Pitt recently received letters of intent from two outstanding players: 6-foot-9 inch, 215 pound center Tyrone Haughton (Miami, FL/Iowa Western C.C.) and 6-foot-7 inch, 185 pound guard Cameron Johnson (Moon Township, PA/Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School).
With the graduation of Talib Zanna and the questionable medical status of Joseph Uchebo, Pitt placed a priority on landing a talented center. It didn’t take long head coach Jamie Dixon and his staff to find elite shot blocker in Tyrone Haughton.
“It felt great (to sign with Pitt)”, stated Haughton. “I have worked very hard to get to where I’m at. I feel truly blessed. I’m excited to be a Panther. I know nothing is handed to me but there is a playing time to be had a center and I need to take advantage of it.”
Haughton visited Pitt with his mother during the regular season. He attended the Panthers home loss against the North Carolina State Wolfpack (3/3/14). Tyrone was a two-time All-Region Second Team selection at Iowa Western Community College. He set the school’s career record for blocked shots with 185 over a two-year period. Haughton has a single game record last year with 12 in one game.
“I chose Pitt for a number of reasons. First, I loved the fan base. I’m a big ‘fan base person’. Pitt fan base has a lot of pride and they show a ton of love to the basketball program. It’s great to know they believe in you and give you that level of support,” he said. “Second, I would say I was blessed to have the 5 spot open. I know I’ll have to go in and compete, but I believe I can get a lot of playing time right away. Lastly, I really liked the coaching staff, especially Coach Slice (assistant coach Barry Rohrssen). I loved him, he was great.”
Haughton is known as an energetic and athletic big man with tremendous shot blocking and rebounding ability. When asked to convey his strengths on the basketball court, he stated, “I rebound and block shots. I’m a very strong defender. Defense is my game.”
“I can score if I’m asked to score. People think I can’t score but I can,” he said. “I’m a very unselfish player. Usually I’m handling rebounding and defense and I can get the ball to others to score. If I’m asked to put more points on the board, I can do it. It all depends on what they want me to do.”
Haughton played a key role in guiding the Reivers to a combined 55-11 overall record and NJCAA Elite Eight finish in 2012-13.
The Panthers will face a number of sizeable centers in the Atlantic Coast Conference. With a conference known for its physicality, Haughton was asked if he had the size to make a true impact in the paint. He quickly replied, “Right now I’m around 215 pounds. I may be thin, but I’m very strong. I’m skinny and strong. I have all summer to get to Pitt, get into their weight training and bulk up. I’ll be heavier by the time I hit the court for my first game as a Panther.”
“Keep in mind that my leaping ability makes up for a lot. I’m always leaping and I’m athletic. I have a lot of spring and I can get to the ball for rebounds.”
Prior to his commitment to Pitt, Haughton received strong interest from Alabama, Tennessee, Kansas State, Fresno State, Wichita State and San Jose State. He and Cameron Johnson join fellow class of 2014 members, forward Sheldon Jeter (Beaver Falls, PA/Vanderbilt/Beaver Falls High School), forward Ryan Luther (Gibsonia, PA / Hampton High School) and center Shaquille Doorson (Holland / Canarias Academy, Spain).
“I’m excited to be Panther. I can’t wait to get there and get started.”