Men’s basketball: Wanamaker emerges as a leader with recent play

Last season, when the shot clock wound down or the other team made a run, the Pitt men’s… Last season, when the shot clock wound down or the other team made a run, the Pitt men’s basketball team turned to Levance Fields to drain a last-second 3-pointer, Sam Young to throw down a thunderous dunk or DeJuan Blair to grab a crucial offensive rebound.

Perhaps one of the most important elements the Panthers need this season is players willing and able to take control when the team needs them.

Against Youngstown State, Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs did exactly that.

When the Panthers found their lead dwindling against the Penguins on Saturday, Wanamaker and Gibbs put the young Pitt squad back on track.

On a team laden with freshmen and currently missing all five starters from last season, that’s exactly what Pitt needed from its two most experienced guards.

Following a timeout after the Penguins hit consecutive shots to trim Pitt’s halftime lead to one, Wanamaker scored on a layup and drained a 3-pointer to boost the deficit back to six.

Wanamaker was one point away from tying his career high on Saturday. He finished with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc. He was also perfect from the foul line.

Head coach Jamie Dixon said Wanamaker played his best game of the year, although it wasn’t his scoring that impressed Dixon the most.

“It’s good to see the rebounding from Brad,” Dixon said. “That’s something we’ve talked about. I think he should be a very good rebounder for us, and he has improved as the season’s gone on.”

Wanamaker finished with eight rebounds, including two offensive, in his best performance on the boards all season.

Wanamaker was the most impressive player on the floor in the first half, as Pitt struggled to find its sync and was key to Pitt taking a lead in the first half after falling behind 10-5 within the first few minutes.

He had a hand in nine of the Panthers first 18 points, hitting a 3-pointer and two foul shots and assisting on a Travon Woodall jumper and a Nasir Robinson layup.

As a leader, Wanamaker also understands what the team needs to focus on improving in order to find success this season.

After the Youngstown State game, Wanamaker emphasized the importance of Pitt basketball’s traditional strength: defense.

“I don’t think we take a lot of pride in the way we play defense,” Wanamaker said. “Once we do that, I think it will be easier for us to win games.”

Wanamaker also led the Panthers in their previous game, a loss to Texas in which he scored 13 points.

While Wanamaker shone in the first half against the Penguins, Gibbs struggled. He scored only two points, and both came from the foul line.

However, much like Fields could be counted on to hit critical shots, even when he experienced an off-shooting night, Gibbs found his rhythm when the Panthers needed him the most.

With 12 minutes remaining the game, Pitt found itself tied at 42 with the Penguins when Gibbs scored eight points during a 10-0 Panther run that opened the margin for the final time.

Although Gibbs finished 4 for 13 from three and 2 for 7 from the field, his 12 second-half points came when the team was struggling.

“I was able to make some adjustments and take what their defense gave me, and from there I knocked down a few open looks,” Gibbs said. “Whenever I’m open, I’m going to do my best to make the shot.”