It’s been a decade to forget for fans of Pittsburgh Panthers basketball, with two trips to the second round of the 68-team field but zero Sweet 16s or Elite Eight appearances for one of the most accomplished programs on the east coast.
It’s more than enough to exasperate Pitt fans and stymie a ton of action at PA sportsbooks.
Still, the Panthers have had a few stars on the court of late, ranging from two-time All-ACC forward Michael Young to 2021 first-team All-ACC guard Justin Champagnie.
And that led PennStakes.com – also a source for online PA casinos - to wonder which Pitt players would make the program’s All-Decade team.
Utilizing Sports-Reference.com, we developed the Pittsburgh Men’s Basketball team of the past decade, including seasons from 2014-15 to 2023-24. The players included had to have played for the Panthers during this period and it is based on combination of Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Win Shares.
Pitt’s Men’s Basketball Team of Last Decade
Caesars Sportsbook PA has UConn (-190) a strong favorite to win the national title, followed by Purdue (+205), North Carolina State (+1500) and Alabama (+1600).
The Pitt All-Decade Starting 5
Of the many men who have suited up for the Panthers between 2014 and 2024, the leader in PER & Win Shares combined is Young, who finished his four-year run with the program at 37.6. Forward Jamel Artis (2014-2017) was next up, at 32.3.
Throw in Champagnie (29.5 PER + WS), Blake Hinson (27.3 PER + WS) and Sheldon Jeter (24.3 PER + WS) and you have the full quintet for Pitt, which has experienced a prolonged NCAA Tournament win drought under head coach Jeff Capel. Pitt has one victory in the Big Dance since Capel took over in 2019.
Of the five players who made the Pitt All-Decade team, only Artis and Jeter failed to make a single All-ACC team, The other three finished their runs with the Panthers as some of the most decorated players in program history.
Still, all of them would like trade those individual accolades for a few more tourney wins, as Pitt enters the 2024 MBB offseason looking to snap a Big Dance skid that’s gone on for 15 years, with the Panthers failing to reach the second weekend of the tournament since the days of Jamie Dixon in 2009.
Maybe next season will bring renewed interest at PA betting apps for the Pitt Panthers.
