Pitt Basketball: Dixon vocal about goal for the Panther program
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Jamie Dixon's favorite game? One night at Madison Square Garden in December 2007.
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Jamie Dixon has won a Big East tournament championship game and 10 NCAA tournament contests, including one two years ago that sent the Panthers to their first Elite Eight in 35 years.
He has won big games against Hall of Fame coaches, including two against Connecticut's Jim Calhoun in 2009 when the Huskies were the No. 1 team in the nation. The first victory paved the way for Pitt's first ever No. 1 ranking.
But, when Dixon was asked to identify the most thrilling victory of his career, he said it was the non-conference game against Duke in December 2007 at Madison Square Garden.
"If I had to pick one, it would have to be the Duke game," Dixon said. "And solely because of the opponent. They are, to me, the program you have to emulate. They're the gold standard in college basketball. I don't think anyone can deny it with what they've done over the years. We get caught up into what happened last week. It's what they've done over the years and how they've done it. It was a regular-season game, but it was a great statement for our program."
Pitt won the game in overtime, 65-64, on a last-second shot by Levance Fields. The Panthers came back after spotting the Blue Devils a 16-point lead. And they won it after Mike Cook, one of the most-popular players on the team, went down with a season-ending knee injury early in the overtime period.
Game: Pitt vs. Northwood in an exhibition game, 2 p.m. today, Petersen Events Center.
Pitt: First of two exhibition games. ... Will play IUP Thursday night before opening the regular season against Rhode Island Nov. 8. ... Nasir Robinson, a starter in all 34 games last season, is out 3-6 weeks after undergoing knee surgery on Wednesday. ... Redshirt freshman Talib Zanna and sophomore J.J. Richardson will earn more minutes at power forward with Robinson out. ... Senior F Gilbert Brown is questionable with a hamstring injury.
Northwood: Competes in NAIA. ... Coached by former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino. ... Former Wildcat Dwanye McClain is his assistant coach. ... Finished last season with a 27-6 record. ... Has won more than 100 games since starting its program in 2006.
Hidden stat: Pitt returns 86 percent of its scoring and 91 percent of its rebounding from last season.
After the game, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had some flattering words for the Panthers. Krzyzewski said Pitt took over the game with its "persistent toughness" and called that toughness "a trademark of their program."
First Published October 31, 2010 12:00 am
