PITTSBURGH -- Less than two weeks away from the start of the college basketball season, expectations in Pittsburgh are high for freshman Dante Taylor.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Taylor is Pitt's first McDonald's All-American since Charles Smith in the late 1980s. He looked strong in his debut on Sunday, as the Panthers beat Slippery Rock in a preseason game at the Petersen Events Center.
Taylor finished with a game-high 27 points in Pitt's 75-64 victory. He scored in a variety of ways, including a steal and a finish, a rebound and put-back of an Ashton Gibbs miss, and a dunk off a nice pass from redshirt freshman Travon Woodall.
Taylor also led Pitt on the glass with nine rebounds. He scored 12 of his points in a 17-7 run over the final 6 1/2 minutes of the first half, which ended with Pitt leading 40-31.
The Panthers have never lost an exhibition game under coach Jamie Dixon (13-0 since 2003).
Pitt will play another exhibition against Coker College (S.C.) at home on Nov. 8 before its regular-season opener against Wofford on Nov. 13 at the Pete.
Fans hope Taylor will have an immediate impact for the Panthers, who lost DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, Levance Fields and Tyrell Biggs from last season's team that advanced to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight.
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