PRINTER'S NO. 1878
No. 194 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY COSTA, LOGAN, WAGNER, BODACK, ORIE, MURPHY,
MELLOW, KITCHEN, KUKOVICH, O'PAKE, TARTAGLIONE, ROBBINS,
EARLL, GREENLEAF, LAVALLE, STOUT, WENGER, CONTI, DENT,
MOWERY, MUSTO, M. WHITE, WOZNIAK, ERICKSON AND HUGHES,
APRIL 10, 2002
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, APRIL 10, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Honoring the players of the University of Pittsburgh Basketball
2 Team, Head Coach Ben Howland and the Panthers coaching staff
3 on the occasion of winning the most games in team history,
4 concluding the regular season with a top 10 national ranking,
5 capturing the West Division in the Big East Conference,
6 playing in the Big East Tournament Championship game, earning
7 an NCAA Tournament berth and advancing to the "Sweet 16" for
8 the first time since 1974.
9 WHEREAS, The Pittsburgh Panthers basketball team finished the
10 2001-2002 regular season with a record of 25 wins and 4 losses,
11 and concluded the season with a final record of 29 wins and 6
12 losses, the greatest single-season record in team history; and
13 WHEREAS, For the first time since 1987-1988, the Panthers
14 earned a national top 10 ranking, finishing number 7 in the USA
15 Today/ESPN poll and number 9 in the Associated Press; and
16 WHEREAS, The team won the Big East West Division Championship
17 with a school-record 13-3 conference mark; and
18 WHEREAS, The Panthers played in the Big East Tournament
19 Championship game for the second consecutive season; and
1 WHEREAS, The team earned its first NCAA Tournament berth
2 since 1993; and
3 WHEREAS, On March 15, 2002, the Panthers defeated the Central
4 Connecticut State Blue Devils 71-54 in the first round of the
5 NCAA Basketball Tournament; and
6 WHEREAS, On March 17, 2002, the Panthers defeated the
7 California Golden Bears 63-50 in the second round of the NCAA
8 Basketball Tournament, advancing to the "Sweet 16" for the first
9 time in 28 years; and
10 WHEREAS, Head Coach Ben Howland has earned distinction as a
11 recipient of the 2002 Naismith College Basketball Coach of the
12 Year Award, the United States Basketball Writers Association
13 Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award and the Big East Coach of the
14 Year Award; and
15 WHEREAS, The team has united the Pittsburgh community in the
16 greatest tradition of athletic competition; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED, That the Senate honor the players of the University
18 of Pittsburgh Basketball Team, Head Coach Ben Howland and the
19 Panthers coaching staff on the occasion of winning the most
20 games in team history, concluding the regular season with a top
21 10 national ranking, capturing the West Division in the Big East
22 Conference, playing in the Big East Tournament Championship
23 game, earning an NCAA Tournament berth and advancing to the
24 "Sweet 16" for the first time since 1974.
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