Dexter Pittman

Classroom

Pittman is working towards his degree in education at the University of Texas.  He was an Academic All-Big 12 second-team member in 2008-09 and a first-team member during the 2007-08 season.  Pittman is also a three-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection by earning a minimum 3.0 grade point average for a semester.

Character

Pittman battled weight issues his entire life before coming to Texas.  He has lost nearly 100 pounds since the end of his senior year in high school and has dropped his body fat percentage by nearly 28 points.  A former 390-pounder, Pittman struggled to keep his self-esteem up because of cruel teasing he suffered as a child. Now, after going through vigorous workouts and adapting admirable eating habits, Pittman is able to complete multiple workouts with teammates and has slimmed his waistline by eight inches.  Pittman’s success has not gone unnoticed in the Longhorn community either.  Many people with issues similar to Pittman’s have begun to look up to him and are following in the footsteps of a great student-athlete.  Not afraid to speak about the situation, Pittman has met with a child and developed a relationship that goes well beyond the basketball floor.  As Pittman puts it, “its not hard to speak,” he says.  “I’ve got confidence now.”

Community

During the past two seasons, Pittman has volunteered at O’Henry Middle School, assisting the students and the school to identify leadership skills in students and promote the effective development of these skills.  He has also visited Habbi’s Hutch, Sanchez Elementary, Zavala Elementary, two childcare centers, a pre-kindergarten classroom and an early childhood special education classroom to assist students on their academic journeys.  Additionally, Pittman visits the UT Childcare Center, where he interacts with children while they are playing freely.  Pittman’s civic contributions extend well-beyond visiting local schools.  He also has been a part of Marathon Kids, Neighborhood Longhorns, Longhorn Halloween, the Marbridge Foundation, Orange Santa and LEAD of Austin, talking with seventh grade at-risk students about teamwork and leadership qualities.

Competition

Pittman has played in 100 career games at Texas, starting 25 of those contests and was considered on of the most improved players in the nation during his junior year.  He increased production in four major statistical categories from his first two years to his junior season, scoring from 2.7 ppg to 10.1 ppg, rebounding from 2.1 rpg to 5.5 rpg, in minutes from 6.2 mpg to 16.6 mpg and free throw percentage from 52.0 to 69.1 percent.  In addition, Pittman averaged 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game during UT’s five postseason games last year.  He was one of five players named to the 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team.