March Madness: Point-counterpoint: Inexperience will plague Pitt in NCAA Tournament

Two things have the potential to get you deep in the NCAA Tournament: a) veteran leadership… Two things have the potential to get you deep in the NCAA Tournament: a) veteran leadership and experience and b) John Wall- or Carmelo Anthony-type greatness. Though exceeding expectations this season and remaining in the top 25, Pitt has neither and, as a result, will not be making a deep run in this year’s tourney. They might not even advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Head Coach Jamie Dixon’s bunch has had several impressive wins this year — wins that indicate it has ability to conquer any team in the nation. They took down a Syracuse team that was ranked within the top five throughout the season, reaching No. 1 in the polls two weeks ago. They beat rival West Virginia in thrilling fashion at the Pete, erasing a late second half deficit on their way to a composed triple overtime triumph. And they avenged their disappointing Elite Eight loss from last year when they took down Villanova at home.

Despite finishing the regular season second in the Big East, undoubtedly the deepest conference in college hoops this year, some of those impressive victories come with little asterisks. The Panthers also suffered losses that, in retrospect, leave many scratching their heads.

The wins over Syracuse and West Virginia are legitimate. Nothing can take those away from Pitt. But less than two weeks prior to the triple overtime win, the Panthers got absolutely slaughtered on the road to those same Mountaineers, losing by 19 points. Three games before that, they were handled by Georgetown at home, allowing the Hoyas — the same Georgetown team that lost to Rutgers, Notre Dame and Old Dominion and was 10-8 in conference — to shoot 70 percent from three.

Then there is Villanova. Indeed, the Panthers avenged their Scotty Reynolds-induced heartbreaker from a year ago, but the victory came at a time when ‘Nova was faltering. After starting league play 9-0, the Wildcats dropped four of their last six Big East contests, a streak that included the loss to Pitt.

Back in November, the then unranked Pantherstook on Texas, which at the time was ranked second in the country. They hung with the Longhorns for part of the game, but ultimately lost big, 78-62. It was a game that no one expected Pitt to win. Fast forward to Pitt finishing the regular season No. 16 in the country and Texas plummeting, — falling outside the top 25 and making the November loss look even worse.

Toss in a loss to Indiana at a neutral site, road losses to Seton Hall, South Florida and Notre Dame and a Providence game that was all but lost before Ashton Gibbs nailed a 30-footer at the buzzer to salvage a win, and all indications point to one thing — Pitt is an erratic team.

They can thrill with marquee wins and they can confound with crummy losses — and in postseason play, there is no time for inconsistency. It’s one and done, lose and head back to Oakland.

The way to avoid such pitfalls is through steady leadership. Last year, even with the point guard of all point guards in Levance Fields and the steady senior — if not spectacular— play of Sam Young, the Panthers couldn’t get to the promised land. They also had the dominating play of DeJuan Blair, but it wasn’t enough.

Pitt lacks a go-to guy. Gibbs can shoot with the best of them, but he lacks the ability to take over a game with the ball in his hands. Brad Wanamaker can fill up a stat sheet, but he’s hardly the type of guard who can lead a team through a grinding Tournament game when tension is high and the season is on the line — if he proves he can, then perhaps Pitt will make a serious run.

Jermaine Dixon is the only player on this year’s roster to start in a postseason game in his career before last week’s loss to Notre Dame in the Big East quarterfinals. But Dixon isn’t a dominating force on the court. His shooting has been irregular this year, as well. There are no John Walls on this team.

The Panthers blew detractors out of the water this year. They played better than anyone expected. But the season had ups and downs. Their play has been fickle from the beginning. And when a loss means elimination, the Panthers will find themselves falling short — and out of the Sweet Sixteen.