Pittsburgh
October 13, 2003 04:45 PM | General
Big East Links
03-04 Schedule | 02-03 Stats | Roster
2002-03 Record: 28-5
Postseason: NCAA third round
Big East Repeat Opponents: Connecticut; Notre Dame; Syracuse
Non-Conference Schedule: Alabama; St. Francis (Pa.); Robert Morris; Albany; Duquesne; Penn State; Youngstown State; Georgetown College; Chicago State; Murray State; Florida State; Wagner; Eastern Michigan; New Hampshire; Georgia; William & Mary
Head Coach: Jamie Dixon (0-0, first year)
Players to Watch: G, Julius Page (12.2 ppg.); F, Jaron Brown (10.7 ppg., 5.0 rpg.); F, Chevy Troutman (11.0 ppg., 5.1 rpg.)
Bob Gibbons Top 300 Newcomers: Chris Taft (#39); Aaron Gray (#104)
Preseason Capsule
High rising Julius Page is one of three key returners from last year's NCAA tournament team
BIG EAST photo |
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Jamie Dixon moves over one seat on the bench to assume the head coaching duties at one of the nation’s fastest-rising basketball programs.
Dixon, Ben Howland’s top assistant before he left to take the UCLA job, was left with a lot of material to work with and a fine recruiting class that includes one of the nation’s top post players in 6-foot-10 Chris Taft of Brooklyn, N.Y.
The nucleus of this year’s Panther team will revolve around the trio if Julius Page, Jaron Brown and Chevy Troutman. Each averaged double figures in points last year and were key parts in a smothering Pitt defense that led the Big East last year in fewest points allowed at 61.6 points per game.
Unpredictable sophomore Carl Krauser takes over Brandin Knight’s point guard position and Taft or Toree Morris could wind up filling Ontario Lett’s spot at center.
Pitt made a conscious effort to recruit size last year, signing four players standing 6-foot-8 or taller though one, Detroit’s Walter Waters, opted out of his commitment and enrolled at Cleveland State instead. That freed up a scholarship for 6-foot-3 Antonio Graves of Mansfield, Ohio, who signed with Pitt in August when he became academically qualified.
Dixon, who has yet to manage the sidelines as a head coach, has a favorable non-conference schedule that could see the Panthers go 13-2 before starting Big East play. Pitt’s two toughest out-of-conference games come against Alabama and Georgia.
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