Men’s Basketball: Four freshman make up Dixon’s best recruiting class ever

When Pitt coach Jamie Dixon brought in Levance Fields, Sam Young and Tyrell Biggs in 2005, he… When Pitt coach Jamie Dixon brought in Levance Fields, Sam Young and Tyrell Biggs in 2005, he said it was the best recruiting class he’d ever had.

But in 2009, Dixon said Dante Taylor, Lamar Patterson, J.J. Richardson and Talib Zanna make up the best group of players he’s ever brought into the program.

Fields, Young and Biggs lived up to the hype. As this season tips off, the recruiting class of 2009 will attempt to build on the legacy left by some of the greatest players in Pitt basketball history.

Dante Taylor

6 feet 9 inches tall, 240 pounds

Forward

Greenburgh, N.Y.

National Christian Academy (Md.)

Dante Taylor is the highest-ranked recruit to arrive at Pitt in more than 35 years. As a consensus top-30 recruit and a McDonald’s all-American, Taylor is described as an extremely athletic post player who can shoot.

The freshman is also heralded as an impressive mid-range shooter and as having exceptional ball-handling skills for someone his size.

The National Christian Academy graduate selected Pitt instead of Kansas, Maryland, Florida, Connecticut, Villanova, Georgetown, Indiana and Memphis.

With the departure of DeJuan Blair and Biggs from last year’s Elite Eight team, Taylor is expected to compete for major minutes in the frontcourt.

Dixon said he thinks Taylor has the potential to develop into a star player for the Panthers.

“Dante is going to be a great player for us,” Dixon said. “He works very hard. He’s not afraid of putting in the extra work.”

Even though Taylor committed to Pitt before Blair announced his intentions to enter June’s NBA Draft, he appreciates now that there is a huge opportunity to make an early impression.

“When I heard that [Blair] was leaving, I knew there would be an opportunity for me [to play more],” Taylor said. “I just want to come in and showcase my talent.”

Taylor did just that, pacing the team with 27 points in the Pitt’s first scrimmage against Slippery Rock on Sunday.

The forward said that with hard work, he went from a “raw, chubby kid to a McDonald’s all-American.”

Now, the freshman competes for a starting job in a major Division 1 program.

Don’t be surprised if in a couple of years, Taylor’s story tells of the McDonald’s all-American who became the Pitt basketball superstar.

Lamar Patterson

6 feet 5 inches tall, 220 pounds

Guard/Forward

Lancaster, Pa.

St. Benedict’s Preparatory School (N.J.)

Patterson committed to Pitt just after the Panthers defeated Duke at Madison Square Garden in 2007.

The forward is known as a physical perimeter player who has a great shot, superb passing skills and great court vision. Patterson has an NBA caliber build and brings a dynamic playmaker to the floor.

Patterson chose Pitt instead of Arizona, Arizona State, Miami (Fla.), Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers, Temple and Syracuse.

As a senior at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in New Jersey, Patterson helped his team to a 24-3 record and a No. 7 finish in USA Today’s national ranking. Patterson averaged 10 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game in his senior season.

ESPNU ranked Patterson as the No. 15 small forward in the country and the No. 109 overall recruit in the nation.

J.J. Richardson

6 feet 7 inches tall, 235 pounds

Forward/Center

Missouri City, Texas

Fort Bend Hightower High School

The freshman is described as an athletic post player with a strong body who moves well and possesses a soft touch around the basket.

Richardson chose to play at Pitt instead of Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Penn State and Utah.

The forward helped guide his team at Fort Bend Hightower High School to a 28-10 overall record while averaging 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. Hightower finished the season ranked No. 2 in Texas and No. 35 nationally by ESPN RISE Magazine.

Richardson is expected to become an integral piece of Pitt’s reshaped frontcourt. He could see a lot of minutes this year along with Taylor and junior center Gary McGhee.

“[The play of the big men] is the biggest thing we’ve seen improvement in [so far this year],” Dixon said after the Slippery Rock exhibition game.

Talib Zanna

6 feet 9 inches tall, 225 pounds

Forward

Kaduna, Nigeria

Bishop McNamara High School (Md.)

Zanna is a raw and strong athlete who combines skill and athleticism to create matchup problems for the opposition.

A native of Nigeria, he started playing basketball at age 10 and moved to the United States in 2006. He is fluent in four languages.

Zanna said that while he was in Nigeria, he dreamt of playing basketball in the United States. Hard work over the years has made his dream possible. Zanna ran up mountains in Nigeria to build speed and increase his vertical leap and overall fitness.

The freshman chose Pitt over Villanova, Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgetown, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Colorado, Providence, West Virginia, Connecticut and Boston College.

Zanna helped guide Bishop McNamara High School to a No. 3 ranking in Maryland and averaged 14.6 points and 11.8 rebounds during his senior season.

The forward is a consensus top-75 recruit and was ranked as the No. 63 overall player by Scout.com. ESPNU ranked Zanna as the No. 10 center prospect.

Zanna will have a great opportunity to compete for major minutes for the Panthers in 2009. He didn’t play in Pitt’s first exhibition game because of knee and groin injuries.