Bill Hillgrove credits Gov. Josh Shapiro for hoops knowledge during Pitt broadcast

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sat courtside Tuesday night and provided analysis during the broadcast of the Syracuse/Pitt game at Petersen Events Center.

But it was no mere political stunt. Shapiro came to play, said longtime Pitt play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove.

The governor joined Hillgrove and Curtis Aiken for the first half of the broadcast on 93.7 FM. But first, he did his homework.

“He was well-prepared, fit in well,” Hillgrove said. “He even gave me the business.”

When Hillgrove mentioned Zack Austin’s consecutive made free-throw streak, and Austin immediately missed — his first since Nov. 29 — the governor was on top of it.

“Right away, the governor (said), ‘You jinxed him,’ ” Hillgrove said.

“He was absolutely a delight. He pretty much knew the team, but I kind of sensed that he was taken aback by seeing Zack Austin in person and his athleticism. He couldn’t have been more complimentary.”

Syracuse jumped out to a 22-6 lead by making a high percentage of its shots. Shapiro, who played high school basketball at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr, remarked that the Orange couldn’t keep up that pace, and the Panthers just had to hang in there.

“Sure enough,” Hillgrove said, “that’s what happened.”

Pitt went on to win 80-69.

“He’s played the game, understands the competition, understands spacing (on offense), the ball being moved. He and Curtis got on that early.”

Shapiro noted “the ball’s sticking. We have to get the ball moving” in the first half.

“Second half, they did,” Hillgrove said.

Shapiro was invited to join the broadcast by Aiken, a former Pitt guard who works with the governor on Project 14, an initiative to revitalize downtown Pittsburgh and open doors for Black businessmen. Shapiro appointed Aiken to the University of Pittsburgh’s Board of Trustees last year.

During his time at The Pete, Shapiro visited with several Pitt officials, including Chancellor Joan Gabel. Shapiro’s daughter Sophia is a Pitt grad and his son Jonah is a sophomore at the university.

“He took pictures with kids from the Oakland Zoo, signed some autographs. He couldn’t have been more accommodating,” Hillgrove said.

Hillgrove, who has been the lead play-by-play man for Pitt basketball since 1969, said only two other celebrities have sat with him during a broadcast: actor Walter Matthau and entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

When Pitt played UCLA at Westwood (Dec. 22, 1972, the day before Franco Harris’ Immaculate Reception), former sports information director Dean Billick spotted Matthau and asked him to be a halftime guest with Hillgrove.

“You have to take my son, as well,” Matthau said.

Turns out Matthau’s son stole the show with an imitation of longtime Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Hillgrove enjoyed being in the governor’s company, but he added, “I’m kind of relieved that it’s over.”

“I lost a little sleep the night before wondering how it would go, but it couldn’t have gone any better. It was all good stuff.”