Pro Basketball: Pittsnogle joins Xplosion, hopes to make new place like home
Share with others:
Darrell Sapp, Post-GazetteXplosion coach Larry Anderson makes a point while introducing, from left, Drew Schifino, Bryant McAllister and Kevin Pittsnogle yesterday at a news conference.
Click photo for larger image.
Kevin Pittsnogle wants to turn the jeers into cheers the next time he steps on the court at Petersen Center.
For four years at West Virginia University, the 6-foot-11 Pittsnogle was the target of Pitt's fans at Petersen Center. He hopes that changes now that he's a member of the Xplosion, the city's newest entry in the Continental Basketball Association that will play a number of its home games at Petersen Center.
"I never thought I'd end up playing basketball in Pittsburgh," a smiling Pittsnogle said yesterday. "Hopefully, the fans will be in a better mood toward me, and I'll hear some cheers."
Pittsnogle, who averaged 19.3 points last season, is WVU's seventh all-time scorer with 1,708 points and all-time leader with 253 3-pointers. He wasn't drafted and went to the Boston Celtics' camp as a free agent.
"I checked the boxscores and saw he didn't play that much," Xplosion general manager Freddie Lewis said of Pittsnogle, the Xplosion's No. 1 draft choice.
"Believe me, he's going to play a lot here."
Despite his gaudy college numbers, Pittsnogle wasn't surprised he was released by the Celtics.
"I felt I was a long shot going into it," he said.
"I learned the NBA's a business. I think I can have fun again playing basketball. I had offers, but I didn't want to go overseas.
"I figure this is the best stepping stone for me to get to the next level. I wanted to stay in the United States, anywhere in the United States. I want to put off going overseas as long as I can."
Pittsnogle signed a one-year contract with the Xplosion, who will have 18 players on their training camp roster, which will have to be trimmed to 10 before the season opens. The camp opens Tuesday.
Pittsnogle and 6-2 Drew Schifino, a former teammate at WVU, will be reunited with the Xplosion.
As the top two scorers on WVU's team, Schifino averaged 20.2 points as a junior and Pittsnogle 11 points as a freshman in John Beilein's first year as head coach.
"He [Schifino] was more of a finisher, I was more of a shooter," Pittsnogle said. "He opened up the court with his drives. Hopefully, he hasn't changed and still is the same player."
Schifino, a native of Penn Hills, played overseas last season.
"I got homesick. I didn't speak the language and, when you're not that happy off the court, you can't play your best basketball," he said.
"I was ready to go play in Israel, but, when I heard that Pittsnogle was coming to the Xplosion, I decided not to go to Israel. You make way more money overseas, but you'll get better looks from the NBA over here."
Xplosion coach Larry Anderson has set two goals for the team and its players.
"I'm going to push these guys to get better and, hopefully, get to the next level," he said. "But first and foremost we're concerned with the Xplosion and winning a championship."
First Published November 9, 2006 12:00 am
