Four years. How could four years fly by so fast? It seems like only yesterday that Kevin Pittsnogle left the trailer park in Martinsburg to arrive in Morgantown as the savior of our basketball program. Alas, Pittsnogle has left us. How one man could accomplish so much in four years is simply amazing. Pittsnogle managed to; get married, have a child, graduate college, go to two Sweet 16’s, become WVU’s all-time leader in three point field goal makes (253), climb up to sixth on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,708), and be named to the Big East First Team.

It is his honor that I have compiled a list of the top five Pittsnogle moments from his tenure at West Virginia University.

The date was February 25^th, the venue was the WVU Coliseum, and the dunk was thunderous. Pittsnogle may have jumped the highest ever in his life for this jaw dropper. Soaring gracefully through the air he cocked the ball behind his head in traffic and slammed it through the rim, almost killing the photographers and cheerleaders under the hoop. Kudos to whoever designed the basket and the rim, because the force of that dunk was roughly equal to an atomic bomb. Juan Palacios, the foolish Louisville forward who was caught under the basket is rumored to still have nightmares. Big Kev finished with 21 points.

4. Getting Married in his high school gymnasium

Kevin started his life with Heather Pittsnogle in the high school gym where he played in Martinsburg. Clad in a white tuxedo with a top hat, he was stunningly dashing. The reception, held at a local old folks home, included Domino’s pizza, hot dogs, and Big K soda. Pittsnogle would have it no other way. Good people those Pittsnogle people.

3. Shot from the corner against Wake Forest

While this game may have belonged to Mike Gansey, Pittsnogle showed up huge in the clutch. Late in the second OT Kevin spotted up in the corner and drained a three over a hapless Wake defender. Maybe the biggest win in school history, aside from the Jerry West days, Pittsnogle’s shot was the perfect image of how glorious college basketball can be. Chris Paul started crying, Pittsnogle ran down the court pounding his chest, I went outside and burned stuff.

2. Junior season win versus Pitt

With D’or Fischer out with an injury it was Pittsnogle’s turn to start. He never looked back as he hit shot after shot over the outreached arms of Pittsburgh defenders. Pounding his chest and pumping up the crowd, Pittsnogle ran up and down the court and all over the hearts of Pittsburgh fans. In 34 minutes of action Pittsnogle finished with 27 points on 10 of 17 shooting, and pulled down eight boards.

1. Naming his son Kwynsie

What else could you ask for? Is there any other name that they could have chosen? No. Kwynsie is too perfect. When I heard it I almost cried. Papa Pittsnogle’s little bundle of joy arrived on February 3^rd and started attending home games with Heather soon after. Pittsnogle got some fresh ink to celebrate the birth of his son. A beautifully detailed angel sits on his right forearm with wings cascading downward over the name Kwynsie James Pittsnogle.

Honorable mention: My close encounter with Pittsnogle

Three years ago at an awful freshman bar called shooters, I, Myles Forsyth, a mere mortal, actually played pool with Pittsnogle. It was me and my buddy Tony against Pittsnogle and some guy who must have been 30. Pittsnogle fancied himself a pool whiz and kept calling all types of crazy combos, usually with no luck. However, because I am awful at pool and my partner was worse then me, we still got spanked. After the game, the very genial Pittsnogle and I exchanged a soul-shake as I said, “Big fan. Big fan.” I’ll be telling the grand kids about that one.

Kevin Pittsnogle, what will we do without you?