3-12-18 by The Pitt News

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March 12, 2018

Cover: Thomas Yang Visual Editor

March 12, 2018 | Volume 108 | Issue 124

Fans, players react to Stallings firing

Former men’s basketball head coach Kevin Stallings stands beside Athletic Director Heather Lyke at his last home game against Virginia. John Hamilton | MANAGING EDITOR

Grant Burgman and Jordan Mondell The Pitt News Staff The firing of Pitt men’s basketball head coach Kevin Stallings didn’t come as a surprise to many fans and pundits. After a record-breaking losing season for the Panthers — going 8-25 overall and 0-19 in the ACC — a change of leadership was more than expected. But between reports of contentious contract negotiations and an alleged file of bad behavior that could cause trouble for Stallings, the firing also didn’t come without controversy. And fans and players — past and present alike — haven’t shied away from expressing their opinions on the change of leadership, with mixed reviews. Senior forward Ryan Luther — who was out for most of the season with a foot injury — was the first member of the 2017-18 squad to speak out on the

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matter, releasing a statement on Twitter expressing his disappointment on Stallings’ firing. “Our team wanted to be here at Pitt and to play for Coach Stallings and his amazing staff,” Luther wrote. “We believed as a whole we could have grown together and been a great team next season.” He also went on to state the decision came “from people who are not involved with the program daily and influenced by the wrong things.” A report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that athletics boosters put pressure on Athletic Director Heather Lyke to fire Stallings, which Luther seemed to be referencing. Former forward Sheldon Jeter — who played under Stallings at both Pitt and Vanderbilt — also tweeted on the matter, sharing a photo of him and the former coach with no context. Jeter had a tumultuous history with Stallings after he blocked him from transferring to Pitt

in 2013, though Jeter said he respects his former coach. Chris Jones, also a former Pitt forward and assistant coach under Stallings, replied to the tweet. “That’s real brother,” he wrote. And, in reply, Jeter shared his admiration for the coach. “Just showing some love and respect for someone who showed mine,” he tweeted back. Along with Pitt players weighing in on the decision, a prospective player, Danya Kingsby, requested his release from Pitt after committing to the Panthers in November. “I have requested my release from U of Pittsburgh [and] will be reopening my recruitment back up [d]ue to the change of the coaching staff at Pitt!” he tweeted, “I want to thank Coach Stalling[s], Coach Dan [Cage] [and] the rest of the coaching staff for everything!” Pitt fans joined in with sharing their

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takes, with most fans finding the news welcome, but not surprising. One Pitt alum, Steve Patterson, who graduated in 2006, said that he could tell that the firing was coming long before it did. “Once we knew that there wasn’t really going to be a turn around … his postgame interviews were just kind of like going through the motions, so it wasn’t a big surprise I would say,” Patterson said. Patterson said the Pitt’s next head coach will be vitally important to the future of the program. “We’ll either erase this little couple years … or it’s going to turn into like ‘oh yeah, it was good for 10 years and then they just fell off the radar,’” Patterson said. “I don’t know that we have the kind of cache to withstand two bad coaches, so I think it’s kind of a turning point.” Fans also took to Twitter to express their opinions on the matter. See Stallings on page 11

MEN’S TEAM HAS A SEASON TO FORGET Trent Leonard Staff Writer Well, it’s finally over. The Pitt men’s basketball season came to a close last Tuesday with a 67-64 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC tournament, and the 2017-18 Panthers are now history — albeit for not-sogreat reasons. Pitt finished the season with an overall record of 8-25 including 0-19 in the ACC. That win total marks the team’s worst since the 1976-7 season, and gave the Panthers the distinction of being the lone team in NCAA Division I basketball this season to not win a conference game this year. If you’re a glass-half-empty kind of person, you might view this season as a total catastrophe. A testament of terribleness, the epitome of embarrassment, a fountain of failure — one could think endlessly of alliterations to illustrate the team’s poor performances. If you’re a glass-half-full kind of per-

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theory. The rebuilding process, however, will now be more complicated with the firing of head coach Kevin Stallings. But at least Pitt was good at something this year, even if it happened off the court. The Panthers placed a conference-high five players on the All-ACC Academic Team — an honor bestowed to each student-athlete who earns a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher. So take that, rest of the ACC! The inexperienced Panthers came into the season with murky expectations, and the first two games solidified the notion that this could be a rough year for Pitt basketball. Pitt dropped its opening game to Navy, 71-62, marking the first time the Panthers lost their season opener since The 2017-18 season for Pitt men’s basketball marks its worst since 1976-77. 1996, and followed that up by losing their Thomas Yang | VISUAL EDITOR home opener to Montana, 83-79 in overson, you may be more inclined to shrug efit the team going forward. While other time. The Panthers committed an abysthis season off as part of the rebuild- programs will be losing players to gradu- mal 19 turnovers as a record-low 3,102 ing process. After all, Pitt’s core group ation, the Panthers are on pace to bring fans watched from the Petersen Events of first-year players earned invaluable back a fully reloaded roster, meaning the See Men’s on page 9 experience that will most certainly ben- team can only get better from here — in

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women’s Basketball

lacks luster

Junior forward Yacine Diop (12) led the Panthers this season with an average of 15.7 points per game. Thomas Yang | VISUAL EDITOR

Dominic Campbell Staff Writer When the final buzzer sounded against Wake Forest on Feb. 28, the Pitt women’s basketball team finished their season on a flat note — a 72-38 blowout loss in the ACC tournament. The lopsided loss was all too common this season. The Panthers finished 10-20 overall and 2-15 in the ACC, earning a 14th place finish in the 15-team conference. Of those 20 losses, seven were by more than 10 points, four were by more than 20 points and three were by more than 30. Pitt’s downtrodden season was disappointing, but not surprising. In the ACC preseason rankings, done by conference coaches and a selected panel, Pitt was picked to finish 13th out of 14 teams in the conference. Pitt finished 13-17 overall and 4-12 in the ACC last season — good enough for

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11th place in the conference. They only had one returning player this year in senior guard Aysia Bugg, and lost their top scorer and rebounder, forward Brenna Wise, who transferred to Indiana. Bugg saw a diminished role this season as she was rehabbing a knee injury, forcing sophomore guard Jasmine Whitney into the spotlight. Even if there wasn’t much for the Panthers to celebrate, there was one big bright spot — junior forward Yacine Diop. After being redshirted last year because of a stress fracture in her foot, Diop came back to lead the team. Diop was a force for the Panthers, leading in scoring with an average of 15.7 points per game. A problem for Pitt, though, was that Diop had to lead the team in scoring every game if they wanted a chance to win. Diop took 446 shots this season, which was almost double the next player, Whitney, See Women’s on page 10

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YEAR OF FIRSTS: Young team works to make change

Trent Leonard Staff Writer

Pitt first-year guard Marcus Carr is no stranger to rookie success. As a first-year at St. Michaels in his native Toronto, Carr once scored a seasonhigh 49 points in one game — and was instrumental in leading his team to the quarterfinals of the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations quarterfinals. “We were pretty much the best team in Canada,” Carr said. “We never lost.” In his first year playing for the Pitt men’s basketball team, Carr was once again asked to step up as a primary source of production. He finished the season as the Panthers’ leader in minutes played, steals and assists, and also scored the second-most points with 320 — though his team didn’t enjoy the same success as high school. Carr and fellow first-year players Parker Stewart, Khameron Davis, Shamiel Stevenson and Terrell Brown emerged as some of the most important players on the Pitt basketball team this season, tallying the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh most minutes played, respectively. But while Pitt’s first-year players surpassed expectations within the team, the Panthers finished with one of their worst seasons in program history. Pitt finished the season with an 8-24 overall record and went winless in the ACC, making them the only Division I team to not win a conference game. This was projected to be a rebuilding season for the Panthers regardless, but no one could have foreseen how big of a role Pitt’s first-year players would play. Coming into the season, rising senior forward Ryan Luther was primed to be the focal point of the Panthers’ offense. After all, he was the only returning player with significant playing experience after the team was plagued by graduation and transfers in the offseason — including standout

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Guard Parker Stewart (1) shoots during Pitt’s 69-60 loss to West Virginia Dec. 9, 2017.

junior Cam Johnson, who left for UNC after averaging 11.9 points per game for Pitt. Senior guard Jonathan Milligan and junior forward Jared Wilson-Frame — playing his first season for Pitt after transferring from Northwest Florida State — were also prime candidates to lead the way for the young, inexperienced Panthers. Milligan started at point guard during Pitt’s season opener against Navy but quickly proved to be unfit for the starting role, leading the way for Carr to take the reins as the team’s bona fide starting point guard. And when Luther suffered a seasonending stress injury to his right foot during a December game against West Virginia, the stage was completely set for a first-year takeover. “Before, Ryan took a lot of the pressure off. He’s a great passer, great creator,” firstyear guard Khameron Davis said. “Without Ryan, we had to learn how to score on our own. We had to learn how to play harder, how to rebound better and play defense better as a team.” With first-year players making up the majority of the active roster, Stallings had

Guard/forward Shamiel Stevenson (23) completes a dunk at Pitt’s 69-60 loss to West Virginia Dec. 9, 2017. Thomas Yang | VISUAL EDITOR no choice but to embrace the youth movement. The Panthers started five first-years for the first time in program history on Jan. 2 against Louisville. Those five players — Carr, Davis, Stewart, Stevenson and Brown — led the Panthers in nearly every statistical category. In addition to Carr’s contributions, Stewart led the Panthers in three-point field goal percentage, while Stevenson led the team in rebounds and Brown in blocks. And while Pitt’s young talent wasn’t able to find success on the court, they did shine somewhere else — in the classroom, where the Panthers placed a league-high and program-best five players on the 2018 All-ACC Academic Team. Of those five players — Wilson-Frame, Carr, Stewart, Stevenson and Davis — four were firstyears. “We all know each other, and we know that if we stick together we can build something special here,” Carr said. “We know the talent level that each of us has, and the possibilities that lay ahead of us in the future.” All six first-year players live in the same suite, paired two per room, at Sutherland Hall. When they’re not spending time to-

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gether on the court during games or practice, they typically spend their free time doing schoolwork, following the NBA and other college basketball teams or playing video games like NBA 2K and Fortnite. “We’re around each other all day,” Stewart said, “so that helps us gel even more.” While last offseason brought much uncertainty about the Panthers’ roster going forward — five players transferred to other programs — this core of young players seems to be on the same page in terms of moving forward as a unit. “We’re always hanging out, almost to a fault,” Carr said. “We’re around each other all the time.” Carr, Stewart, Stevenson, Davis and Brown seem to be here to stay, but the same cannot be said for their head coach, Kevin Stallings, whose firing Pitt announced Thursday. Despite all the losses, adversity and coaching uncertainty, Pitt’s youthful talent remains optimistic that they can improve together. “We know our team is young, but we’ve seen the future, what we can have here at Pitt if we all stick together,” Stewart said. “We just need to trust the process, that this thing will improve each year.”

The zoo sticks around through basketball ups and downs Samuel Ruppert For The Pitt News Half of the cobalt blue seats in student section of the Petersen Event Center remained empty as the Pitt men’s basketball team battled UC Santa Barbara on the court Nov. 15. On the first shot, only a sparse showering of ripped-up newsprint filled the air. But even during the out-of-conference game following a couple of hard losses, section leaders of the Oakland Zoo ran back and forth across the student section, leading in rowdy chants and overall revelry. The Oakland Zoo — a usually raucous section of devoted student basketball fans — may have been quieter this season, but passionate students still show up at the Pete, regardless of a lack of attendance. For Ben Linsey, a junior industrial engineering major, this was his first year as a section leader for the Zoo. He said despite the rough season — one where Pitt went 0-19 in the ACC — there is still a major amount of pride that comes from leading the Zoo. “Being a Zoo leader means carrying on the great Zoos before us,” Linsey said. “Being a Zoo leader means trying to carry that on — one of the best environments in basketball.” On average, 4,117 people attended Pitt men’s basketball games for the 2017-2018 season, about a 50 percent drop from the 2016-17 season’s average of 8,327. But even when the student section was thin, the section leaders — a group of students who lead the Zoo chants — and loyal fans continued to go to games and show their support for the men’s basketball team. Two Pitt students decided to create the Zoo during the 2000-01 basketball season because they were displeased with the unlively student section at the time. Support for the Zoo grew from there, also aided by the opening of the Petersen Events Center for the 2002-03 season. The Zoo historically made the Petersen Events Center a tough environment for other teams to play in. Players, analysts and publications consistently rated the venue as one the nation’s most difficult venues because of the raucous crowd. During particularly hot seasons — like in 2016, when the Panthers last made the

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Participation at the Oakland Zoo reached a high at December’s Backyard Brawl game against West Virginia. Thomas Yang | VISUAL EDITOR NCAA tournament and former head coach Jamie Dixon was leading the charge — students wielding air mattresses and fleece throws would sleep over in the lobby of the Pete to snag the best seats in the section the night before big games. This year, the same enthusiasm was seen at some of the Panther’s biggest games, such as those against Duke and the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia, but nothing compared to the days of yore when games were a 24-hour event. On the season, the team stumbled to an overall 8-25 record, finishing 0-19 in the ACC. Fans felt the effects of the team’s struggle, with the Petersen Events Center seeing record lows in attendance. Even through a bleak bout, Pitt fans can look forward to the young team’s chance for improvement next year. Despite the team’s many losses, they had a few tight games, losing to Notre Dame team 67-64 and hanging

in against a ranked West Virginia team, although ultimately falling 69-60. “It’s just a really good group of guys,” Linsey said about the team. “We’re excited to watch them grow. Obviously, when a group of young guys comes together with that many freshmen, there will be growing pains.” Shane Powers, a first-year finance major, attended all but one of the Panthers’ home games this season. He said being a fan in the Zoo allowed him to experience other students’ school spirit. “My favorite one was definitely the West Virginia one,” Powers said. “There were a lot of West Virginia fans at the game, but we kept it pretty close.” This year’s game against Duke was especially memorable for the Zoo. Mike Limbacher, a junior mechanical engineering major, also in his first season as a section leader, recalled it as one of the team’s best moments. “The Duke game this year was the second

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highest attendance in history, and we got JuJu to be there, which was really cool,” Limbacher said, referring to Pittsburgh Steelers star JuJu Smith-Schuster. Even though the game was a blowout, with Pitt falling to the Blue Devils 87-52, Limbacher said he could feel the enthusiasm and support the crowd had for the team. “We still had fun cheering on our team and school,” he said. After a first round loss to Notre Dame in the ACC tournament, Heather Lyke, Pitt’s director of athletics, announced the firing of head coach Kevin Stallings. His tenure at Pitt was stained by a 4-33 record within conference play over the course of two seasons. In the wake of the firing of head coach, Limbacher talked about the Oakland Zoo’s support. “We want to support our team as much as we can, no matter who is the coach,” Limbacher said.

The Pitt News SuDoku 3/12/18 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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March 12, 2018

Men’s, pg. 4 Center seats, though that record was broken several more times this season. But for all the losses and negative statistics that can be shown about this year’s Pitt men’s basketball team, they were able to accomplish something that last year’s team failed to do: beat Duquesne in the annual City Game. The Panthers avenged last year’s loss in the crosstown rivalry by knocking off the Dukes, 76-64, Dec. 1. One of the season’s major turning points came during a home game against No. 18 West Virginia Dec. 9. The Panthers took the Mountaineers right down to the wire before collapsing in the final minutes to lose 69-60. Senior forward Ryan Luther was instrumental in the near-upset effort, leading Pitt with 13 points and 12 rebounds to notch a double-double. That game showed the type of production and leadership that Luther provided to the young Panthers on a consistent basis, but it would be his last game of the season after he suffered a foot injury. Luther led the Panthers in nearly

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every major statistical category at the time of his injury, including points per game (12.7), rebounds per game (10.1), 3-point percentage (.387) and minutes played. It’s easy to imagine Pitt avoiding going winless in the ACC, had their senior leader remained healthy for the year. The team made history in a Jan. 2 game versus Louisville when head coach Kevin Stallings elected to start five firstyear players — Marcus Carr, Parker Stewart, Khameron Davis, Shamiel Stevenson and Terrell Brown — for the first time in program history. Those players would finish the season as team leaders in most statistical categories — Carr in minutes played, assists and steals, Stewart in 3-point field goal percentage, Stevenson in rebounds and Brown in blocks. The Panthers lost that matchup 77-51, but it wasn’t the loss or Stallings’ roster moves that made headlines. During the game, Stallings turned around and yelled back at a heckling Louisville fan, “At least we didn’t pay our guys $100,000.” The comment — which served as a talking point for sports news outlets over the next day or two — referred to the FBI

investigation that found the Louisville basketball program to be guilty of several recruiting violations, including working with Adidas to offer one prospect, Brian Bowen, $100,000 to sign with Louisville. Now, those comments are coming back into play. Stallings was fired as head coach on March 8, although the details regarding his multimillion dollar buyout are still unclear. Pitt reportedly offered Stallings a reduced buyout of $4.8 million — significantly less than his estimated $9.4 million buyout in his contract — and is threatening to use those inappropriate Louisville comments as leverage to fire him with cause. Whichever candidate is willing to take a chance on the Panthers will find themselves leading a roster that should return nearly all of its production from the past season. In addition to the core group of rising sophomores, Pitt should also bring back junior forward Jared Wilson-Frame, who led the Panthers in scoring after Luther’s injury. And despite being in his last year of eligibility, Luther may still be able to play for the Panthers next year. He plans to apply for a medical hardship, a waiver

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that allows college athletes to gain an extra year of eligibility if they play less than 30 percent of the team’s games in a season. Luther and Wilson-Frame — along with junior transfer guard Malik Ellison, who was forced to sit out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules after coming to the program from St. John’s — should form a competitive coalition alongside Pitt’s first-year players who gained significant playing time this season. As for the 2017-18 season, it will still go down as one of the worst seasons in Pitt basketball history. But hopefully it will be soon forgotten, considered a momentary blip in an otherwise consistent program, rather than the beginning of a long-term downfall. “I knew when I took the job that this was going to be a hard year,” now-former head coach Kevin Stallings said after the team’s last home loss, 66-37, to Virginia. “We are not a good team this year, but it’s not through lack of effort, it’s not through lack of trying. We need to build the program up again and get it better in every way.

Women’s, pg. 10

Sophomore guard Alayna Gribble (23) scored a career-high 29 points during Pitt’s 68-62 victory over Georgia Tech. Thomas Yang | VISUAL EDITOR who took 239. As a result, the Panthers struggled on offense. Out of 349 Division I teams, Pitt finished 287th in scoring offense with 59.3 points per game and 189th in field goal percentage, shooting 39.8 percent as a team. They also failed to create many chances at the free-throw line, finishing third-worst in the NCAA in free throw attempts and second-worst in free throw makes. Pitt was blown out in games against top teams like No. 3 Louisville — which they lost to on two occasions, 77-51 and 81-49 — and No. 5 Notre Dame, which beat Pitt 87-53. Pitt didn’t shoot higher than 42.9 percent from the field or higher than 33 percent from 3-point range in any of those three blowout losses. Still, none of Pitt’s losses were as heartbreaking as its loss to North Carolina. The Panthers fought in a back-andforth game that came down to the final possession. After the Panthers gave up a 3-pointer to go down by one, Whitney was fouled and had two foul shots to win the game. But she missed both foul shots and Pitt lost, 68-67. Despite the tough losses, the Panthers did put together a few strong wins earlier in the season. A 20-point win against Cincinnati on Nov. 21 was particularly notable as it was the first away win for the Panthers since Feb. 18, 2016, against UNC. Another bright spot was a close 68-62 victory against Georgia Tech on Jan. 14. The Panthers were riding a four-

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March 12, 2018

game losing streak coming into the game and were in need of their first ACC win. Sophomore guard Alayna Gribble came up big for the Panthers, scoring a careerhigh 29 points on 9-12 shooting with a school-record seven 3-pointers. Although the Georgia Tech game looked to be a turning point in the season for Pitt, it ended up being one of the last games they won. The Panthers would go on to win only one more ACC game the rest of the season, which came against the Clemson Tigers — the worst team in the ACC. The Panthers roster will remain stable heading into next season, with Bugg being the only graduating senior. The team will also bring in three point guards in next year’s recruiting class, including Jahsyni Knight — who is ranked as the No. 84 recruit in the country with a 94 overall rating, according to ESPN. Going into her sixth year as head coach of Pitt, Suzie McConnell-Serio needs to find a way for her team to start competing and make it back to the postseason. It’s been three years since the team last made the NCAA tournament or had a winning season, a striking drought for an ACC program. McConnell-Serio has had success as a coach before and is a local basketball legend in western Pennsylvania. But if changes don’t come next season and the team continues to lose, there may be more leadership adjustments for Pitt basketball.

Stallings, pg. 3 Twitter user and Pitt fan @IAmSpilly celebrated the news of Stallings’ firing, quoting a tweet reporting the firing and writing, “PARTY AT MY HOUSE TOMORROW.” Another Twitter user under the handle @1978pittfan quoted a tweet reporting Stallings’ firing and writing, “Scott Barnes should have never hired him in the first place!” “God is real,” said @KingZeus. “What a glorious day,” added @stvrz_. A search for a new head coach is effective immediately, according to Pitt Athletics. The community of Pitt fans will be sure to make their opinions heard (or tweeted) again once Stallings’ replacement is named.

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March 12, 2018

2018 NCAA TOURNAMENT 1 Virginia

EAST

SOUTH

16 UMBC 8 Creighton 9 Kansas State 5 Kentucky 12 Davidson 4 Arizona

Villanova 1 LIU Brooklyn/Radford 16 Virginia Tech 8 Alabama 9 West Virginia 5 Murray St. 12 Wichita St. 4 Marshall 13 Florida 6 St. Bonaventure/UCLA 11 Texas Tech 3

13 Buffalo 6 Miami 11 Loyola-Chicago 3 Tennessee 14 Wright State 7 Nevada 10 Texas 2 Cincinatti

S.F. Austin14 Arkansas 7 Butler 10 Purdue 2 CSU Fullerton 15 Kansas 1

15 Georgia State 1 Xavier 16 NC Central/Texas So. 8 Missouri 9 Florida State 5 Ohio State

Penn 16 Seton Hall 8 NC State 9 Clemson 5 New Mexico State 12

12 S. Dakota State 4 Gonzaga

Auburn 4 Charleston 13 TCU 6 Arizona State/Syracuse 11 Michigan State 3 Bucknell 14 Rhode Island 7

13 UNC Green 6 Houston 11 San Diego State 3 Michigan 14 Montana 7 Texas A&M 10 Providence 2 North Carolina

WEST

15 Lipscomb

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March 14, 2017

Oklahoma 10 Duke 2 Iona 15

MIDWEST

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March 14, 2017

Women’s club Volleyball Rcmba men’s rugby

Pittbracket2018

vote online at pittnews.com

ppc uptv Pi Kappa Phi Delta Chi

men’s volleyball men’s lacrosse

american medical student assn.

sports business

black action society asian student alliance

Men’s club soccer

exercise science organization

phi beta lambda women’s ultimate

kappa delta

supply chain management club

women in business Alpha kappa psi

pitt men’s ice hockey

wpts

phi delta theta

rainbow alliance

pitt band pitt outdoors club

chi omega

The winning organization will receive oakland zoo pitt pathfinders

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$300 in gift cards to hello bistro

March 12, 2018

delta zeta delta sigma pi

Editorial: The irresponsibility of unplugging from the news, read at pittnews.com

Buffalo to

Belize:

Vignettes from spring break The Pitt News Staﬀ Hot takes painting college students as overgrown babies aside, it’s hard work studying at a school like Pitt — and we all need a break every now and again. Whether we sought out our reprieves from schoolwork at home or abroad, we here on the Opinions section staff took full advantage of our week off to escape and reset. As we head back to classes today, here are some stories from that time — just don’t ask us if we’ve finished our homework yet. Maggie Durwald, Columnist Nothing screams spring break quite like 12 inches of snow. I didn’t see much sunshine or any sandy beaches this past week, but then again, it wouldn’t

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be March in Buffalo, New York, without gray skies and a snowstorm. Buffalo perpetually sits at the top of the charts as one of the dreariest cities in the United States (only behind Seattle), and its reputation as one of the most run-down, decrepit cities on the Rust Belt truly precedes itself. But in Buffalo, we take ownership of our misery and turn it into a point of pride. And when we get walloped overnight with a sheet of snow, we pull out 100 pounds of wool clothing and make a snow day of it. My family’s winter pastime of choice is iceskating at Canalside, an outdoor rink downtown that sits on what used to be a dilapidated lot next to the Buffalo River. Abandoned grain elevators sit just across the water, and when the wind

Courtesy of Brian Gentry COLUMNIST blows you can catch the sickly sweet smell of Cheerios from the General Mills factory nestled among them. The ice was rough this time, hurling children to the ground when they hit it wrong with the blade of their skate. Half of it was cordoned off to allow room for curling Canalside offers ice time, brooms and stones for beginners and experts to practice their game. These curlers were most definitely not experts. Skating provides a couple of hours of fresh

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air, runny noses and bruised knees. But the best part is what follows a trip to Tim Hortons, the Canadian-born chain that I miss almost as much as the snow. Brian Gentry, Columnist Sunlight filtered in between the leaves of the live oak trees, waking my friend and me up at 6:40 a.m. Monday. We lazily pulled ourselves out of our beds, dressed ourselves in shorts, T-shirts See Vignettes on page 20

PLAYERS TO WATCH DURING THE TOURNAMENT Cale Berger For The Pitt News Each year the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament provides an opportunity for players to breakout on a national stage. College basketball legends like Christian Laettner, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Shabazz Napier have all etched their names in history with their performances at the big dance. This year’s tournament will be no different. Here are five players that you need to watch this March as they look to etch their names in college basketball history. DeAndre Ayton, Arizona Regardless of the controversy surrounding his recruitment and his head coach, Sean Miller, Ayton has provided fans a good reason to stay up late to watch the Arizona Wildcats all season. The first-year phenom has dominated the PAC-12, dropping 20.3 points and grabbing 11.5 rebounds in conference play. He also averages just under two blocks per game, but the advanced stats are what truly demonstrate his value. Ayton is second in the country in player efficiency rating — a stat that measures a player’s positive accom-

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plishments on a per minute rating — at 33. He is also third in offensive win shares — an estimate of a player’s offensive contribution in the win column — at 7.5. Only Stanford and Connecticut have been able to contain him, and few programs pack the necessary height and depth to deal with a player as talented and forceful as Ayton. Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State After missing a majority of the 2016-2017 season with a stress fracture in his left leg, Bates-Diop has been the most influential factor in the Buckeyes’ resurgence this season. The athletic wing averaged 19.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game en route to winning Big Ten Player of the Year honors — becoming the first Ohio State player to claim the award since Evan Turner in 2010. What has been most impressive about Bates-Diop’s game is his ability to get offensive rebounds, grabbing a career-high seven against Robert Morris in the season opener. None were more important than his game-winning putback Feb. 7 over No. 3 Purdue. Bates-Diop has added crucial scoring and hustle to an impressive Buckeye team under firstyear head coach Chris Holtmann. He seems tai-

lor-made for the professional game, and his athleticism and length will help a rested Ohio State team on a possible deep tournament run. Collin Sexton, Alabama Many casual college basketball fans have just recently been introduced to Sexton — a first-year guard — following the SEC tournament. Sexton cemented his place in the national spotlight when he went the length of the court for a buzzer-beating floater on Texas A&M and dropped 21 in a half against arch rival Auburn in Alabama’s two wins in the conference tournament. But this performance is nothing new, as the first-year point guard has been dazzling opponents all season. His coming-out party was a 40-point outburst against Minnesota, where he shot 12 of 22 from the field and 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. He may have more highlight plays than any player over the last few weeks, but Sexton still has some chinks in his armor. He has shown a tendency to defer offensively and has shot inconsistently from a long range, especially against inferior opponents like UCF and Ole Miss. This likely won’t be the case in the tournament. Look for Sexton’s athleticism and scoring ability to shine

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on the biggest stage. Jalen Brunson, Villanova Brunson was a first-year role player on Villanova’s 2016 National Championship team. Two years later, he has turned into the Wildcat’s veteran leader and a Naismith Award finalist. The junior combo guard is averaging 19.4 points per game and just under five assists while shooting 53.1 percent from the field. He has also vastly improved his long ball, knocking down a scorching 41.3 percent from 3-point range. Brunson can score from virtually every spot on the floor and is an exceptional slasher with a polished post game for a guard. His growth as a leader has been a point of emphasis from head coach Jay Wright, who acknowledged that Brunson is the most mature player on the Villanova squad. Upperclassman leadership can be a game changer in March, and Brunson will shine when the Wildcats need him to. Paired with fellow First Team All-Big East player Mikal Bridges, Brunson is a dynamic offensive threat that has the experience and playmaking ability to get Villanova back to the Final Four for the second time in three years.

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March 12, 2018

SLEPT ON: 4 teams you shouldn’t count out

Missouri’s Kassius Robertson (3) goes up for a layup while being defended by Iowa State’s Terrence Lewis in the second half at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri, on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017. Missouri won, 74-59. Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS

Stephen Cuddy Staff Writer Sleeper teams are the best part of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. Some will destroy your bracket, but if you bet big on the right school you may end up celebrating as much as the eventual champions. If there is one thing guaranteed about the tournament, it’s that nothing about the tournament is guaranteed. Here are a few sleeper teams with potential to make a run and contribute to the madness that is college basketball in March. TCU We all saw what Jamie Dixon was capable of during his tenure at Pitt — making it to the elite eight in 2009 and earning a number one seed in 2009 and 2011. Now the head coach at TCU, Dixon is finding similar success in

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March 12, 2018

the Big 12. In his first season with the Horned Frogs last year, his team beat top-seeded Kansas in the Big 12 tournament and went on to win the NIT tournament. Dixon and the Horned Frogs are in the big dance this year and threatening to make some noise. The Big 12 is a strong conference — hosting teams like Kansas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma — and Dixon also has a relatively talented roster that can handle these tough opponents. Having another year to work with and coach his players should only mean more success for the Horned Frogs. Dixon’s simplistic system of strong defense and efficient offense led TCU to a topten ranking in the early stages of the season. Even after TCU fell off in the middle of the season, they remained competitive. With the exception of their 82-66 loss to West Virginia, See Slept On on page 19

Slept On, pg. 18 they were always within 10 points of their opponents. TCU has five players averaging more than 10 points per game and big game experience that could prove invaluable in the tournament. Alabama Although the Crimson Tide basketball team has historically not been as successful as the school’s football team, this Tide squad is

Although the Tigers lost in the first round of the SEC tournament and Porter Jr. went just 5-12 with 12 points, the team still showed promise offensively while Porter Jr. was on the floor. Senior guard Kassius Robertson led the team in scoring with 16.2 points per game in Porter Jr.’s absence. If these two players can gel quickly, look for them to be a deadly one-two punch on the offensive end. Robertson brings experience to the Tigers at a time when it’s most vital. If he can step up as a team leader

“

poised for a deep run. Their tournament success depends mainly on the play of first-year point guard Collin Sexton. Sexton and the Tide struggled to an 8-10 record in the SEC this year, but they are not to be slept on. With quality wins over No. 17 Auburn, No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 12 Oklahoma, this team has potential. In Alabama’s win over Oklahoma, Sexton shut down Oklahoma’s star point guard Trae Young, forcing him to turn the ball over five times. Coached by former NBA coach and player Avery Johnson, the Tide took down topseeded Auburn before falling at the feet of a hot Kentucky team in the SEC tournament. Coming off of an impressive conference tournament, it appears that Alabama saved their best basketball for March. Missouri Missouri managed to finish the regular season fourth in the SEC with a record of 2011, with wins over Kentucky, Texas A&M and Tennessee, all ranked No. 21 when they faced Missouri. Most impressively, they did all of this without their top recruit Michael Porter Jr. Porter was the No. 1 player in his class coming out of high school — until Duke’s Marvin Bagley reclassified last summer after graduating a year early — but he’s was sidelined all season with a back injury he suffered in November. Porter Jr. — who is projected to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft — is back now, and his return skyrockets the Tigers’ value.

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and Porter can get acclimated into the offense, Missouri is a team to look out for. NC State NC State finished the year sixth in a very talented ACC, going 11-7 in conference and 21-11 overall. They proved to be a tough opponent this season with six wins over RPI top-50 teams — including No. 2 Duke, No. 10 North Carolina and No. 2 Arizona. The Wolfpack are without a dominant player, so unlike other teams they cannot rely on one guy to carry the workload for the whole group. Offensively, they have three players averaging more than 13 points per game — junior guard Torin Dorn, sophomore center Omer Yurtseven and graduate guard Allerik Freeman, who leads the team with 15.4 points per game. Despite a number of impressive victories, NC State has been plagued by inconsistency this season, losing to Northern Iowa, Georgia Tech and Boston College — all teams that won’t be in the NCAA tournament this year. The Wolfpack will depend on Yurtseven to establish the team’s offensive and defensive play. He leads the team in both rebounds and blocks per game, in addition to being second in scoring. Yurtseven’s rebounding appears to be the key for the Wolfpack. He had fewer than 10 rebounds in nine of the Wolfpack’s 11 losses this season. Look for Yurtseven to control the glass and carry the Wolfpack on both ends of the floor when they need a player to step up.

The Pitt news crossword 3/12/18

“If there is one thing guaranteed about the tournament, it’s that nothing about the tournament is guaranteed.”

March 12, 2018

Vignettes, pg. 15 and running shoes and left the house. At about 39 degrees, it was certainly brisk — especially for South Carolina — but after three blocks, I hardly felt it. Sidewalks lined the road the entire way, but we preferred to jog on the berm to ease up on our shins. Our destination was the nearest grocery store, Harris Teeter, and when we got there we examined the seafood selection for later purchase. The store had very little out for viewing, so we decided to come back later to make a more informed decision. We arrived back from our six-mile run slightly sweaty and certainly winded. I was ready to call it quits, shower and sleep some more, but my friend thought this went against the rules of “beach week” and convinced me to walk with him on the coast. The sand was frigid despite the sun, but my bare feet didn’t care, and I didn’t really, either. The Atlantic Ocean was gorgeous — that was enough of a distraction. Still tired from the run, we talked drowsily about anything sea-related. He brought up his beach week in high school, and I tried to explain my unintelligible, deep-rooted fear of eating oysters — a fear that I have since conquered. When we got back to the house, I made French press coffee in a bright yellow mug — yellow is my favorite color — and read more of a book I’d started over winter break. It was 8:05 a.m., and I was content. Even though I had work to do, I was happy to let it go and enjoy the simple things. Maggie Koontz, Senior Columnist Bleary-eyed and tired, I started my Sunday morning driving to the Pittsburgh International Airport at 2 a.m. By the end of the day, my toes were in the sand, and I was watching the sunset. I spent 12 hours traveling to get to Caye Caulker, an island off the coast of Belize in Central America. To get there, I took five different forms of transportation — an early morning car drive, two short flights, a perilous taxi ride, a surprisingly smooth water taxi and a bumpy golf cart ride. Every minute of my five days on the island was worth the long journey. Thankfully, I travelled with a friend, and we stayed with her parents, who live on the island for part of the year. Slathered in sunscreen, we went outside each day to explore the island on bicycles, pedaling through the sand-covered streets. We saw iguanas and seahorses. I fed a small fish to a larger fish, which was a terrifying experience. Sometimes, we were content to sit in the shade, sipping See Vignettes on page 21

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March 12, 2018

Vignettes, pg. 20 our drinks. Almost every day, we would swim to keep cool under the hot sun. Although all these activities were fun, nothing matched canoeing in the Caribbean Sea. The sun was bright and relentless, and we paddled smoothly across the sea, which looked as if it stretched out forever. Sailboats were mere dots in the distance. Returning to Pittsburgh has never been so difficult. Sarah Shearer, Assistant Opinions Editor I have to read “Hamilton: The Revolution” in one of my classes this semester, and thought I’d try to get a head start on it since I spent my break at home in Lancaster. I stopped by the library Monday morning to get a copy, but only an audiobook version was available. I knew there was a very small chance I would actually listen to the audiobook — I’m a devoted car-singer and you can’t sing along to a book — but I checked out the audiobook anyway because it made me feel like I was getting something done. Sliding the first of six CDs into the player as I pulled out of the library parking lot, I was immediately confused. It didn’t sound like the beginning of a play, but rather the preface to a book. This is probably a good place to say that, unlike most of the people I know, I’m not a particularly huge fan of “Hamilton.” It’s not that I don’t like it, I just don’t really know anything about it. So perhaps it really was the beginning of the play. Honestly, I’m still not sure. If you love “Hamilton” and want to try to convert me, please do. I decided to skip to the next chapter, because if I was going to get anywhere with this six-disc audiobook in one week, I wasn’t going to be able to waste time on the preface. I wound up skipping the first eight or so “chapters” and was getting started on the ninth when I pulled up to a red light. I noticed something strange when I tried to gas it again — my car wouldn’t run! I rolled it to the side of the road and called AAA, who said they’d drop by with a tow truck in about 30 minutes. For a fleeting moment, I was happy about this. “This isn’t bad,” I thought. “That’s 30 minutes I can spend listening to ‘Hamilton.’” But with what I later learned was a fried alternator in my car, a six-disc audiobook has never been more useless. A nice man named Kevin came to tow me away after only about 11 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise. A mechanic quickly fixed my car, but I still didn’t listen to “Hamilton: The Revolution” the whole week.

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March 12, 2018

I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER

For Rent South Oakland 2BR house on Edith Place. Available Summer or Fall 2018. $950+ utilities. 3BR house on Parkview. Available Fall 2018. $1400+ utilities. 5/6BR house on Welsford. Available Fall 2018. $3200+ utilities. Call 412-559-3079 to schedule a viewing.

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Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER

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• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS

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• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

South Oakland

2BR houses available in August. Unfurnished, no pets. $950+ gas and electric. Call 412-492-8173

4 BR HOME - SEMPLE STREET, LOCATED NEAR LOUISA. EQUIPPED KITCHEN, FULL BASEMENT. NEW CENTRAL AIR ADDED. RENTING FOR AUGUST 2018. (412) 343-4289 or 412-330-9498.

311 Semple St., two blocks from Forbes Ave. 2BR, living room, updated kitchen with dishwasher and disposal, front porch, basement, back patio, carpeted. Must see - clean! $1320/mo plus utilities. Call 412-389-3636.

Apartment/house for rent. Available immediately. Newly remodeled 2, 3 or 7 BR, utilities included, laundry available.

notices

• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER

37 Welsford St. 412-337-5736 or email hfarah1964@ yahoo.com

Apartments for rent. 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments available. Some available on Dawson street, Atwood street, and Mckee Place. Newly remodeled. Some have laundry on site. Minutes from the University. For more info please call Mike at 412-849-8694

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Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978

Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unrelated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412-255-2175. FOR RENT AUGUST 1, 2018: Remodeled, spacious 3BR, 1.5BA home near Schenley Park. $1725/mo + utilities. Central air, laundry, dishwasher, patio. Parking spot available. Pitt shuttle & bus across street. Panther Properties of Pa. SHOWING:

March 12, 2018

pantherproperties2@ gmail.com. PHOTOS: panther-life.com/ available M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes and Houses. N. & S. Oakland from $750-$2500. mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412-271-5550. www.mjkellyrealty. com Studio & 1 Bedrooms Available Fall 2018. Heat included. 412-261-4620.

South Oakland Ward & S. Bouquet Streets - Studio, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments. Free parking. Move in May 1 or Aug. 1, 2018. Call 412-361-2695

Employment Research Studies Participants Wanted for Paid Psychology Research

Participants wanted for an alcohol research study at Carnegie Mellon University To be eligible for this study, you must: •Be 21-25 yrs. old and own a smartphone •Drink alcohol at least weekly •Be able to show valid photo ID •Be willing to consume alcohol You may earn up to $365 for your participation in this multi-session study. For more information, call

The Behavioral Health Research Lab (412-268-3029) Note: Unfortunately, our lab is not wheelchair accessible.

Employment Other Join KEYS Service Corps, AmeriCorps. Mentor, tutor, and inspire Pittsburgh area youth. Summer and fall positions with bi-weekly stipend and education award. Full and part-time. Possible internship credit. Call 412-350-2739. www.keysservicecorps.org Seasonal Marketing Assistant Shadyside property management firm established in 1960 needs two Seasonal Marketing Assistants to work with Excel, Word and the internet from approximately NOW to August; four days/week from 9am-6pm. Saturday and/or Sunday hours a must; some flexibility in days and hours will be considered; most hours will be solitary on the computer with no phone work; 40 words per minute and strong computer skills required; no experience needed & we will train you at our Shadyside office; free parking. $13/hour plus generous season end bonus. Mozart Management 412-682-7003. thane@mozartrents. com TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER, Ice company close to campus. Some weekend work available. Production/ driving/maintenance positions available. Good pay, part-time/ full time. Contact Mastro Ice Company 412-681-4423. mastroice@aol.com

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March 12, 2018

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March 12, 2018