Pitt Men's Basketball Approaching Historic 3,000-Game Mark

Since its first season in 1905-06, Pitt men's basketball has built one of the most storied programs in college basketball history, capturing two Helms Foundation National Championships (1927-28, 1929-30), participating in the first nationally televised basketball game (February 28, 1940), and making 27 NCAA Tournament appearances. The program has called several venues home along the way, from Trees Gym and Motor Square Garden in the early years, to Pitt Pavilion, Fitzgerald Field House, and now the Petersen Events Center.

On Jan. 27, Pitt will host Wake Forest for the 3,000th game in Panthers men's basketball history, becoming the 41st school in Division I to reach that milestone. Overall, Pitt enters the weekend with an all-time record of 1,729-1,269 (a .577 winning percentage).

Today, we look back through history at some other milestone games in the Pitt men's basketball program.

Game #1: January 11, 1906 – vs. Wooster, L 34-14

The Pitt basketball story began in the first month of 1906, when Theodore Roosevelt was president and automobiles were still a novelty. Coach Printz's inaugural squad, captained by W.W. Gill, took the court against Wooster and fell 34-14. It was an inauspicious beginning for what would become one of college basketball's most enduring programs.

That first season finished 2-9 in 11 games, but the foundation was laid. After going dormant for two seasons (1909-10, 1910-11), Dr. George Flint resurrected the program in 1911-12, beginning a decade-long tenure that would rebuild Pitt basketball from scratch.

Game #50: March 24, 1911 – vs. Mount Union, W 24-23

Five years and 49 games after that first contest, Pitt reached its 50th all-time game with a thrilling one-point victory over Mount Union, 24-23. The narrow triumph symbolized the program's growing competitiveness under its early leadership.

Game #100: February 13, 1914 – vs. Mount Union, W 36-10

When Pitt hosted Mount Union on February 13, 1914, for its 100th all-time game, the Panthers delivered a dominant 36-10 victory. By season's end, Flint's squad had captured the State Collegiate Championship with a 13-5 record, signaling that Pitt had arrived as a regional power. Flint compiled a 105-68 record across his decade (1911-21) and, crucially, mentored a young assistant who would transform the program: H.C. "Doc" Carlson.

Game #500: January 8, 1935 – at Carnegie Tech, W 38-37

Game #500 came on January 8, 1935, in a nail-biting 38-37 road victory at Carnegie Tech. By this point in Carlson's 13th season, Pitt had already captured two national championships and established itself as a national power. The one-point thriller against the cross-town rival epitomized the program's competitive spirit during its golden age.

Two seasons earlier, the 1932-33 squad won the Eastern Intercollegiate Championship led by consensus First Team All-American Don Smith. The 1929-30 team (23-2) had captured Pitt's second national title with Hyatt earning National Player of the Year honors—one of only 18 players in NCAA Division I history to earn three All-American selections.

Don Hennon

Game #1,000: January 7, 1959 – at Temple, L 86-73

Pitt's 1,000th all-time game came during Hennon's senior season, a road contest at Temple on January 7, 1959, that resulted in an 86-73 loss. Despite the defeat, the milestone represented 53 years of Pitt basketball excellence. Hennon, a 5-foot-8½ guard, earned All-American honors in all three varsity seasons (1957-59), scored a still-standing school-record 45 points against Duke, and averaged 24.2 points per game for his career—the highest scoring average in program history. He was inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame in 1970, and his No. 10 was retired in 1968.

Game #1,500: January 17, 1979 – vs. Cleveland State, W 77-51

The program's 1,500th game arrived on January 17, 1979, when Tim Grgurich's Panthers hosted Cleveland State and rolled to a 77-51 victory. This era featured one of Pitt's all-time greats: Sam Clancy, the most recent Panther to have his jersey retired (No. 15, January 18, 2025).

Clancy remains the only player in program history with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, holding school records with 1,342 career rebounds and 66 career double-doubles. He averaged a double-double in all four seasons (1977-81) and was a gold medalist for Team USA at the 1979 Pan American Games under coach Bob Knight.

Game #2,000: December 9, 1995 – at VCU, W 72-69

Ninety years after that first game against Wooster, Pitt reached game No. 2,000 on December 9, 1995, with a hard-fought 72-69 road victory at VCU during Ralph Willard's tenure. The milestone came during a transitional period, but the program's resurgence was just around the corner.

Game #2,500: January 8, 2011 – vs. Marquette, W 89-81

Exactly 76 years after game #500 at Carnegie Tech, Pitt played its 2,500th all-time game on January 8, 2011, defeating Marquette 89-81 in Big East action. Dixon's squad was in the midst of a remarkable stretch of sustained excellence that included eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2003-10, including the program's first-ever No. 1 national ranking and No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in 2008-09.