know.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

When Bill Clark graduated from Duquesne he was in their all time top ten in both scoring and rebounding. Had a couple good game against us too. He was a pretty good college basketball player. Gotta be in his late 20s.

I thought Clark was very good. I kinda though JJ Moore would be a better Bill Clark as they had similar style games but he wasnt anywhere close.

That Duq team with Clark, Damion Saunders, TJM, Eric Evans, etc that made the A10 Final was probably their best team in 20 years.

 

[DT_PITT]

I thought Clark was very good. I kinda though JJ Moore would be a better Bill Clark as they had similar style games but he wasnt anywhere close.

That Duq team with Clark, Damion Saunders, TJM, Eric Evans, etc that made the A10 Final was probably their best team in 20 years.

I don't follow Duquesne Basketball very closely, but I do know that in the 31 including the 1980-1981 season to the 2011-2012 season, the Dukes have had 6 seasons with a record over .500 and Ron Everhart had 4 of them. And they haven't gone over .500 since he left.

Why did they get rid of him?

 

[ameoba defense]

I thought Clark was very good. I kinda though JJ Moore would be a better Bill Clark as they had similar style games but he wasnt anywhere close.

That Duq team with Clark, Damion Saunders, TJM, Eric Evans, etc that made the A10 Final was probably their best team in 20 years.

I thought Clark was very good. I kinda though JJ Moore would be a better Bill Clark as they had similar style games but he wasnt anywhere close.

That Duq team with Clark, Damion Saunders, TJM, Eric Evans, etc that made the A10 Final was probably their best team in 20 years.

TJ wasn't on that team, that was the Aaron Jackson team. I know, because I've been wishing since 2009 that we had had Jackson on the team that lost to Villanova.

That was their best team since the one that lost to Pitt in the E8 Final in 1981. They have been down a loooong time. When I was a kid, the big names used to come in to play them at the Arena. This was when Pitt was still playing CMU home and home (wth), and actually losing to them. If Billy Knight doesn't come to Pitt, I don't know that we're on this board. Knight coming to Pitt was every bit as big for Pitt hoops as Dorsett was for Pitt football.

 

[CrazyPaco]

TJ wasn't on that team, that was the Aaron Jackson team. I know, because I've been wishing since 2009 that we had had Jackson on the team that lost to Villanova.

That was their best team since the one that lost to Pitt in the E8 Final in 1981. They have been down a loooong time. When I was a kid, the big names used to come in to play them at the Arena. This was when Pitt was still playing CMU home and home (wth), and actually losing to them. If Billy Knight doesn't come to Pitt, I don't know that we're on this board. Knight coming to Pitt was every bit as big for Pitt hoops as Dorsett was for Pitt football.

A little hyperbole there. Since 1961, the year the Civic Arena opened, Pitt has been 21-1 against CMU. The lone loss was a four point road loss in 1969...and Pitt had beat them by 30 at home a month prior that season. Many of the games during that era were fairly serious blowouts. Only 3 of Pitt's wins were under double digits. Pitt wasn't completely forlorn in the 60s...it made the NCAA tournament in 1963 (25 team field) and the NIT in '64.

Pitt and Tech played at least twice a year from 1924 until 1971 and even shared conference membership for a few years. It had been a neighborhood rivalry. There were only two NCAA Divisions. The football programs were bitter rivals until WWII.

If Billy Knight doesn't come to Pitt, Charles Smith and Jerome Lane still do. Billy Knight didn't get Pitt into the Big East.

 

[ameoba defense]

A little hyperbole there. Since 1961, the year the Civic Arena opened, Pitt has been 21-1 against CMU. The lone loss was a four point road loss...they beat them by 30 at home a month prior that season. Most games during that era were fairly serious blowouts. Only 3 of Pitt's 21 wins were under double digits. Pitt also made the NCAA tournament in 1963 (25 team field) and the NIT in '64.

Pitt and Tech played at least twice a year from 1924 until 1971 and even shared conference membership for a few years. It had been a neighborhood rivalry. There were only two NCAA Divisions. The football programs were bitter rivals until WWII.

Pitt actually had a good run under Bob Timmons from the late 50s (Don Hennon) through the early 60s (Brian Generalovich), but man did the bottom drop out in the mid to late 60s, just like in football. This was the era when Pitt was in great financial difficulties, so I don't know what role that might have played. The timing was horrible as well. In the late 60s, the Nits became a national power, just as Pitt was hitting the skids. Duquesne had been strong in hoops for decades, but entered an upward trend just when Pitt was collapsing. It had to look bleak for Pitt athletics, that's why it's amazing that in half a decade, both programs were on their feet, and having their best seasons since before WW2.

As for CMU, I know the history, but the home and homes should have stopped 20 years earlier. A major program can't play games like that. We sometimes question playing the Dukes on a neutral court, but at least they're still a program playing in a top 7-8 league.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Pitt actually had a good run under Bob Timmons from the late 50s (Don Hennon) through the early 60s (Brian Generalovich), but man did the bottom drop out in the mid to late 60s, just like in football. This was the era when Pitt was in great financial difficulties, so I don't know what role that might have played. The timing was horrible as well. In the late 60s, the Nits became a national power, just as Pitt was hitting the skids. Duquesne had been strong in hoops for decades, but entered an upward trend just when Pitt was collapsing. It had to look bleak for Pitt athletics, that's why it's amazing that in half a decade, both programs were on their feet, and having their best seasons since before WW2.

As for CMU, I know the history, but the home and homes should have stopped 20 years earlier. A major program can't play games like that. We sometimes question playing the Dukes on a neutral court, but at least they're still a program playing in a top 7-8 league.

There was no RPI back then. Pitt was an independent. Calling Pitt a major basketball program during that era is debatable. More like a mid-major. Playing CMU certainly didn't keep Pitt out of any postseason. Duquesne played Carnegie Tech home and home until 1963. I don't think Pitt playing CMU h&h was really much of an issue for the program in the 1960s.

 

[ameoba defense]

A little hyperbole there. Since 1961, the year the Civic Arena opened, Pitt has been 21-1 against CMU. The lone loss was a four point road loss in 1969...and Pitt had beat them by 30 at home a month prior that season. Many of the games during that era were fairly serious blowouts. Only 3 of Pitt's wins were under double digits. Pitt wasn't completely forlorn in the 60s...it made the NCAA tournament in 1963 (25 team field) and the NIT in '64.

Pitt and Tech played at least twice a year from 1924 until 1971 and even shared conference membership for a few years. It had been a neighborhood rivalry. There were only two NCAA Divisions. The football programs were bitter rivals until WWII.

If Billy Knight doesn't come to Pitt, Charles Smith and Jerome Lane still do. Billy Knight didn't get Pitt into the Big East.

Billy Knight opened the doors for Pitt to be an attractive place for local kids. If Pitt doesn't have that 1974 season, it's very doubtful Mel Bennett, Sam Clancy etc. come to Pitt. Knight really opened the door for local black players to choose Pitt. Talking to older black guys, prior to Knight, Duquesne basically owned black Pittsburgh. Pitt had never had a black star before Knight, while Duquesne had put several black players in the pros. If Pitt doesn't land those players, they may have never gotten into the BE. There was some resistance to Pitt joining anyway, but the fact that Pitt had a soild program is really what gave them the edge over the Nits when they were forced to add a football school in order to keep Cuse. Had Pitt been weak back in 1981, the BE may have well chosen PSU over Pitt. Of course you never know how things might have played out. Without Knight, maybe Ridl eventually gets fired, and Pitt goes out and hires some young guy named Mike Krzyzewski. You just never know.

 

[magadog]

Billy Knight opened the doors for Pitt to be an attractive place for local kids. If Pitt doesn't have that 1974 season, it's very doubtful Mel Bennett, Sam Clancy etc. come to Pitt. Knight really opened the door for local black players to choose Pitt. Talking to older black guys, prior to Knight, Duquesne basically owned black Pittsburgh. Pitt had never had a black star before Knight, while Duquesne had put several black players in the pros. If Pitt doesn't land those players, they may have never gotten into the BE. There was some resistance to Pitt joining anyway, but the fact that Pitt had a soild program is really what gave them the edge over the Nits when they were forced to add a football school in order to keep Cuse. Had Pitt been weak back in 1981, the BE may have well chosen PSU over Pitt. Of course you never know how things might have played out. Without Knight, maybe Ridl eventually gets fired, and Pitt goes out and hires some young guy named Mike Krzyzewski. You just never know.

When the Big East was started, Dave Gavitt plan was to add schools in urban area to maximize the television revenue. Penn State was never in the equation...they tried, but didn't make the cut.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Billy Knight opened the doors for Pitt to be an attractive place for local kids. If Pitt doesn't have that 1974 season, it's very doubtful Mel Bennett, Sam Clancy etc. come to Pitt. Knight really opened the door for local black players to choose Pitt. Talking to older black guys, prior to Knight, Duquesne basically owned black Pittsburgh. Pitt had never had a black star before Knight, while Duquesne had put several black players in the pros. If Pitt doesn't land those players, they may have never gotten into the BE. There was some resistance to Pitt joining anyway, but the fact that Pitt had a soild program is really what gave them the edge over the Nits when they were forced to add a football school in order to keep Cuse. Had Pitt been weak back in 1981, the BE may have well chosen PSU over Pitt. Of course you never know how things might have played out. Without Knight, maybe Ridl eventually gets fired, and Pitt goes out and hires some young guy named Mike Krzyzewski. You just never know.

No, Pitt got in to keep PSU from ripping apart the young conference for the JoePa League. It was entirely a defensive move to block Paterno. It was absolutely never a Pitt vs PSU decision for the Big East. Pitt getting into the BE had very little to do with how competitive the basketball program was. It wasn't like Pitt was a power then. It finished 4th in the Eastern 8 the season prior to when it accepted an invite in the fall of 1981. It really had just gotten hot in the conference tournament in '81. Pitt never finished higher than 3rd in the Eastern Eight regular season standings and never cracked the top 25 while in it.

Not to take anything away from Knight, and it is impossible to definitively play historical hypotheticals, but your hypothesis is a stretch at best.

 

[CrazyPaco]

When the Big East was started, Dave Gavitt plan was to add schools in urban area to maximize the television revenue. Penn State was never in the equation...they tried, but didn't make the cut.

Right, which they tried to do right after they abandoned the Eastern 8 by slipping notices of their departure under the hotel room doors of the ADs during the conference tournament. They tried to get into the nascient Big East, were soundly rejected, and then JoePa (then acting AD) tried to form his own league. The Big East's reaction, by inviting Pitt in 1981, was purely defensive to keep SU and BC in place. Pitt choosing the Big East (when Pitt also happened to be ranked #1 in football) effectively killed JoePa's dream league and was a major source of animosity going forward. But Pitt never gets in if it wasn't a necessary lynch pin of a possible Eastern football conference.

And it still took some convincing of Gavitt to get the basketball-only schools on board with Pitt, but the writing was on the wall. Pitt being an urban school and having a decently competitive team in the Eastern 8 made them somewhat more palatable than PSU had been earlier. But Pitt's secular, football-power status did not help...it was the football status that was the hurdle to be overcome...but the writing was on the wall that Pitt had to be invited if the conference was to survive. PSU was never in the equation as an invite at this point. After JoePa's dream failed, PSU again tried to get into the BE, and was again rejected, despite Gavitt's lobbying for them to be admitted.

Every Big East move in its history was pretty much dictated by reactive/defensive maneuvers with what was happening in college football and the conference was always split politically along football/basketball school lines.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I don't follow Duquesne Basketball very closely, but I do know that in the 31 including the 1980-1981 season to the 2011-2012 season, the Dukes have had 6 seasons with a record over .500 and Ron Everhart had 4 of them. And they haven't gone over .500 since he left.

Why did they get rid of him?

I don't follow it closely either but was pretty stunned when he was let go.

I don't know if it's true and don't have any details but it had more to do with behind the scenes stuff. My impression from what I was told is he rubbed people the wrong way among other things. Maybe a Paul Evans lite??

 

[ameoba defense]

I don't follow it closely either but was pretty stunned when he was let go.

I don't know if it's true and don't have any details but it had more to do with behind the scenes stuff. My impression from what I was told is he rubbed people the wrong way among other things. Maybe a Paul Evans lite??

From occasionally lurking on their board, it seems it was a Wanny type deal. The AD seems to have been a clone of Steve Pederson, while Everhart was well liked, as was Wanny. Apparently, the AD wanted Everhart to add Skip Prossers son to his staff. Everhart refused, and the AD was out to get him from that point.

 

[levance2]

Let's be honest here.

Even if Everhart was responsible for Duquesne's "best" recent seasons, he still sucked. He had only two winning seasons in the A10 (2009, 9-7; 2011, 10-6). 2011 was their best year, when they started 16-5 (8-0) with losses to respectable teams (except for their loss at RMU). After that great start, they went 2-6 to end their regular season, lost in their first A10 tourney game to a St. Joe's team that was 4-12 in conference, then lost in the second round of the CBI to Oregon.

 

[NTOP]

Billy Knight opened the doors for Pitt to be an attractive place for local kids. If Pitt doesn't have that 1974 season, it's very doubtful Mel Bennett, Sam Clancy etc. come to Pitt. Knight really opened the door for local black players to choose Pitt. Talking to older black guys, prior to Knight, Duquesne basically owned black Pittsburgh. Pitt had never had a black star before Knight, while Duquesne had put several black players in the pros. If Pitt doesn't land those players, they may have never gotten into the BE. There was some resistance to Pitt joining anyway, but the fact that Pitt had a soild program is really what gave them the edge over the Nits when they were forced to add a football school in order to keep Cuse. Had Pitt been weak back in 1981, the BE may have well chosen PSU over Pitt. Of course you never know how things might have played out. Without Knight, maybe Ridl eventually gets fired, and Pitt goes out and hires some young guy named Mike Krzyzewski. You just never know.

The BE deliberately refused psu (Paterno was AD, then) and pursued Pitt. Amazingly, Bozik said yes. We already had a better BB program with the 1974 E8 squad, and psu tried to use FB muscle to save its hoops.
That proved great for Pitt hoops, already competitive in the Eastern 8. I still shake my head at how long the Dukes have been dreadful.

 

[DT_PITT]

Well, it doesn't matter now, as I learned today that Bill Clark won't be playing after all.

On the other hand, John Degroat and Ashton Gibbs will be. Couple other nice possibilities are still out there.

This information is NOT correct.

Bill Clark is going to play -- Micah Mason will not be playing.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

TJ wasn't on that team, that was the Aaron Jackson team. I know, because I've been wishing since 2009 that we had had Jackson on the team that lost to Villanova.

That was their best team since the one that lost to Pitt in the E8 Final in 1981. They have been down a loooong time. When I was a kid, the big names used to come in to play them at the Arena. This was when Pitt was still playing CMU home and home (wth), and actually losing to them. If Billy Knight doesn't come to Pitt, I don't know that we're on this board. Knight coming to Pitt was every bit as big for Pitt hoops as Dorsett was for Pitt football.

Micah Mason will not be playing.

There goes the fan base. I kid. I kid.

 

[mo cheeks]

I think he may be deceased. If he's not, he's about 58. He graduated from 5th Ave. in 1976. They're probably talking about the kid who played under Ron Everhart. He's probably about 29-30.

I played against that Bill Clark. Did not hear that he passed. they won state in '76, with Clancy, Kennedy, Macklin. loaded team.

 

[ameoba defense]

Bill Clarke's son Will is a former Hoopie, who now plays for the Bungles. (yuck)

 

[drunkinoakland]

Bill Clark circa like 2009 Duquesne was a good college player. If he isn't playing somewhere and doing well I'd be shocked, honestly.

 

[DT_PITT]

Roster News:

Jonathan Milligan is now confirmed to play, however I don't know yet what team. He should be there tonight (not 100% positive).

Chris Jones is not participating in the event because he's playing in a different summer league -- don't know which one.

As has been stated previously Mike Young is completing some summer coursework.

Ashton Gibbs is currently on a roster but he should be there at some point.

If all goes well, there should be a player introduction session tonight around 6:50.

 

[DT_PITT]

Roster News:

Jonathan Milligan is now confirmed to play, however I don't know yet what team. He should be there tonight (not 100% positive).

Chris Jones is not participating in the event because he's playing in a different summer league -- don't know which one.

As has been stated previously Mike Young is completing some summer coursework.

Ashton Gibbs is currently on a roster but he should be there at some point.

If all goes well, there should be a player introduction session tonight around 6:50.

Looks like Mike Young could be playing after all!

 

[King Of All Message Boards]