It only seems like Lamar Patterson has been in college forever.

Probably because the former McCaskey basketball star left Lancaster before his senior year, to prep for the Big East Conference with a year at the national-class program at St. Benedict's, in Newark, N.J.

Patterson also was injured early in his freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh, and granted a medical redshirt.

"To me, it seems like the time here flew by so fast," Patterson said Thursday by telephone from Pittsburgh, where the Panthers were preparing to begin their season by beating Mount St. Mary's on Friday.

Indeed, Patterson has another year left after this. As a fourth-year junior on a team that figures to have a much different look this year, he'll be not only a starter but a veteran and even a leader.

"My role hasn't changed much," Patterson said. "It'll just be more of it, being a playmaker, getting everybody involved, making sure the young guys are in the right places."

A versatile small forward with scoring, playmaking and rebounding skills and responsibilities, Patterson started in 37 games last year, averaging 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

Pitt, which has emerged as a national power under 10th-year coach Jamie Dixon, had gone 273-71 (.794) from the beginning of the 2001-02 season through the 2010-11 season.

But last year's Panthers were a dysfunctional family, although not, apparently, due to attitude or effort.

"We had one real bad stretch, partly because of some injuries," Dixon said Thursday. "Before that and after, especially in March, was more reflective of who the guys really were."

After a 12-point loss to Georgetown in the second round of the Big East tournament, Pitt was 17-16.

No NCAA bid would be coming, obviously. The NIT didn't call either. The Panthers ended up settling for a berth in the nearly covert College Basketball Invitational.

"No one on the team had ever heard of it," Patterson admitted. "But then we met with coach, and he wanted it, mostly for the guys who were coming back to keep playing."

"If you can play, you play," Dixon said. "We had talked to the guys about it before the bids came out. We knew we were borderline for the NIT, and we knew it would be that or the CBI."

After a week off, Pitt got comfortable home wins over Wofford and Princeton. In the third round they avenged, sort of, an agonizing loss to Butler in the second round of the 2011 NCAAs. Butler had gone all the way to the national championship game opposite UConn.

This time, the Panthers won in overtime, in Indianapolis.

The CBI final round is a best-of-three series. Pitt lost the first, then won the last two, over Washington State, for the title. The Panthers finished the season 22-17 and with a good taste.

"Coach told us, 'Not many teams get to end their season with a win,' " Patterson said. "It was definitely good for us."

It was definitely good for Patterson, who averaged 13 points and six rebounds in the CBI, and received its Most Valuable Player award.

"He was very solid, took what was there," Dixon said. "The way he was playing at the end of the year is exactly what we want from him."

Patterson wants a little more for himself.

"It's not your dream to play in the CBI," Patterson said. "I didn't think too much about it. I wanted to get right back to work, get that Panther tradition back."

"His work ethic in the summer was outstanding," Dixon said. "He really led in that way, and I think the guys respected that."

The Panthers have bigger things in mind this year, and some intriguing new pieces. Two freshmen, 7-0 center Steven Adams and point guard James Robinson, will start right away.

Robinson is from legendary DeMatha High in Maryland. Adams is from New Zealand, where Dixon played professionally, and had committed to Pittsburgh three years ago.

"These guys who are voting him freshman of the year haven't seen him play yet," Dixon said.

Another key newcomer is 6-5 junior swingman Trey Zeigler. One of the top recruits of the high school class of 2010, Zeigler played two seasons at Central Michigan, where his father, Ernie, was the head coach.

Dad was fired at the end of last season. Zeigler chose to transfer to Pitt over Duke, Arizona State, UCLA and LSU. He averaged 16 and six rebounds over two seasons at CMU.

"We have a lot of pieces," Patterson said. "We also have a lot of guys back who felt the losing side of college basketball. Believe me, we don't want to go back to that."

Brossman at BU
Dylan Brossman was a 5-9 point guard at Cocalico. Averaged 12 points a game as a senior and eight a game as a junior.

Brossman graduated in 2011 and received only minimal, small-college recruiting interest. He attended Boston University, mostly because he liked the city.

He didn't quite put away his basketball dream.

Brossman tried out for BU's team in the fall of 2011, but coach Joe Jones didn't take any walk-ons. Brossman served as a student manager, which at many D-I schools amounts to an informal coaching apprenticeship.

Brossman kept working out, quietly. After the season, he played a lot of pickup with the team. When the workouts became more structured and coach-directed, Jones kept Brossman around, now as a player.

Finally Jones called Brossman into his office.

"I guess I made my mark," Brossman said Thursday by telephone from Boston. "He said he'd love for me to be a walk-on."

He's still 5-9. He's a Division I basketball player.

The Terriers started their season Friday with a loss to neighboring rival Northeastern. Brossman doesn't expect to play much.

"I'm hoping … who knows?" he said. "I'd be happy with any amount of minutes."

BU is joining the Patriot League next year, and is therefore ineligible for this year's American East Conference tournament and, therefore, almost certainly won't make the NCAA tournament.

Three players transferred out after last season, including the Terriers' best player, Jake O'Brien, now at Temple.

The Terriers were still picked third in the America East's preseason poll of coaches.

"If we still had Jake, I think we'd have been picked to win it," Brossman said. "We still have a shot. We have a really good freshman class."

Did we mention he's a Division I basketball player?

"My family and my coaches were the only ones who believed I had a chance to do this," he said. "I don't even think my high school coaches knew I was trying it. When I called them, they were … surprised. And excited.

"And I think my mom was more excited than me."

AL-L Access is an inside look at current and former Lancaster-Lebanon League athletes, teams and coaches and issues surrounding the league. Comments, suggestions and story ideas are welcome and can be emailed to mgross@lnpnews.com.