PRINTER'S NO. 3917
No. 589 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY MAYERNIK, READSHAW, KAISER, MARKOSEK, DIVEN,
PIPPY, T. STEVENSON, HABAY, TURZAI, COSTA, DeLUCA, DERMODY,
FRANKEL, LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY, MICHLOVIC, PALLONE, PETRONE,
PISTELLA, PRESTON, ROBINSON, RUFFING, TRELLO, WALKO, MAHER,
ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI,
BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CIVERA, CLARK,
L. I. COHEN, COLEMAN, CORRIGAN, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DeWEESE,
DONATUCCI, D. EVANS, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER,
FORCIER, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, GODSHALL, GRUCELA, HALUSKA,
HANNA, HARHAI, HARHART, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS,
HORSEY, JADLOWIEC, JAMES, KELLER, KENNEY, LaGROTTA, LEDERER,
LESCOVITZ, LEWIS, MARSICO, McCALL, McGILL, McILHATTAN, MELIO,
ROHRER, ROONEY, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SAYLOR, SCHRODER,
SCHULER, SHANER, B. SMITH, S. H. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STURLA,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, WANSACZ,
WASHINGTON, WATERS, J. WILLIAMS, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, G. WRIGHT,
YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG, MAY 30, 2002
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MAY 30, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Honoring the players of the University of Pittsburgh Basketball
2 Team, Head Coach Ben Howland, Associate Head Coach Jamie
3 Dixon, Assistant Coaches Barry Rohrssen and Ernie Zeigler and
4 Director of Operations Chris Carlson on the occasion of
5 winning the most games in team history, concluding the
6 regular season with a top 10 national ranking, capturing the
7 West Division in the Big East Conference, playing in the Big
8 East Tournament Championship game, earning an NCAA Tournament
9 berth and advancing to the "Sweet 16" for the first time
10 since 1974.
11 WHEREAS, The Pittsburgh Panthers basketball team finished the
12 2001-2002 regular season with a record of 25 wins and 4 losses,
13 and concluded the season with a final record of 29 wins and 6
14 losses, the greatest single-season record in team history; and
1 WHEREAS, This outstanding record was accomplished through the
2 efforts of the following student athletes: Jaron Brown, Yuri
3 Demetris, Carlo Dorazio, Gino Federico, Chad Johnson, Brandin
4 Knight, Carl Krauser, Ontario Lett, Mark McCarroll, Toree
5 Morris, Julius Page, Tony Tate, Chevy Troutman and Donatas
6 Zavackas; and
7 WHEREAS, Many other individuals played a pivotal part in the
8 team's success, such as Athletic Director Steve Pederson,
9 Executive Associate Athletic Director Marc Boehm, Men's
10 Secretary Beth Schoedel, Head Trainer Tony Salesi, Team
11 Physician Dr. Craig Bennett, Managers Dan Szramowski and John
12 Janovsky, Dan Trbovich (equipment), Kevin Roach (video),
13 Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim Beltz and Melissa Androutsos
14 with Media Relations; and
15 WHEREAS, For the first time since 1987-1988, the Panthers
16 earned a national top 10 ranking, finishing number 7 in the USA
17 Today/ESPN poll and number 9 in the Associated Press; and
18 WHEREAS, The team won the Big East West Division Championship
19 with a school-record 13-3 conference mark; and
20 WHEREAS, The Panthers played in the Big East Tournament
21 Championship game for the second consecutive season; and
22 WHEREAS, The team earned its first NCAA Tournament berth
23 since 1993; and
24 WHEREAS, On March 15, 2002, the Panthers defeated the Central
25 Connecticut State Blue Devils 71-54 in the first round of the
26 NCAA Basketball Tournament; and
27 WHEREAS, On March 17, 2002, the Panthers defeated the
28 California Golden Bears 63-50 in the second round of the NCAA
29 Basketball Tournament, advancing to the "Sweet 16" for the first
30 time in 28 years; and
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1 WHEREAS, The Panthers' Head Coach Ben Howland distinguished
2 himself as an outstanding coach by winning the Naismith College
3 Basketball Coach of the Year Award for 2002, the Henry Iba Coach
4 of the Year Award as named by the United States National
5 Basketball Writers Association and the Big East Coach of the
6 Year Award; and
7 WHEREAS, The team has united the Pittsburgh community in the
8 greatest tradition of athletic competition; therefore be it
9 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the players
10 of the University of Pittsburgh Basketball Team, Head Coach Ben
11 Howland, Associate Head Coach Jamie Dixon, Assistant Coaches
12 Barry Rohrssen and Ernie Zeigler and Director of Operations
13 Chris Carlson on the occasion of winning the most games in team
14 history, concluding the regular season with a top 10 national
15 ranking, capturing the West Division in the Big East Conference,
16 playing in the Big East Tournament Championship game, earning an
17 NCAA Tournament berth and advancing to the "Sweet 16" for the
18 first time since 1974.
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