Basketball: Panthers getting work in at summer league

While most Pitt basketball fans are waiting to see where some ex-Panthers end up in this… While most Pitt basketball fans are waiting to see where some ex-Panthers end up in this week’s NBA Draft, others got their first chance to see the next generation of Panthers on Monday.

At the Greentree SportsPlex, located just outside the city, the Pro-Am Summer League started this week.

There are six teams of players from local colleges. On Monday and Wednesday, three games are played starting at 7 p.m. and are open to the public. Each game consists of two 22-minute halves.

Every Panther is competing, except for Ashton Gibbs, who was selected to play for the USA Men’s U19 World Championship Team coached by Jamie Dixon.

It was the first chance for fans to see the incoming freshmen — Dante Taylor, Lamar Patterson, J.J. Richardson and Talib Zanna.

Taylor is widely regarded as the best of the four prospects. The 6-foot-9-inch Taylor could replace DeJuan Blair in the starting lineup next season, although he’s not concerned about the possibility of following an All-American.

“There’s no pressure,” Taylor said. “I just have to come in and perform.”

He scored 14 points and had nine rebounds, but looked a bit winded during the latter parts of both halves. After the game, he said he’s not in his ideal shape, but has no doubts he’ll build up his stamina before the season starts.

Richardson impressed with both his physical play and finesse. He scored 13 points and had seven rebounds. For a 6-foot-7-inch wing player, Richardson handled the ball well and showed good passing ability.

Zanna also looked like he can contribute to the team this year. After an unproductive first half, Zanna scored 15 of his 17 points and grabbed 11 of his 13 rebounds in the second half.

Patterson didn’t have as much success as his fellow freshmen. He hit a jump shot early in the game, but didn’t score again.

With the Panthers losing four starters, this group of freshmen figures to see a lot more time than most players from previous incoming classes. According to Taylor, the group is prepared for it.

“We’ve got to come in and be ready to play,” he said. “We all knew what we were coming into, and we all knew who was leaving, so now we have to go and prove what we can do on the court.”

Go to www.pittnews.com to see a full report from Monday night’s action.