Panther in Pro’s

Lamar Patterson is continuing to fight for his dream to play in the NBA and his hard work looks to be paying off. It has been reported that Patterson is extremely likely to claim the final roster spot on the Atlanta Hawks. If he can claim that spot he will join other Pitt alumni who have recently played in the NBA, such as DeJaun Blair, Sam Young, and Aaron Gray.

Patterson spent five total years at the University of Pittsburgh. However, he did turn into a true star under Dixon until his final year. In that season he averaged 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Number 21 saw himself grow from starter on a solid team to Naismith Trophy watch list. To understand how valuable he was, without him last year the Panthers failed to make the NCAA tournament while with him Pitt was a fringe top 25 team.

Not only is this great news for him personally, but also for the program. Pitt has not been able to claim the same caliber of NBA talents as the likes of Kentucky or Duke among others. Patterson making a roster will not change that, but it will show recruits Dixon can provide a route to the NBA through his program.

Lamar Patterson is a role model on and off court, which is why it is great an NBA team is taking notice of his abilities. Best of luck to him this season as he continues to battle with basketball’s best.