Pitt got a good one

Ontario Lett played a crucial role in the resurgence of Pitt basketball, and now he is back in Pensacola, Fla., where he's coaching at Pensacola Junior College, where he played himself prior to joining the Panthers.

After playing professionally for about seven years, Lett is now impacting the game in a much different way, and one of his personal projects has been mentoring Pitt's most recent commit, center Rozelle Nix.

"Pitt got a good one," Lett told Panther-Lair.com. "I have never been around a kid that works so hard. He has lost about 80 pounds in a year. He wants more, too. He sees how much the weight loss has helped and it is just motivating him more.

"Rozelle is a huge kid, but he isn't fat. He will probably lose some more weight but I don't think he will ever be much below 300. He is just a big-boned kid that has a huge frame. With where he is at right now, it is amazing how improved he is. Once he gets into Pitt's strength and conditioning program, I think he will get stronger and become more athletic."

The irony of this situation is that if Lett had Nix's size, he would probably be towards the end of a long and productive NBA career. Regardless, Lett was one of the best pure post players to come through the Pitt program, and if Nix can pick up just a little bit from Lett, the Panthers could find themselves with a steal who developed late.

"He has good feet and strong hands; we have been working on a few post moves and he is getting the hook going," Lett said. "He is starting to grab rebounds out of his area too. Rozelle always had good hands but he struggled to receive passes on the move. Now he has no problem catching in stride. He made a catch the other day in practice that was incredible."

There is no question that the biggest strengths with Nix are his size and work ethic. Although he averaged about 6 and 5 last season in a strong conference, those numbers are expected to increase this season as a sophomore. Due to his weight loss and commitment, he figures to be a much bigger part of the offense. At least, that's the expectation from Lett and the Pensacola coaches.

"We are looking for him to have a big year. His left hand has improved. You just have to keep working with big kids and don't give up on them. They typically develop late and aren't like guards. Once that light comes on, look out. I know Rozelle's work ethic will carry him."

Pensacola is a very strong junior college program and big things are expected of the team again this season. As competitive as the league is, Lett and Nix both know that it is another world from the ACC. Despite the big transition, Lett is confident that Nix can adapt.

"He is going to have to get used to playing against kids his size every single day. That will be an adjustment. The speed is so much faster too. Athletically, I think he will be fine. Once he gets in that strength program and learns all the ins and outs of the defense and the system, he will be fine."

During the recruiting process, Nix looked to Lett as a mentor. He has put in a lot of extra time on the side working with "The Big O," but for as much an impact as Lett has had on Nix's development, the former Panther will tell you that the future Panther has had the same impact on him.

"Everyone that meets him just loves him. He is just a great kid. Rozelle is like a gentle giant. He works so hard and he hates to let one of his coaches down. The kid will run through a wall for you. His drive and commitment is something that I have not seen before. As much as he has improved, I still think there is more room for him to develop.

"He only has two years at Pitt so we are trying to prepare him so that he can make an impact right off of the bat. His development will probably continue after Pitt as well, just because he doesn't stop working."