Over the course of a professional basketball career that brought Gilbert Brown to Germany, Turkey and Israel, among other places, there was one language that was universal, at least among some of his teammates — frustration.

Years later, the former Pitt forward can recall conversations with players against whom he would match up in the Big East during his college career, men like Darius Johnson-Odom and Arinze Onuaku. Whenever the topic of games at the Petersen Events Center would arise, so too would an all-too-common sentiment.

“Any of these guys, they’ll tell you ‘Man, I hated playing at Pitt,’” Brown said.

When looking at Brown’s career at Pitt, it’s an understandable feeling. When looking at the 2008-09 season, when he was a redshirt sophomore, it’s especially understandable.

A six-year-old venue that, at that time, was already known as one of the most imposing road atmospheres in college basketball was perhaps never more daunting than it was during the 2008-09 campaign. During that season, Pitt went undefeated at Petersen Events Center, only the third time since World War II it had won all of its home games, posting a 19-0 record.

As the Panthers became one of the best programs in college basketball in the 2000s, their rise was inextricably linked to their building. That was never truer than it was in 2008-09.

“When they flashed the record at the Pete in the player introductions back then, if you’re an opponent, you’re in awe,” said former Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion. “You’re like ‘Oh, we have no shot.’ It was something stupid.”

By the end of that season, that home record was “stupid,” among many other apt adjectives, a mark of 116-11.