Pitt Hoops Assistant Bill Barton: Time For Leaders To Step Up

PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) - With Pitt hoops in the home stretch of the regular season, assistant coach Bill Barton checks in with Vinnie & Cook on Sportsradio 93-7 The Fan.

Coach Barton knows that Pitt's season is reaching crunch time, and he feels confident about the leadership on the squad.

"If you look across the country, this is the time of year where upperclassmen and guys with some age to them take over," Barton says. "We've got some guys like that. Tray and Dante Taylor really have been more vocal lately. Those guys have to lead us now as we head to the postseason."

Coach Barton praises head coach Jamie Dixon's ability to bring the team back together following Pitt's disappointing loss to Notre Dame.

"He's very good at getting the guys ready to play the next game. He's exceptional at it. That's what he did, and the guys responded, and he pushed all the right buttons," Barton said.

As for freshman center Steven Adams, "His best days are ahead of him," Barton said. "Is he an NBA prospect? Absolutely. Does he think he is? I don't know. But it's my experience that every kid who plays in college thinks they're an NBA prospect!"

"The Kevin Durants of the world are very few and far between, so I think everybody needs a couple years [in college] to mature and work on their game."

Listen to the full interview here: