On Saturday afternoon, Pitt men’s basketball traveled to Winston-Salem for a chance at a big Quad 1 win. The Panthers could have carried over momentum from their last matchup that saw a big win at home against UNC. Instead, Pitt left North Carolina with a 76-74 loss and a .500 conference record — factors that are piling up on the stack of reasons Pitt could get left out of the tournament.
Pressure makes diamonds
In a few games this season, fans have seen Pitt break into a full or half-court press when in need of a defensive spark. Each time, this tactic yields success. But the press is still sort of rare for the Panthers. Against Wake, turnovers off of presses led to fast break scoring and, in a one-bucket game, proved extremely important. While it can sometimes cause issues with energy and player sustainability, the carpeting press helps and is something I would like to see continued and amplified going further.
Scoring is not the issue — defense is
Pointing out areas to improve in after a loss is easy. There is always something to nitpick about what needs to improve. Bucket getting, however, is not one of them. Pitt had three players in double digits, including senior guard Damian Dunn who put up a game-high 24. The mid-range is where the Panthers especially succeeded, as their back-court trio found the bottom of the net on pull-ups, floaters and all sorts of field goals from around the intermediate area. As per usual, Pitt got downhill and finished around the rim with success.
Three-point shooting saw a slight drop from the season average, but nothing to worry about. If Pitt wants to continue to play ball through March, it will need to keep up this same offensive intensity while keeping their long-range barrage afloat.
On the defensive end of the three-ball, though, Pitt drastically needs to improve. Just like it was in other ACC matchups such as games against Duke, Louisville and Clemson, Pitt’s defense around the arc continues to act as a game-changer. The same story ran against Wake Forest. Pitt allowed a team that has shot 28.7% on the season to explode for a 42.1% day, and this absolutely killed the Panthers. Things like this can’t happen if Pitt wants to boast one of the 64 spots in the spring.
Panthers still need more discipline
In a game that was decided by just a pair, certain moments could have made all the difference. The Panthers still need to stay disciplined, especially down the stretch. Bad fouls, like one committed in a one-possession game with 2.7 seconds left on the shot clock and only 22 seconds left in the game, killed Pitt. Oftentimes, the Panthers tried for too much, like cross-court passes that were picked off or deep shots that, in the moment, seemed rushed or out of character for the situation. To play with the best and flip current results, Pitt has to get its head in the game in the waning minutes of games.
Hands on the wheel
Pitt only led the game for about four minutes as opposed to Wake’s 31 in charge. In most of its losses, lead time has stung as a recurring issue. The Panthers have to figure out how to get in front so that they aren’t playing from behind all game. This added pressure and deficit hurts in tight contests, and when getting down early, recovering can prove very difficult, making wins hard to come by.
Catch the Panthers next at home on Monday night against UVA or stream the game on ESPN.