Watching hard part for Brown
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Gilbert Brown's time as a spectator at Pitt games is over. Tuesday against Ohio, he scored 11 points.
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For Gilbert Brown, watching his teammates play was the worst part of his exile during a semester-long academic suspension. That was especially the case when the Panthers lost to No. 2 Texas and unranked Indiana, the only blemishes on the team's 10-2 record.
"I wanted to be out there," Brown said. "You feel like it's your fault. You want to make things right when you're sitting out and you can't be a part of it."
Brown took the first step toward making things right with his teammates when he returned to the lineup and performed well in Pitt's 74-49 victory against Ohio University.
Brown was suspended from the university from August 29 until Sunday morning. He was not allowed to attend practices or any other team-related activities. He could attend games and maintain relationships with his teammates, but there was plenty of time to regret the decisions he made regarding his schoolwork.
"The main thing I learned was being accountable for all of your actions," Brown said. "That's the biggest part of this. If you make a mistake you have to own up to it. ... I really thank coach Dixon for his support, along with my teammates. They really helped me push and continue on. It really makes you appreciate the opportunity you have."
For someone who hadn't played a competitive basketball game in nine months, Brown showed little rust in his debut. He scored 11 points in 18 minutes and was 4 for 4 from the field.
Brown kept in shape by working out on his own during the suspension. He ran stairs, sprinted on the treadmill, anything that could help simulate the fatigue that comes with playing in a game.
"It takes a lot of discipline to be in there just running by yourself," he said. "Everything was on my own. I really think it made me appreciate it a lot more. Just having to put in the work and the time and effort I did."
Brown's performance Tuesday night was especially impressive considering he was playing a new position for the first time in his career. Brown had played small forward in his first 72 games at Pitt, but junior Brad Wanamaker is playing at a high level at small forward and the Panthers need help to solidify the power forward position.
Brown did not play any minutes at small forward against Ohio, but that might have more to do with his conditioning level than anything else. In time, Brown could play a handful of minutes per game to spell Wanamaker, who played 34 minutes against Ohio.
"I really don't know what's going to happen," Brown said. "I possibly could play [power forward] and possibly [small forward]. We work on it. Now it's wherever I can help the team. [Power forward] is where I can help the most. ...That's primarily where I'll play, but I don't doubt Coach will put me at small forward in some situations.
"Right now it's about being in shape. I don't think I'm in shape enough to play [power forward] and [small forward]."
Brown's performance against Ohio overshadowed the best game Jermaine Dixon played in his four outings this season. Dixon, who missed the first eight games with a foot injury, scored 14 points and had six assists and six rebounds in a season-high 25 minutes.
Brown and Dixon are Pitt's most experienced players and need practice time with their teammates as the Big East schedule nears, which is why a three-day Christmas break was termed "unfortunate" by Jermaine Dixon.
Players must report back for a Christmas night practice when the Panthers will begin preparations for Monday's Big East opener against DePaul.
A few players, including Dixon and Brown, are staying in Pittsburgh to continue their comebacks without interruption.
"It's definitely unfortunate," Jermaine Dixon said. "I'm sure when everyone gets back we'll get right at it. The intensity in practice will be up as soon as we get back."
"The main thing I learned was being accountable for all of your actions."
First Published December 24, 2009 12:00 am
