Luther and Milligan at ACC media day
Ryan Luther and Jonathan Milligan are representing Pitt at ACC media day today, and here's a rundown of what they said to the press.
What you can say abou the adversity that you’ve witnessed at Pitt and growing through that adversity going forward?
Ryan Luther: Yeah, a lot of new changes here. Of course, last year was Coach Stallings’ first year and I ended up getting hurt that year as well. The year didn’t go as well as we planned, but we’re excited for this year. We’ve got a good group of guys.
When you think about the 2017-18 season, how will you know you are off to a good start?
Luther: I think that is going to start with preparation these next couple weeks. Being a young team, these next couple weeks are going to be really important. And then the first couple non-conference games and a couple tests in our non-conference schedule will let us know where we’re at.
Going off of that, seven freshmen on the team this year, just what you can say about how the summer has been and about these guys coming in who are going to have to be effective right away?
Luther: It’s definitely been an adjustment. But the guys got in there this summer and got to work right away. So a lot of young guys but a lot of guys who may come off more experienced than what their age may suggest. But a lot of good kids, a lot of hard workers, so I’m pretty excited because the coaching staff - everybody listens to the coaching staff really well and just trying to help age this group as quickly as you can.
You talked about the change in coaches last year - through that and learning different personalities, what’s your takeaway about adjusting? Was it hard for you to adjust? Was it hard for the team to adjust?
Luther: There’s always an adjustment period. When a new coaching staff or a lot of new players come in, a lot of people don’t know what to expect. But I think we’ve really grown together a lot, we’ve learned a lot about each other and I think we’re coming along pretty well so far.
When you think about the young guys that are on the squad, this time next year, what names do you think we’ll be talking about in reflection on 17-18? Who do we need to be looking out for?
Luther: I think a couple of the younger guys, you know, Marcus Carr, he’s shown a really high level of maturity for a freshman point guard. Also Parker Stewart, the way he’s able to shoot the ball. And Jared Wilson-Frame, Shamiel Stevenson, their play-making ability and athleticism is really something that’s jumped out so far.
You come from an athletic family; your twin brother plays basketball at Elon. How much does your family, during times that you’re not involved in school, how often do you guys talk sports? Are they often giving you feedback, criticism, highlights, high fives?
Luther: A decent amount of feedback and criticism. But yeah, definitely when we’re around each other, we’re talking about sports a lot of the time. Just something that we bond over and spent most of our time growing up doing.
Tell us about your teammate, Ryan.
Jonathan Milligan: Ryan is - I watched him grow into a leader. I watched him develop and improve in a whole bunch of facets of his game. It’s been a pleasure to see him get better.
Speaking of the backcourt for you, some of those incoming guys, the young guys that are going to be on this team, just what you can say about the talent that you have back there and maybe some specifics on who you’re excited about having back there with you?
Milligan: Jared Wilson-Frame, Marcus Carr, Shamiel, who can play inside or out with his body; he’s very physically imposing. They’re sponges. They’re ready to learn. They come to compete every day and it just makes the job easier.
Why Pitt? You had some choices; why did you choose that school?
Milligan: To be on the big stage. To be in the ACC. I like the town, I like the people, the coaching staff.
To look at Kevin and what he’s done as a head coach, you said he’s part of the reason you chose to go to Pitt. What is it about him that’s so special and what have you taken away from him so far?
Milligan: He’s a great offensive mind. As a point guard, he sees the game in a way that can help me learn and mature and to grow. He allows us to get up and down. He allows people to use the tools that they have. And he’s big on execution. So it was a lot to learn there.
Being a senior, being a team leader, having so many freshmen on the team, what are your expectations as a floor general and a leader?
Milligan: Like I said, we do have a bunch of young guys but they’re sponges. So my expectations are to still compete and win games and have toughness.
You play with a lot of emotion, a lot of smiles on the court, sometimes a furrowed brow; how do you know what it is to release your emotion and to show that joy and how do you know when to buckle down and show that mean looking face?
Milligan: I’ve been playing my whole life. It’s a feel. I enjoy the game, I enjoy playing the game, I enjoy competing and playing hard, but there’s those moments when you have to be tough and you have to be gritty. Being at the University of Pittsburgh, having some toughness is something that we uphold.