Panther Of The Week: Lamar Patterson

In a week where Cam Wright messed around and almost got a triple-double against Albany, it would take a pretty strong effort from another Panther in their ACC opener to take home this week's award. It happened. I will give you three guesses as to who did it and the first two don't count.

It's Lamar Patterson...again.

Look, I'd like to give the award to someone else, but Patterson just won't let me.  He's just showing up big in every possible way for the Panthers this year. He is playing the type of basketball that gets you put on all conference teams and we are starting to hear rumblings about even possible All-American consideration for the senior.

His first game was nothing to write home about, but in true Lamar fashion, he still made you take notice. Pitt stumbled their way through a win over the Albany Great Danes, 58-46 and along with a very strong effort from Wright, Patterson also filled up the stat line when not a lot of Panthers did. The 6'5" forward put up 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and added in a steal. He did turn the ball over four times and the performance, while solid, is not what we are used to seeing from him this season. Patterson needed to turn it up for the ACC Opener ... and he did.

With Pitt forgetting that conference play started at noon on a Saturday and trailing by 15 early, the Panthers needed to be reminded they do belong in the ACC. Patterson did just that, as Pitt clawed back into it and then dominated the second half, thanks in large part to him. It put the Panthers at 1-0 in the conference with a 74-62 win on the road at NC State. Patterson's fingerprints were all over the game for Pitt. He finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and just for fun, threw in two steals. It didn't matter where you looked in the second half, Patterson was there and is a very large reason why Pitt was able to get off on the right foot in ACC play.

Can this streak continue for Patterson or will another Panther step up and stop his run of Panther of the Week awards?  We shall see.

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