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TRADITION & ACHIEVEMENTS Pitt’s Championship Teams, 88-94 Program Achievements, 94 Record by Decade, 94 Winningest Two/Four-Year Periods, 94 National Honors, 95 All-America Players, 96-97 Regional Honors, 98 Conference Honors, 99-101 School Honors, 101-102 Panthers in Professional Basketball/NBA, 103 International Panthers, 104 Pitt’s Retired Jerseys, 103-06 Don Hennon, 105 Billy Knight, 106 Charles Smith, 107 Brandin Knight, 108 TRADITION & ACHIEVEMENTS 2014-15 PITT BASKETBALL PITT’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 1927-28 1929-30 HELMS FOUNDATION NATIONAL CHAMPIONS HELMS FOUNDATION NATIONAL CHAMPIONS The 1927-28 Pitt Panthers Charley Hyatt Lester Cohen Built around the nation’s top 1-2 scoring punch in All-American Charley Charley Hyatt’s senior season was one for the record books as the three- Hyatt and Stanley Wrobleski, the 1927-28 Panthers finished undefeated at time All-American led Pitt to its second national title in three seasons. Hyatt 21-0 en route to the Helms Foundation national championship. Hyatt and (12.6 ppg/314 points) was described as the “surest shot that has ever accurate shooting guard Wrobleski led a Panthers offense that scored a stepped into the Stadium at Pitt,” and the “greatest” forward in America. then-phenomenal 38 points per game, center Jerry Wunderlich was a He concluded his career averaging an amazing 13.1 points per game and smooth, invaluable player, All-American captain Sykes Reed always twice led the nation in scoring. Others playing key roles on the squad outscored his man with his speed and head coach H.C. Carlson’s Panthers included Paul Zehfuss, a tiny guard who gained fame through his speed, took advantage of good depth. Lester Cohen, described as Pitt’s all-time best center, and guard Edward Baker, who also quarterbacked the Panthers football team. SEASON NOTES Won mythical national title…Finished an undefeated 21-0 on season, SEASON NOTES Pitt’s only undefeated season in school history…Averaged a then- Won Pitt’s second-ever mythical national title, Pitt’s second national title phenomenal 38 points per game…21-game win streak...All-American in three seasons…Finished 23-2 on season with losses to Syracuse and Charley Hyatt led the nation in scoring (12.7 points per game, 292 points) West Virginia…For the second time in his career, All-American Charley and Stanley Wrobleski ranked second (247 points)…Sykes Reed also Hyatt led the nation in scoring…The season was part of Pitt’s winningest earned All-America honors…Outscored opponents 1,001-672 on year, a three-year period as the Panthers went 60-7 with an .895 winning plus-15.7 scoring margin…Played a difficult schedule and was universally percentage from 1927-30…Outscored opponents 941-660 on the season, a recognized as national champions because of its 21-0 record…Two key plus-11.2 scoring margin…Finished 12-0 at home…Won the season’s first wins during the year included a 63-33 win vs. Dartmouth, the 1926-27 12 games, a streak that ranks among the best starts in school Eastern Collegiate champions and a 24-22 win vs. Notre Dame. In the game history…West Virginia and Syracuse were the only teams to defeat the against Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish led Pitt until the final seconds. With Panthers…Both games were road contests...With the title, Pitt became one the score tied at 22-22, Charley Hyatt took a pass from Paul Zehfuss and of 10 schools to win two or more national titles between 1901 and 1937. laid it through the hoop from under the basket. The shot gave Pitt the lead The other schools include Chicago, Columbia, Wisconsin (3), Kansas, for the first time as the gun sounded. Minnesota, Notre Dame, Pennyslvania, Pitt, Syracuse and Yale. ROSTER ROSTER Lester Cohen, Paul Fisher, Charley Hyatt, J.W. McMahon, Sykes Reed, Willie Arture, Edward Baker, Brown, Lester Cohen, Milton Cohen, Sandberg, Stanley Wrobleski, Jerry Wunderlich, Paul Zehfuss, Donald Lynch Charley Hyatt, S. Kowallis, Willie Kowallis, Stanley Wrobleski, Paul Zehfuss, (mgr). Coaching Staff: H.C. “Doc” Carlson (HC). Dean Shannon (mgr). Coaching Staff: H.C. “Doc” Carlson (HC). 1927-28 FACTSHEET 1929-30 FACTSHEET Overall Record: 21-0. Reed. Overall Record: 23-2. season, one of 18 NCAA Home Record: 10-0. Nation’s one-two scoring Home Record: 12-0. Division I players all-time Two All-America players in leaders in Hyatt and Charley Hyatt was named to earn three honors. Charley Hyatt and Sykes Stanley Wroblewski. All-American for the third Scoring Margin: +11.2. 88 2014-15 PITT BASKETBALL TRADITION & ACHIEVEMENTS PITT’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 1940-41 1973-74 NCAA FINAL FOUR NCAA “ELITE EIGHT” The 1940-41 Pitt Panthers The 1973-74 Pitt Panthers Head coach Doc Carlson’s 1940-41 Pitt basketball team started five The 1973-74 athletic year proved to be a magical one for Pitt athletics seniors: Sam Milanovich, Mel Port, Eddie Straloski, George Kocheran and as the basketball team finished 25-4 and the football team posted its first Jimmy Klein, while Larry Paffrath, Clair Malarkey and Lefty Ziolowski each winning season in 10 years. Pitt played with tremendous pride as it made significant contributions off the bench. The squad was small by team compiled a school-record 22-game win streak. Led by coach Charles standards, but advanced to the Final Four after receiving an invitation to “Buzz” Ridl, top scorers Billy Knight (21.8 ppg/13.4 rpg), Mickey Martin the eight-team NCAA Tournament. (12.2 ppg) and Lew Hill (10.8 ppg), along with key contributors Kirk Bruce, Tom Richards and Keith Starr, helped the squad earn Pitt’s first-ever NCAA SEASON NOTES Tournament “Elite Eight” appearance. Made Pitt’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the Final Four in Kansas City, Mo.…The tournament was the third SEASON NOTES basketball championship in NCAA history...The tournament began in Became the first Pitt basketball team to advance to the 32-team NCAA 1939…In the NCAA’s eight-team tournament, Pitt defeated North Carolina, Tournament “Elite Eight”…Concluded season with school-record 25-4 26-20, to advance to the Final Four…Pitt lost a 36-30 decision to season…Won 22 consecutive games after losing the season opener to Wisconsin, which went on to win the national title against Washington West Virginia…All five starters were Pittsburgh natives and were featured in State…All 11 members of the team graduated and fought in World War a prominent story in Sports Illustrated…Received an at-large bid to the 32- II…One member of the team, Harry Matthews, was killed in the war, but team NCAA Tournament…Defeated both Saint Joseph’s and Furman the rest of the team returned to the United States…During the 1939-40 before losing the East Regional final to a No. 1 ranked North Carolina State season, members of the Pitt squad participated as part of the first team which featured David Thompson, Tom Burleson and Monty Towe…At nationally televised basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden on the time, Billy Knight became just the second player in Pitt basketball Feb. 28, 1940 as the Panthers defeated Fordham in the opener...Played its history to average more than 20.0 points per game in three consecutive first six games on the road, going 4-2…Since the team was small by seasons (Larry Harris later became the third)…Averaged 80.8 points per standards, the team received such nicknames as “Rinkydinks,” “Little game to its opponents’ 65.8 per season...Won 27 straight home games. Toughies” and “Busy Bees.” ROSTER ROSTER Marvin Abrams, Jim Bolla, Frank Boyd, Kirk Bruce, Mark Disco, John Bob Artman, James Egan, James Klein, George Kocheran, Paul Endsley, Sam Fleming, Lew Hill, Willie Kelly, Billy Knight, Mickey Martin, Lohmeyer, Clair Malarkey, Ed Mastin, Harry Matthews, Sam Milanovich, Greg McBride, Scott Nedrow, Tom Richards, Bob Shrewsbury, Keith Starr, Melvin Port, Larry Paffrath, Ed Raymond, Sid Silverman, Eddie Straloski, Scott Stephens, Wayne Talbott, Ken Wagoner, Tom Booth (mgr). Coaching John Swacus, Bill Rial (mgr). Coaching Staff: H.C. “Doc” Carlson. Staff: Charles “Buzz” Ridl (HC), Tim Grgurich, Fran Webster. 1940-41 FACTSHEET 1973-74 FACTSHEET Overall Record: 13-6. Tournament. Overall Record: 25-4. new NCAA format. Home Record: 7-2. All team members Home Record: 13-0 at FFH. Homegrown team as all Pitt was invited to play in graduated and fought in Pitt’s first team to advance five starters grew up in the eight-school NCAA World War II. to NCAA “Elite Eight” in the the Pittsburgh area. 89 TRADITION & ACHIEVEMENTS 2014-15 PITT BASKETBALL PITT’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 1980-81 1981-82 EASTERN 8 TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS EASTERN 8 TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS The 1980-81 Pitt Panthers The 1981-82 PItt Panthers After concluding the Eastern 8 regular season at 8-5, Pitt entered the In its final season of Eastern 8 competition, Pittsburgh claimed the tournament as the No. 4 seed and captured the crown by defeating league’s NCAA automatic berth with its second consecutive Eastern 8 Duquesne, 64-60, in the title game at Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena. Famous for Tournament championship. After defeating Duquesne (68-64) and Rutgers its 1-3-1 defense, the 1980-81 squad held its three Eastern 8 Tournament (60-47) in succession, Pitt cruised to a seven-point, 79-72 win over West opponents to a 55.6 points per game average in winning the school’s first Virginia in the title game. West Virginia entered the tournament as the league tournament title.