Terrell Brown sets Pitt record with nine blocks vs. Colgate

Pitt center Terrell Brown set a program record when the Panthers hosted Colgate at the Petersen Events Center on Saturday, as he blocked nine shots in his team’s 68-54 victory. The previous record of seven blocked shots was set by former Pitt center Gary McGhee against Duquesne on Dec. 1, 2010.

In addition to putting on his best defensive performance to date, Brown also pulled down five rebounds, committed no fouls and contributed 10 points on offense. Pitt head coach Jeff Capel discussed Brown’s showing and his progress during the team’s postgame press conference on Saturday.

”He’s worked hard,” Capel said. “Him and Tim O’Toole and my brother Jason ... they do extra stuff in practice. Terrell has worked at it, and it is good to see him have success. Not just the blocked shots, but I thought that his presence offensively in the first half was good for us.”

Brown’s big game came at a pivotal time for Pitt, as the Panthers are set to start conference play against North Carolina on Jan. 5. It seemed they would begin their ACC schedule without a capable contributor in the frontcourt, but with Brown having found a new gear, those concerns should be eased to some degree.

With that said, the 6’10” center has put up double-digit point totals in just three games this season, and he is averaging 1.9 blocks per game. So it’s unrealistic to expect such performances out of him every day. However, it seems Brown is trending in a positive direction, as two of his 10-point performances have come in Pitt’s last three games and he has had multiple blocks in four of his last six games.

Given all that, there’s reason for Pitt to be hopeful with regard to Brown, as he may well have found his stride at exactly the right time. But it goes without saying that the toughest test for Brown and Pitt lies ahead.