Former Pitt basketball star Demetreus Gore has passed away, per multiple accounts.
Gore's former teammate and third overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, Charles Smith, shared via Twitter on Sunday:
Today, I received a text that my college teammate Demetreus Gore died of a heart attack while working out in a gym. I just spoke to him this past Thursday. It felt like I got sucker punched in the gut. It was his play and attitude that made us who we were. Rest In Peace brother🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/JUwodislzr
— CharlesDSmith (@CharlesDSmith54) August 30, 2020
Gore played all four years of his collegiate career at Pitt, becoming a starting forward in his sophomore season. He started in 92 games over his final three years at Pitt, missing only a single game. During that time he earned honors as a third team All Big East in his sophomore 1985-1986 season.
He finished in the top ten of the Big East in points and points per game three times each in his career, as in the top ten of the Big East in assists and assists per game twice. During the 1987-1988 season, Gore would help Pitt rise to be ranked as the No. 2 team in the country twice by the Associated Press.
Pitt would make the NCAA tournament in three out of his four years on the team, losing in the first round in 1985 under coach Roy Chipman, and losing in the second round in both 1987 and 1988 under coach Paul Evans.
Pitt's current coach Jeff Capel shared his admiration for Gore on Twitter on Sunday, calling him a Panther great:
RIP to a Panther great, Demetrius Gore. Another brother gone too soon! #H2P https://t.co/WNHRJXDzXK
— Jeff Capel (@jeffcapel) August 31, 2020
Kentucky's head basketball coach John Calipari, a former assistant basketball coach at Pitt from 1985-1988, said Gore helped his transition as a coach at Pitt with how good of a scorer he was and how the two have stayed in touch over the years:
Really saddened to hear Demetreus Gore has passed away. Demetreus was at Pitt when I was an
assistant coach and made my transition so much easier. His smile lit up every room and his style of
basketball lit up every arena. pic.twitter.com/CMpp0N051z— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) August 31, 2020
I have not coached anyone who had more ways to score the basketball than Demetreus. We’ve stayed
in touch since and it breaks my heart to hear we’ve lost him too soon. I feel for his family and all will be
in my prayers.— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) August 31, 2020
Gore hailed from Detroit, Michigan and played for Chadsey high school. There he won the Mr. Basketball of Michigan award for being the best high school senior basketball player of the state in 1984. Other winners of this award include Glen Rice, Chris Webber and Jason Richardson, as well as Earvin 'Magic' Johnson in a retro vote for 1977.
Big East fans from the 1980’s remember Pitt alum Demetreus Gore legit talent and Mr. Basketball out of Michigan in 1984. RIP pic.twitter.com/1S8Z6L1pdP
— Big East Hoops 24/7 (@BigEastTourney) August 30, 2020
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