Foul trouble, history will keep Pitt grounded

‘ ‘ ‘ It’s been one of the most exciting regular seasons in Pitt basketball history. Pitt fans… ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s been one of the most exciting regular seasons in Pitt basketball history. Pitt fans witnessed 28 wins, DeJuan Blair being tapped as co-Big East player of the year and the program’s first No. 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ It might be hard for Panther fans to accept the idea that this team will not be one of four teams in Detroit. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Don’t get me wrong, Pitt just concluded a fantastic regular-season campaign. Beating Connecticut twice when the Huskies carried the No. 1-ranking was a huge accomplishment. The Panthers also continued their reputation of being a superior home team with an unblemished record at the Petersen Events Center. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ There’s no question that Pitt is a fantastic home team, but breaking down the Panthers’ contests away from the Pete is the key to understanding why this team won’t make it to the Final Four. And taking away the win at Connecticut, the Panthers have been a very average team on the road. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt blew a double-digit lead at Louisville to fall to the Cardinals when the Panthers were ranked No. 1. The Panthers also looked less than stellar in a 10-point loss at Villanova, then had a bad loss at Providence when the team was blown out at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In order to make a run in March, teams need mental toughness. The Panthers haven’t had that elite mental toughness on the road to show that they’re ready to move past the Sweet 16. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The second reason that this team won’t make the Final Four comes down to defense. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While there’s no question that Pitt’s offense is vastly improved from last year, the defense has not been nearly as impressive. This team just doesn’t seem to always have that intense, gritty man-to-man defense that has been a staple of Jamie Dixon’s system for a long time. They’ve shown stellar defense at times, but one bad performance can hurt the Panthers when it comes time to face teams with a lot of speed and athleticism. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ This brings us to the third thing that can keep Pitt out of the Final Four: officiating. Pitt was successful in the regular season, using a very aggressive, physical game to wear down teams. The Panthers were also very physical with other teams without drawing fouls for the most part. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ However, the Big East is known to be a very physical conference, and Big East officials are known to let the players play. As Pitt moves out of Big East play and into the Tournament, the team will have to play under the officiating by referees from other conferences who might not let as much slide when it comes to physical play. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s also helpful to remember that in three of Pitt’s four losses, DeJuan Blair has been in foul trouble. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Blair is going to find himself in foul trouble for much of the Tournament because the officials aren’t going to let the Panthers be as physical without blowing the whistle. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But still, there’s more. It’s essential to look at Pitt’s bracket when weighing how far it will go, and it appears that Pitt might be in the hardest bracket in terms of competition. While Pitt will most likely be victorious in its first game (a No. 1 seed has never lost to a No. 16 seed), the Panther’s troubles might start in their second game. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ A team like Tennessee could be a bad matchup for the Panthers because of the Volunteers’ athleticism and the experience of the coaching staff. Other notable teams in the bracket that the Panthers might face are Villanova, Florida State and Duke. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Panthers were unsuccessful against the Wildcats during the regular season in a 10-point defeat. Earlier in the year, Pitt and the Seminoles were tied in a close game before the Panthers pulled away for the victory. Florida State is one of the tallest, most athletic teams in college basketball and could pose a problem for the Panthers on the glass. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Also, if Pitt ends up facing Duke in the Elite Eight, the Panthers will have their hands full. Duke capped of an impressive regular season with another ACC conference championship on Sunday. The Blue Devils are a great offensive team on the perimeter, and the Panthers haven’t constantly shown that they do a good enough job with perimeter defense to take down Duke. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Finally, Pitt has to battle history. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While Jamie Dixon has been one of the most successful coaches in the country during his tenure, the one blemish on his resume is the lack of postseason victories. He and Pitt haven’t made it past the Sweet 16. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Historically, the Panthers haven’t won in March, and this year won’t be any different.