Showdown Saturday

Jamie Dixon’s team will try to look like the Pitt teams of old on Saturday, for reasons both… Jamie Dixon’s team will try to look like the Pitt teams of old on Saturday, for reasons both subtle and obvious.

As part of the men’s basketball program’s Centennial Celebration, the Panthers will wear blue throwback uniforms when they meet Providence for a second time this season. The last time Pitt wore blue uniforms for a home game was during an exhibition game at the Fitzgerald Field House on November 15, 1980.

Aside from the new threads, though, the Panthers have different reasons to go back to the ways of old.

“We haven’t been playing good defense the last couple of games,” freshman Levance Fields said of his team’s recent defensive struggles. “We have to play good defense against [Donnie] McGrath, we have to try and stop him so he doesn’t get good shots.”

McGrath and the Friars (12-12, 5-8 Big East) torched a normally stout Panther defense for 77 points nine days ago in the friendly confines of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, all to no avail, though. Pitt withstood a strong Providence first half and rallied behind a 9-for-9 shooting performance from junior center Aaron Gray to eke out an 85-77 win.

Providence certainly gave the Panthers a challenge on the night, though. Pitt trailed for the entire first half, largely because of a strong shooting performance from McGrath, who leads the Friars with a 15.6 points-per-game scoring average.

“We have to defend McGrath, he is the key, they run their offense through him,” Dixon said. “We can play great defense, but he can make a tough shot.”

McGrath hit 3s early and often in the loss to Pitt. He eventually cooled off, however, long enough for the Panthers to seize control of the game. Still, McGrath finished with a career-high 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting, including a 6-for-10 night from behind the 3-point line.

“It’s all about the defense,” sophomore guard Ronald Ramon said. “They played us tough. We could play better defense and get a better result.”

Dixon, however, wasn’t about to limit the discussion to defense. His team has also been plagued with turnovers, the latest costing them a tight contest last Saturday at Marquette, the last time Pitt played.

“Our goal is less than 12,” he said of the turnovers. “We haven’t played in so long, the guys just want to play. I’m ready to play.”

“We are getting away from running the offense,” Ramon, who has handled the bulk of the point guard duties this season, said.

Regardless of the issues, though, Pitt is still in control of its Big East Tournament destiny. Winning out will ensure that the Panthers finish somewhere within the conference’s top four slots, which guarantees a first-round bye in the tournament. No team has ever won the tournament without a first-round bye.

“We have three games to get it right before the Big East championships,” Fields said.

Providence, on the other hand, is fighting just to make it into the 12-team tournament. The Friars have been floating around the .500 mark for the entire season, and are currently struggling to maintain their 11th position in the conference standings. Tim Welsh’s squad currently has a half-game lead on St. John’s and Rutgers (both teams are 5-9 in Big East play) and a one-game lead on Notre Dame, which checks in at 4-9 in the 16-team conference.

With the tournament quickly approaching, however – the Big East Tournament will be held March 8-11 in Madison Square Garden – the Friars have little room for error. With only three conference games remaining, Providence will need a win in the Pete this weekend to stave off the competition. That won’t come easily, however, given Pitt’s 15-0 home record this season.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Peterson Events Center. The contest will be broadcast by ESPN Regional and televised locally on FSN Pittsburgh.