Pittsburgh Panthers Basketball Details
Perennial conference and March Madness contenders, the 2016-17 season was an off-year for the Pittsburgh Panthers. The teah finished with an overall record of 16-17 and a conference record of 4-14, good for fourteenth in the ACC. That was the school’s first losing season in 17 years. Much of that success came under head coach Jamie Dixon, who departed for his alma mater of TCU in 2016, and new head coach Kevin Stallings will look to right the ship for Pitt. Stallings was previously the head coach at Vanderbilt for 17 years and has an impressive resume from his 37 years of being a player and coach. He has been part of 12 seasons with 20 or more wins, and is tied for 25th-most wins among active coaches.
Exciting news for the Panthers this year is that former players Jamel Artis and Michael Young signed contracts for the 2017 NBA Summer League. Both were strong players for Pitt, with Atis averaging 18.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in his last season. Young also put up impressive numbers, averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Artis will be playing for the Miami Heat and Young is suiting up for the Washington Wizards. For the 2017-2018 season, the Panthers return only one key player, forward Ryan Luther. The good news is that help is on the way: a strong recruiting class will help make a difference in 2017-18. First, forward Samson George signed June 24 and is a strong rebounder who gives the Panthers some needed height at 6’7”. Another recent signee is shooting guard Parker Stewart. Stewart had a lot of offers, but chose the Panthers and will make an immediate impact as part of a young Pitt roster.