Men’s basketball: Return of Dixon, Brown key as Panthers start Big East play

The Pitt men’s basketball team filled in all its missing pieces on Tuesday night and with the… The Pitt men’s basketball team filled in all its missing pieces on Tuesday night and with the puzzle finally complete, the Panthers arguably played their best game of the season.

Gilbert Brown and Jermaine Dixon, Pitt’s two most experienced players, returned to the floor together against Ohio and the improvement for the young Panther squad was noticeable.

“Jermaine and Gil make us a better team,” Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said. “We’re adding our two most experienced players in December. If you find another team that’s done that, let me know.”

Brown couldn’t have played much better in his season premiere after serving an academic suspension through the first 11 games.

In fact, he was perfect.

Brown shot 4-for-4 from the field, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, and went 1-1 from the foul line. He scored 11 points in 18 minutes.

“He gave us a lot of energy today,” Ashton Gibbs said. “He’s a good player and we’re expecting big things from him.”

It was difficult playing a game after only participating in a few practices, Brown said, but he worked hard to stay in shape on his own so he could contribute when the time came.

“I still need to get back into game shape,” Brown said. “Because we go hard in practice, I expect my game legs in a couple weeks.”

Jermaine Dixon looked closer to finding his game legs in his fourth game back after undergoing foot surgery.

He reached double figures in scoring for the first time this year.

“I feel like I’m getting my stride back and I’m able to drive to the basket,” Dixon said. “My confidence is building and I’m putting in good minutes.”

Although he scored 14 points and dished out six assists, perhaps Dixon’s most important contribution is the defensive prowess he brings to the backcourt.

Jamie Dixon said Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker both have limited experience, particularly defensively, and having an experienced defender in Jermaine Dixon on the floor will help make them better.

Jermaine Dixon guarded freshman point guard D.J. Cooper, who entered the game averaging 12.5 points and scored in double figures in eight of the first 10 games.

Against Dixon, Cooper only managed 5 points on 1-of-14 shooting from the field.

“Most of our guys haven’t guarded [off the dribble] and Jermaine is exceptional,” Dixon said. “We put him on Ohio’s key player [Cooper] early and he didn’t get too many open looks.”

With the return of Dixon and Brown, the Panthers held Ohio to 17-for-71 shooting from the field – a staggering 23.9 percent.

“We played good team defense,” Jamie Dixon said. “We guarded the ball screens better than we have all year long. We are heading in the right direction defensively.”

Both Brown and Dixon added fuel to a Pitt offense that lacked diversity and effectiveness many times this season.

Leading scorers Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker often carried the weight of the Panthers offense for lengthy periods. But against Ohio, Pitt found the balanced scoring that often eluded it though the first 11 games.

Two players besides Dixon and Brown reached double figures, with Nasir Robinson adding 10 points and Gibbs leading all scorers with 15.

“We played well offensively,” Jamie Dixon said. “We were unselfish and we made very good decisions early. I think it showed a team that’s improving and that’s been our goal from the beginning.”

Although Wanamaker finished tied with his lowest point total of the season with four points, he contributed a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. He hadn’t reached double figures in either category previously.

“The main thing is we are getting our guys less minutes now and that’s going to make everyone a better player,” Jamie Dixon said. “More depth means less minutes and that means more productivity.”

That depth will prove important when Pitt opens the Big East portion of their schedule on Monday against DePaul.

Fortunately for the Pitt, its two most experienced players are back on the floor and that means the Panthers are playing their best basketball of the season as they head into conference play.