Greenfield's Pittman looks for more success at Lynchburg
By Paul Durham paul@wilsontimes.com | 265-7808
Even for a boys basketball program as successful as Greenfield School, Trey Pittman’s career achievements are impressive. The 6-foot-7 senior exits as a big part of one of the most successful classes in Knights history, helping them win 118 games in four varsity seasons, including the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A championship game in 2019.
Pittman, who twice received NCISAA 1-A All-State and Wilson Times All-Area acclaim, is headed to another place with a chance to create a substantial legacy. The son of Laura and Duane Pittman of Wilson recently signed to play for Lynchburg (Virginia) College of the rugged NCAA Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Pittman said he was also pursued by the Hornets’ ODAC rival and reigning conference champion Randolph Macon along with Div. II programs Barton and UNC Pembroke while many other Div. III and junior colleges had also inquired about his services.
Pittman, who intends to major in business administration, said it just came down to the efforts of veteran Lynchburg head coach Hilliary Scott and his staff.
“I’ve built a good relationship with the coaches and then I went to the campus and I really liked their campus,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It’s a nice campus and they have a pretty good team and I felt like it was the best fit for me, as far as school and the basketball program. I felt like they really wanted me to go there, instead of other schools that were like, ‘It’d be nice to have you but …’
“I feel like they truly wanted me.”
Scott has made regular recruiting raids over the border to North Carolina the past few years. Seven of the 18 players on this past season’s roster played high school basketball in N.C. Pittman hopes to be a prized recruit.
Pittman joins a Hornets program coming off a 15-12 season that saw Lynchburg tie for sixth place in the 13-team ODAC of all Virginia teams except Guilford College. Randolph Macon (28-2) was the league champion in 2019-20. Pittman believes he will have a chance to step in and play as a freshman.
“I’ve been working a lot in the weight room, getting stronger and improving my body and getting a lot more explosive and doing a lot of explosive drills and jumping and working on my lateral quickness so I can guard more positions,” he said. “At this level, I feel like my versatility will make a difference because, if I play like I should, I could be a matchup nightmare for other teams.”
Pittman was a matchup nightmare for Greenfield’s opponents, too. He averaged 14 points and seven rebounds a game as a junior while making 35% of his 3-point attempts in helping the Knights to a school-record 33 wins and the fifth NCISAA 1-A title in program history. This past winter, Pittman upped those averages to 16 points and nine rebounds while hitting 41% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Greenfield head coach Rob Salter praised Pittman’s work ethic, forged in part by playing alongside current Chicago Bulls rookie guard Coby White and Georgia Southern rising junior Elijah McCadden, for two years and regularly undergoing offseason workouts with them.
“He worked his butt off to become the player he is now,” Salter said. “He’s getting the most out of his ability. He’s so versatile and he’s a gym rat. Just what he’s done for this basketball program in four years is amazing.”
For Pittman, the hard work is part of what made it fun at Greenfield.
“Just going to Greenfield, we’re used to nonstop workouts and we have a coach that cares about all his players getting better, which some of the public schools honestly lack,” he said. “I felt like all the workouts helped make us closer as a team. I worked out with older players when I was younger and that helped me become tougher, mentally and physically.”
Salter noted Pittman’s basketball IQ was above board and pointed out that it was he who took a charge by a Northwood Temple Christian player in the closing minutes of the state championship game in 2019, sealing the Knights’ 68-67 win.
“I think he’s going to be fantastic in Lynchburg,” Salter said. “He’s so versatile. He can stretch you out and he can really shoot the basketball. And he’s such a smart player. He knows how to get to spots to succeed. Seeing how much he’s grown in four years in high school, I can’t wait to see how much he grows in four years of college, because there’s not going to be many kids who outwork him.”
Pittman said he was a little disappointed at first that he had not gotten any offers from Div. I programs.
“I felt like I deserved more,” he said. “I had proven myself on big stages time and time again. I made all-state twice, won a state championship, but the more I looked at it, I felt like I was going to end up where I truly belonged and where I could excel. I’d rather go to a school and excel rather than go to a big-time school and then just have trouble in the system or something. But I felt like the problem of college recruiting in the first place is they’re now recruiting athletes over people who are already polished and have already proven themselves.
“I feel like everything happens for a reason. I’ll be all right.”
So will Lynchburg.
By Paul Durham paul@wilsontimes.com | 265-7808
Even for a boys basketball program as successful as Greenfield School, Trey Pittman’s career achievements are impressive. The 6-foot-7 senior exits as a big part of one of the most successful classes in Knights history, helping them win 118 games in four varsity seasons, including the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A championship game in 2019.
Pittman, who twice received NCISAA 1-A All-State and Wilson Times All-Area acclaim, is headed to another place with a chance to create a substantial legacy. The son of Laura and Duane Pittman of Wilson recently signed to play for Lynchburg (Virginia) College of the rugged NCAA Division III Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Pittman said he was also pursued by the Hornets’ ODAC rival and reigning conference champion Randolph Macon along with Div. II programs Barton and UNC Pembroke while many other Div. III and junior colleges had also inquired about his services.
Pittman, who intends to major in business administration, said it just came down to the efforts of veteran Lynchburg head coach Hilliary Scott and his staff.
“I’ve built a good relationship with the coaches and then I went to the campus and I really liked their campus,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It’s a nice campus and they have a pretty good team and I felt like it was the best fit for me, as far as school and the basketball program. I felt like they really wanted me to go there, instead of other schools that were like, ‘It’d be nice to have you but …’
“I feel like they truly wanted me.”
Scott has made regular recruiting raids over the border to North Carolina the past few years. Seven of the 18 players on this past season’s roster played high school basketball in N.C. Pittman hopes to be a prized recruit.
Pittman joins a Hornets program coming off a 15-12 season that saw Lynchburg tie for sixth place in the 13-team ODAC of all Virginia teams except Guilford College. Randolph Macon (28-2) was the league champion in 2019-20. Pittman believes he will have a chance to step in and play as a freshman.
“I’ve been working a lot in the weight room, getting stronger and improving my body and getting a lot more explosive and doing a lot of explosive drills and jumping and working on my lateral quickness so I can guard more positions,” he said. “At this level, I feel like my versatility will make a difference because, if I play like I should, I could be a matchup nightmare for other teams.”
Pittman was a matchup nightmare for Greenfield’s opponents, too. He averaged 14 points and seven rebounds a game as a junior while making 35% of his 3-point attempts in helping the Knights to a school-record 33 wins and the fifth NCISAA 1-A title in program history. This past winter, Pittman upped those averages to 16 points and nine rebounds while hitting 41% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Greenfield head coach Rob Salter praised Pittman’s work ethic, forged in part by playing alongside current Chicago Bulls rookie guard Coby White and Georgia Southern rising junior Elijah McCadden, for two years and regularly undergoing offseason workouts with them.
“He worked his butt off to become the player he is now,” Salter said. “He’s getting the most out of his ability. He’s so versatile and he’s a gym rat. Just what he’s done for this basketball program in four years is amazing.”
For Pittman, the hard work is part of what made it fun at Greenfield.
“Just going to Greenfield, we’re used to nonstop workouts and we have a coach that cares about all his players getting better, which some of the public schools honestly lack,” he said. “I felt like all the workouts helped make us closer as a team. I worked out with older players when I was younger and that helped me become tougher, mentally and physically.”
Salter noted Pittman’s basketball IQ was above board and pointed out that it was he who took a charge by a Northwood Temple Christian player in the closing minutes of the state championship game in 2019, sealing the Knights’ 68-67 win.
“I think he’s going to be fantastic in Lynchburg,” Salter said. “He’s so versatile. He can stretch you out and he can really shoot the basketball. And he’s such a smart player. He knows how to get to spots to succeed. Seeing how much he’s grown in four years in high school, I can’t wait to see how much he grows in four years of college, because there’s not going to be many kids who outwork him.”
Pittman said he was a little disappointed at first that he had not gotten any offers from Div. I programs.
“I felt like I deserved more,” he said. “I had proven myself on big stages time and time again. I made all-state twice, won a state championship, but the more I looked at it, I felt like I was going to end up where I truly belonged and where I could excel. I’d rather go to a school and excel rather than go to a big-time school and then just have trouble in the system or something. But I felt like the problem of college recruiting in the first place is they’re now recruiting athletes over people who are already polished and have already proven themselves.
“I feel like everything happens for a reason. I’ll be all right.”
So will Lynchburg.
