Dixon, Pitt ready for road test at No. 21 Louisville

While the Pitt men’s basketball team won its first and only road game of the season Saturday, its next opponent should prove a more formidable test.

On Thursday, the No. 20/17 Panthers face their toughest test of the season when they travel to the KFC Yum! Center to face the No. 21/20 Louisville Cardinals.

Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon and junior power forward Michael Young spoke about the challenge Louisville poses, improved depth and the team’s free throw shooting against Notre Dame on Saturday. The Cardinals (13-3, 2-1 ACC) are coming off an upset loss to Clemson and are undefeated at home this season.

FACES NEW AND OLD

While Louisville has retooled its roster this season, Rick Pitino is a consistent presence for the team in his 15th season coaching the Cardinals. He will execute a familiar strategy —  such as a full-court press — for the matchup on Thursday.

“I know a lot from playing them last year, we played them twice,” Young said.

Young said the team watched tapes of the Cardinals playing North Carolina State on Jan. 7, a game Louisville won 77-72, and saw firsthand the scoring threat its graduate transfers have brought to the team.

The Cardinals feature multiple new players on the team, like high-scoring guard Damion Lee, but Young said he’s preparing the same way he has all season.

“[We’re just going to] watch personnel on the players,” Young said. “Just get ready like it’s any other game.”

Lee and Trey Lewis are the two most impactful newcomers, both graduate transfers. Dixon jokingly referred to Thursday’s match-up as the “Graduate Transfer Championship,” as Pitt has three of its own in Rafael Maia, Sterling Smith and Alonzo Nelson-Ododa.

Lee, formerly of Drexel, is averaging 16.6 points per game, while Trey Lewis, a Cleveland State transfer, is averaging 13.4.

“Their [graduate transfers] have done well, and ours have done well,” Dixon said. “You need guys for different reasons, different spots, different roles.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

DEEP IMPACT

Late in the first half against Notre Dame, Young picked up his third foul in a game that he was dominating. Despite foul trouble severely limiting his availability, Dixon wasn’t worried, as he could rely on Sheldon Jeter to replace Young in the lineup.

“I wasn’t concerned with sitting [Young], our lead went from four to 18 with Sheldon in there in the second half,” Dixon said. “It’s a good thing to have. We have a lot of good players.”

Young relishes having Jeter coming off the bench, as it liberates him on both ends of the court.

“I can kind of play more free, and not play with the mindset of, ‘I can’t foul,’” Young said. “If I do happen to get into foul trouble, it’s not a worry or anything like that.”

Dixon said the depth alters his decision-making process.

“I grew up with the rule that if you had two [fouls in the first half], you couldn’t play the rest of the half,” Dixon said. “But when you have another guy to play with, that’s where [playing with three fouls] comes into play a little bit.”

When Young does come out because of foul trouble, he has confidence that there isn’t a drop-off.

“Another good player, another guy that can score the ball, rebound, play defense is coming into the game,” Young said. “There’s not let-off. [Sheldon] comes in, and he does a great job.”

While Jeter — who is averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds a game — is technically a bench player, Dixon sees him as an integral member of the team.

“I consider him one of our five,” Dixon said.

FREE [THROWS] FALLIN’

Last season, Pitt struggled as a free throw shooting team, making just a measly 68.5 percent from the charity stripe.

This year, with the addition of players like Smith and the improvement of Young, the Panthers lead the nation in free throw percentage, posting a 79.3 percent mark.

Young credits the difference to personnel.

“I think just having more shooters and more skill guys, it just goes up naturally,” Young said.

Dixon highlights the rarity of the Panthers’ knack for knocking down the freebies.

“Obviously, it’s not a luxury that we’ve had before, or that any team has really had before,” Dixon said. “We can put five guys out there and have big guys that can shoot. Our bigs are our best free throw shooters for a team that leads the country.”

Perhaps the biggest difference has been Young, who shot just 69.3 percent last year. This season, he’s seen that number balloon to 85.7 percent.

The improvement from the line is a big contributor to the team’s 14-1 record. As Young pointed out, converting foul shots at the end of contests is crucial to sealing a victory.

“Free throws are something we take pride in,” Young said. “Because at the end of the game, it all comes down to free throws.”

Dixon said the most important objective for Pitt is to rack up opportunities.

“It’s great to be great free throw shooters,” Dixon said. “But it’s more important to get to the line.”