March Madness: Traditions play big role in basketball program

Professional baseball might be America’s pastime and professional football may currently be… Professional baseball might be America’s pastime and professional football may currently be this country’s most popular and profitable sport, but there’s something unique about collegiate athletics that instills a pride in fans and alumni that isn’t typically found at professional levels.

Though many fans will say they just like watching athletes play for the love of the game, it’s each school’s traditions that create spectacular atmospheres at events and give supporters of each college something to call their own.

From Kansas’ famous “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” chant to the Ohio State band’s script Ohio, schools across the nation take pride in their unique traditions.

And over the past few years, the improving fortune of the Pitt men’s basketball team on the court has gone hand in hand with the development of several traditions within and around the program.

Most recognizable of them all is the Oakland Zoo.

The intimidating and raucous student section gets behind the Panthers at every home basketball game and is one of the main reasons that the Petersen Events Center is considered one of the toughest places to play in all of college basketball.

But most people don’t realize the Zoo took a while to become as popular as it is today.

“The Zoo was started up back in 2001 by a student named Matt Cohen and a couple of his friends,” former Pitt player and current assistant coach Brandin Knight said. “It wasn’t well received at first and the school didn’t want to sponsor them, but it took off after a while and now it’s iconic for the University. Kids come with the T-shirts and it’s brought a different dynamic and attitude to playing at home.”

Once the students started making their presence known, it didn’t take the players long to come up with a noticeable tradition of their own.

When forward J.J. Richardson and guard Nick Rivers began dancing exuberantly in the middle of the pre-game team huddle a few seasons ago, it didn’t take long for the fans to take notice and the concept has become a ritual for the Panthers.

“The dance is the dougie,” Richardson said. “I really like dancing, so I just go out there and do my thing.”

“I tell them all the time the cute things they do are different from the nitty-gritty style from when I played,” Knight said. “But they’ve kept up the winning tradition and have done it their own way.”

Although the players have shown they know how to have fun, they are just as adequate when it comes to showing respect.

It isn’t as flashy as the dancing, but it has become a tradition before every game for each Pitt starter to shake hands with every person at the press table, including long-time radio commentators Dick Groat and Bill Hillgrove.

Additionally, during the game, when a Pitt player gets subbed out, he will always acknowledge every person on the bench — even the managers and trainers — with either a handshake or a fist pound.

“It’s all about the team attitude,” Knight said of the ritual.

He also admits that even the coaches get caught up with things like traditions and routines.

“We have a time regimen every game and go to the same hotels when we travel,” he said. “I think lack of change just helps keep consistency within the program.”

It doesn’t take a guy like Knight, who has been around the team for a lengthy amount of time, to see the importance of Pitt’s growing basketball traditions.

“When I saw the Zoo and everything else that was going on here, I knew this was the place for me,” redshirt freshman Lamar Patterson said.

But according to Knight, there is still one thing that the Panthers need to add to their tradition for it to be complete.

“Winning a National Championship would be big,” Knight said. “I told these guys if you want to be remembered, you’ve got to do something great and win that title. No one remembers who finishes second.”