Lost In The Chaos Of Saturday's Wild College Basketball Slate Was A Heart Warming Moment For Pitt's Aidan Fisch

TribLive - Since the moment he arrived on campus in Oakland, Aidan Fisch dreamed of wearing a Pitt uniform and contributing to a winning team.

His contributions began early on as a team manager for the men’s basketball team.

Flash ahead to Saturday night, and Fisch was pinching himself as he scored the final basket as Pitt slammed Syracuse, 99-82, at Petersen Events Center.

“I love this program more than anything,” he said. And his teammates have reciprocated.

Fisch did, after all, win the team’s Gold Standard Teammate of the Year award last spring.

“He has been as big a part of this turnaround as anyone,” Capel said. “He has believed. He has led. He has showed up every day.”

Saturday was an insane day for college basketball. Buzzer beaters, ranked teams going down, stare downs with refs and officials, comebacks, and overall chaos. Seemed like every game was close, every game was high intensity, and every game was more meaningful. That's usually how it goes as the days dwindle down in February and get closer to March. Every day and every night is more chaotic than the last. 

If you were paying attention to scores, or flipping channels and looking for the best games, Pitt-Syracuse was way down the list, so it would make sense if it got lost in the shuffle. However, it was that game that provided my favorite moment of the day. 

Pitt was a laughing stock for a while in the ACC. In Aidan Fisch's three years with the team, this is the first one he's guaranteed to see the Panthers finish over .500. He also started as a student manager, and dreamed of putting on a Pitt uniform since the time he arrived. Some would call him crazy, and some would say dreaming of playing was the second craziest thing he did, because thinking Pitt could turn it around was the longest of long shots. 

But here we are, and Pitt is atop the ACC, firmly in the NCAA Tournament and Aidan Fisch is out living out his dream. You don't even have to watch college basketball, or like Pitt to feel great for a kid like that who did everything he was asked and got to enjoy a huge moment on a national stage, that no one thought would be possible. 

Capel's quote really does sum up ...some things are bigger than sports. 

Post Gazette- “Man, he dreamed of being here. … He has been as big a part of this turnaround as anyone because he believed. He has led. He has shown up every day. … He’s done that every day he’s been here from the time he was a manager until right now. Dude, I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy for you.”

Awesome moment for a kid who seems like he deserved all of it.