PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It likely will never be like it was just a few years ago for a senior day at a Division 1 program. With all of the transfers you rarely get the emotions of the moment after having four or five years with a player. A look at the four who will play their final game at the Petersen Events Center Saturday at 6p against Boston College.
Ishmael Leggett
An ACC Sixth Man of the Year, Leggett is averaging 16.1 points, career-highs with 5.8 rebounds (leading the team) and 2.6 assists, along with 1.8 steals. He had a huge stat line at Ohio State with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals and had 21 points, six rebounds and five steals against LSU. Fourteen times Leggett played 38 minutes or more in a game. Leggett spent two years with the Panthers after beginning at Rhode Island.
“He’s a really, really cool kid,” said Pitt head coach Jeff Capel during his radio show on 93.7 The Fan. “It’s been my honor to get to coach him, but more importantly to get to know him and to be a part of his journey. He’s overcome a lot (father suffered a stroke when he was in high school). For him to be so positive with all of the pain he’s experienced and had to endure. That’s a testament to his parents and to his mom.”
“He competes. He wants to win. Obviously, what we are going through since January is killing him. Just like it is me and us.”
“We’ve had talks, he said ‘coach, I can’t and I won’t allow negative energy into my life. I can’t do it, I’m not going to do it’. I get it. I understand it. I actually have a lot of respect for it. I have a young son, I would love for him to be like Ish. I would say I would like my daughter’s… but I don’t want my daughter’s dating anybody.”
“He’s the goods, man. He really is.”
Zack Austin
He is five points and one rebound from 1,400 points and 700 rebounds to go with 229 blocks in his career. His 50 blocks this season leads the ACC and his made three won the game at Ohio State. Austin transferred from High Point, where Capel said he had to jump a couple of levels and still fights with being consistent. Capel said there is a positive energy, like Leggett, that goes with his athletic ability. Unfortunately, also like Leggett, he dealt with personal tragedy as his mom passed away. He was raised by his older sister and grandma.
“He has a really bright future beyond here because of his ability to defend-defend multiple positions, his athleticism and he can make a shot,” Capel said.
“He’s another guy that always seems to be in a good mood. Wants to have fun. He’s the jokester on the team. Just an all-around really good guy.”
Damian Dunn
Dunn was already recognized at two other schools on senior day and won’t be a part of the pregame ceremony on Saturday. He was only able to play in 16 games, averaging 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 steals. It’s worth noting those averages are impacted by an injury in the first minute of the Wisconsin game. Capel said Dunn could have shut it down after the thumb injury, but wanted so badly to return. He started to get back to his game against North Carolina and then fell, breaking his elbow.
“He so desperately wanted to show he could be a high-level player,” Capel said. “He did it when he was healthy.”
“Before he got hurt the first time, I thought we were a really good team and he was a huge reason why. He was our second-leading scorer. He was second in assists, led us in three-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals made. He was arguably our best perimeter defender, but more importantly he was an older guy. A veteran that had been through it and proven.”
“I knew it was a big blow then. I didn’t know how big it was.”
Vason Stephenson
A key piece of a successful Montour High School program, he is the only senior who has been at Pitt for his entire college journey. Capel said he’s seen him grow from a teenager who was ‘scared to death’ to say anything to someone who is not only willing to speak up, but is respected by everyone on the team.
“He’ll come up to me in practice sometimes and say ‘this isn’t right,” Capel said. “Our energy isn’t right’. And now he’s a guy that is stepping up and trying to change the energy.”
Pregame starts at 5:30p on Saturday with the Voice of the Panthers Bill Hillgrove, Panthers great Curtis Aiken and Cale Berger with tip against Boston College at 6p on 93.7 The Fan.