Pitt’s slice of the Big Apple

The X.

Pitt’s senior guard Carl Krauser comes off a high screen, takes a feed from teammate… The X.

Pitt’s senior guard Carl Krauser comes off a high screen, takes a feed from teammate Ronald Ramon and buries a 3. As Krauser retreats to play defense, he crosses his arms above his head to form the last letter in his hometown, the Bronx, N.Y.

But Krauser isn’t the only Pitt player with ties to the Big Apple area. Freshman Levance Fields and sophomores Ramon and Keith Benjamin are all current Panthers that hail from the New York area.

Oh, and former Panther and current Golden State Warrior Chris Taft was as well.

So how can one team lure so many good players from an area thick with basketball talent? What makes Pitt so attractive?

Not what. Who.

Barry Rohrssen, Pitt’s associate head basketball coach was born, raised and went to school in New York, giving him a perceived hometown advantage in recruiting New York’s top players. However, hear the story from Rohrssen’s side, and realize that geography has little influence.

“Recruiting isn’t an easy business,” he said. “There are a lot of people in the basketball world with connections to New York City basketball.”

“Truthfulness and honesty would be my advantages.”

Born in Brooklyn, Rohrssen attended high school at Xaverian High School, the same school Taft hailed from, and has been inducted into the school’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

Prior to graduating, he achieved a Bachelor of Science-Business Management degree while playing basketball for St. Francis University in New York.

However, merely growing up in America’s largest city isn’t what made Rohrssen who he is today. It’s the values and lessons he learned throughout the process.

“There’s an old saying in my neighborhood,” Rohrssen said. “Be wary of a man with no old friends, meaning bridges have been burnt. I feel fortunate that I have many old friends that I can rely on for the recruiting process.”

Speaking of friends, Rohrssen believes that the best form of recruitment does not come from a coach, but from the players.

“I would like to think that [recruits] want to play with other good players,” he said. “I feel that the players are the best recruiters in your program.”

So after the players sign their National Letters of Intent and arrive on campus in Oakland, thus beginning their journey as Panthers, the care and expectations both increase substantially.

“We’re not only recruiting talented basketball players, we’re also looking at the character of the person,” Rohrssen said. “We’re not just looking for somebody who can win a basketball game, but is representative of what our student body is like.”

Although some players’ edges can be rough when they first come to Pitt, eventually, if all goes according to plan, they’ll leave the University not just better players, but better people.

“I believe, in general, for all students, freshman year is the biggest adjustment,” Rohrssen said. “We’re actually trying to use these years to mold and guide [players] toward getting a degree, improving their basketball skills and becoming the best possible person.”

Such values in sports today can often be few and far between, even at the collegiate level. Take for instance Miami’s recruitment of linebacker Willie Williams two years ago. Williams, a high school All-American, was recruited and signed by the Hurricanes despite having 11 arrests in five years, one of which came on a visit to the university. Coaches like Rohrssen look for quite the opposite in a recruit, seeking a positive personality to mirror his basketball skills.

As a matter of fact, Pitt, not to mention the basketball program, values Rohrssen so much that when he interviewed for an assistant position with his hometown team St. John’s nearly two years ago, Pitt made sure he stayed with a large contract offer.

And he did.

But as much as Pitt loves Rohrssen and what he is doing here at Pitt, he wants no special recognition.

“A coach is just like any other teacher on campus,” Rohrssen said. “They’re here to prepare [students/players] for the world.”

The world can often be a very cruel and confusing place, but a player growing up under Rohrssen can be given the chance for a very bright future.

As for Rohrssen’s future?

“The future is now.”

Enough said.