Men’s Basketball: Blue team pulls out last second victory in scrimmage

 The fifth annual Maggie Dixon Heart Health Fair and basketball scrimmage, which was free and open to the public, culminated in a last-second, 68-67 win for the blue side by virtue of redshirt junior Cam Wright’s 3-point shot that narrowly beat the buzzer. The gold team was coached by assistant Brandin Knight and the blue team led by head coach Jamie Dixon. 

Despite this scrimmage being played between members of the Pitt basketball team, the competitiveness among the players was palpable. Late in the second half, the gold team got rowdy with the referees when a supposed bad call was made that would have put the Blue team at an advantage.

“I was definitely competitive and wanted to win,” freshman Mike Young said. “I wanted to play well and show what I can do to those who haven’t seen me play yet.”

The Pittsburgh native was a highly touted recruit, and he made his presence on the court known by his quick ball handling skills and fluid passing.

Along with Young, other freshmen, such as Jamel Artis and Josh Newkirk, hoped to use the scrimmage to make a statement to head coach Jamie Dixon. However, their young age and inexperience playing at a collegiate level come as a hindrance.

“They have a lot of deficiencies, and they know it,” Dixon said. “But they’re good players, and they are going to play.”

With it being this early in the season, mistakes are to be expected from a team that will rely on multiple freshmen. 

Sophomores Durand Johnson and Joseph Uchebo sat out the scrimmage because of injuries. Johnson is suffering from a concussion and Uchebo is recovering from a knee injury. 

Despite the fact that the Panthers have only participated in five practices as a team, Artis is optimistic about his team’s season.

“We’re coming along very well. There’s a lot of chemistry,” Artis said. “I think we’re going to do well in the ACC.”

The young players are going to look to the veteran members of the team for guidance and support throughout this season. One such instance came during the game when guard James Robinson patted his fellow teammate, redshirt freshman Chris Jones, on the back after a basket Jones made.