Tipoff is at 7 p.m. for an ESPN nationally televised contest; Pitt has won 16 of the series' last 23 matchups; Jamie Dixon has won more games at WVU Coliseum than any other Pitt coach.
Lamar Patterson is a physical perimeter player who has a high skill level, can shoot, pass and has stellar court vision. He is a steady, versatile, all-around contributor who can hit jumpers and make efficient offensive decisions. Patterson has the unique ability to see the floor as he is extremely effective against the zone. Last year he saw action in 32 games off the bench at both small forward and power forward. He played in 10 games as a freshman before spraining his ankle and earning a medical hardship waiver. Patterson has an NBA caliber body, good size and is a pure shooter who can handle the ball. A strong, versatile wing player with a talented handle, long arms and a high basketball IQ, he has also proved to be a solid defender.
2010-11
Played in 32 of 34 games off the bench at both the small forward and power forward positions...Earned co-Most Improved Player Award at team banquet...Set or tied career-highs for scoring (11 points), field goals made (4-6), assists (five), minutes played (22), blocked shots (two), free throws made and attempted (3-4) and scored the first five points of a second half run vs. West Virginia, 2/24...Grabbed a career-high six rebounds at Rutgers, 1/29...Finished with six points, four rebounds and a 3-pointer in 13 minutes at DePaul, 1/22.
2009-10
Earned medical hardship waiver for the 2009-10 season after suffering a severely sprained right ankle...
Named a Big East Academic All-Star...Played in 10 games off the bench at both forward positions...Hit two 3-pointers in a key first half run, scored six points in 14 minutes vs. Texas, 11/24...Scored 10 points, all in the first half, hit 3-6 field goals (2-4 3FG) with four rebounds vs. Eastern Kentucky, 11/19...Played 13 minutes, hit first career basket and 3-pointer vs. Binghamton, 11/17...Saw first action off the bench, played in seven minutes in the season opener vs. Wofford, 11/13.
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2009 graduate of St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) where he played his senior season for head coach Dan Hurley...Averaged 10 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game in helping lead St. Benedict's to a 24-3 record, No. 7 final national ranking by USA Today and semifinal finish in the first-ever ESPN Rise National High School Invitational...The Gray Bees were ranked No. 3 in the East Region by USA Today...Scored 12 points in a semifinal 74-66 loss to No. 1 ranked Oak Hill Academy...Defeated Baltimore St. Frances, 74-65, in NHSI quarterfinal action...St. Benedict's won its first 19 games of the season...Finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds in a 77-67 win over Marietta Wheeler (Ga.)...Scored a team-high 23 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to help defeat fellow Pitt signee Talib Zanna's Bishop McNamara team, 80-70...Scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds vs. Miramar H.S. (Fla.)...Named Most Valuable Player of Primetime Game...Played in the Jordan Brand Classic All-Star Game played at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2009...Played in the Capital Area Classic All-Star Game...Played the previous three seasons at Lancaster McCaskey High School where he competed for Head Coach Steve Powell...Named Class 4A Second Team All-State selection as a junior after averaging 20.3 points per game...Named the Lancaster New Era Area Player of the Year...Voted the Lancaster-Lebanon League's Most Valuable Player...Guided McCaskey to a 22-5 overall record, undefeated 16-0 L-L League record and third straight Section One title...Concluded junior season ranked as the area's second leading scorer at 20.3 ppg....Guided McCaskey to three straight Lancaster-Lebanon League basketball titles...Scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in helping McCaskey claim its third straight Lancaster-Lebanon League title with a win over Lancaster Catholic...Hit a buzzer beating, game-winning shot from 35-feet out, scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 61-58 victory over Hempfield...Scored a career-high 40 points in a win over Conestoga Valley...All-L-L League selection as a sophomore...Averaged 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore...After he became a starter, guided the Red Tornado to a 36-2 L-L record...Gave up football to concentrate on basketball after his sophomore year...Invited to the prestigious Top-100 NBA Camp...Ranked as the nation's No. 109 recruit by US Today...Ranked the nation's No. 15 small forward by ESPN-U...Ranked the nation's No. 78 player by Hoopscoop...Ranked the nation's No. 94 recruit by ESPN-U...Rated the nation's No. 85 player by Dave Telep...Rated the nation's No. 109 recruit by Bob Gibbons...Ranked the nation's No. 112 player by Scout.com...Played AAU basketball with Team Final.
PERSONAL
Born Lamar Patterson on August 12, 1991...Son of Perry, Sr. and Loreen Patterson of Lancaster, Pa....Younger brother of Perry Patterson, who played quarterback at Syracuse (2004-07) and was a Second Team All-State honoree in basketball at McCaskey...The Patterson brothers are two of only four players in school history to earn All-State honors...His other brother Lorne Creighton starred at McCaskey and played collegiately at Kuntztown University...Favorite basketball player is Magic Johnson...Made his official visit to Pitt on Dec. 15, 2007 and committed to the Panthers after Pitt's win against Duke at Madison Square Garden...Chose Pitt because of its facilities and coaching staff...Selected Pitt over Arizona, Arizona State, Miami, Fla., Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers, Temple and Syracuse...Majors in Administration of Justice.
CAREER HIGHS
Points: 11, West Virginia, 2/24/11. FG made:4, West Virginia, 2/24/11. FG attempts: 7, vs Maryland, 11/18/10. 3FG Made: 2, two times- vs. Texas, 11/24/09; Eastern Kentucky, 11/19/09. 3FG attempts: 4, Eastern Kentucky, 11/19/09. FT made: 1, Villanova, 3/5/11. FT attempts: 4, four times- Villanova, 3/5/11; West Virginia 2/24/11; Duquesne 12/1/10; vs Duquesne, 12/2/09. Rebounds: 6, at Rutgers, 1/29/11. Off. Rebs.: 4, North Florida, 11/13/10. Def. Rebs.: 3, three times- at Rutgers, 1/29/11; Marquette, 1/8/11; Eastern Kentucky, 11/19/09. Assists: 5, West Virginia, 2/24/11. Steals: 2, two times. Blocks: 2, West Virginia, 2/24/11. Minutes: 22, two times- West Virginia 2/24/11; Rhode Island, 11/8/10.
2010-11 SEASON HIGHS
Points: 11, West Virginia, 2/24. Rebounds: 6, at Rutgers, 1/29. Assists: 5, West Virginia, 2/24. Steals: 2, two times. Blocks: 2, West Virginia, 2/24. Minutes: 22, two times- West Virginia, 2/24; Rhode Island, 11/8.
