PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Think about Panthers guard Greg Elliott making a three-pointer. The ball seems to float towards the basket. Think about him going five-for-five in the second half against Syracuse or six of nine against Wake Forest. Then realize when he was learning the game, he shot on a hoop with no backboard.
Greg Elliott learned how to shoot on a rim attached to a pole.
"I would shoot with only the rim," Elliott said on the Jeff Capel Show on the Pitt Radio Network and 93.7 The Fan. "Eventually I got a backboard, didn't try to use it as much, so that's how my shot got real soft."
For anyone that's played the game and considered how difficult it is shooting on a semicircle backboard or smaller one. This is no backboard at all. It led to him getting really comfortable from a spot where the backboard really never plays a factor.
"As I got older and my dad introduced me to a corner three-point shot," Elliott explained. "He would stand two-feet in front of our gate and shoot as a corner three. I did that and went to a tournament and made a whole bunch of corner threes."
Elliott had a new favorite shot.
Cardiac Hill
This season has been about climbing hills, reaching new heights in most categories on the court while finding the energy to get to the top of Cardiac Hill.
As he came to Pittsburgh for a new opportunity after four years at Marquette, there was something that did catch him a bit by surprise.
"First thing, the hills," Elliott said, a native of Detroit and then attending school in Milwaukee. "Getting to the Pete was crazy. I don't mind walking nowhere. Nobody told me it was on top of the hill. That was the most memorable part of my first day."
Elliott came back to the Petersen Events Center to join his head coach for the Jeff Capel Show last week and did so while using a rental scooter to get up the hill. Once he makes it there and gets on the court, that's when it seems all downhill.
The 6'3", 180 pounder has career-highs in starts (28), points per game (10.9), made field goals (98), made three-pointers (65), rebounds (4.1 per game). What stands out about his game is something really new to it. While Elliott is shooting 42% from three, he was a slasher in high school and early in his college career until injuries forced him to change his game.
Best Buds
Only in Pittsburgh previously for AAU tournaments, Elliott said he's enjoyed the city and the culture. He's also linked with a Western PA native son. His first day on campus he found Nelly Cummings and now they make each other better.
"Once we sat around and talked, locker room talk and got to know each other," Elliott said. "I was a relationship that was meant to be forever."
"We sit and watch film together, it makes it so much easier to be locked in together. We watch and critique each other all the time. If he misses a pass that he is capable of making, I let him know. If I miss a shot or I miss somebody and I am capable of making that play, he'll let me know."
"It's good to have two older guys doing that with each other, sometimes I feel like I've been playing great, to have someone like Nelly is great."
Capel Culture
"When you transfer, all you are really looking for is somebody to give you a chance that you didn't have at your previous spot," Elliott said of being coached by Capel. "He did that without hesitation. Ever since I said I wanted to be here. He believed in me.
He never strayed from that. Even when I lose confidence in myself, he is the first person to let me know no matter what shot you take it's our shot. It's my shot.
"Everything he said from the day we met has been true. Come in here and we will build something strong and we've been doing that."
"Everybody is on the same page in trying to win games."
Whether he has to climb a hill or not, Elliott's said this year has been a huge part of his life. What makes it special is his teammates feel the same way.
Panthers will earn at least a share of the ACC regular-season title with a victory at Notre Dame Wednesday night at 7p with pregame at 6:30p with Bill Hillgrove, Curtis Aiken and Cale Berger.
