Panthers show multiple looks on defense in big win

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Pitt men’s basketball’s defense took a step from the norm during Friday night’s 88-55 season-opening win over Savannah State when, on several occasions, head coach Jamie Dixon revealed a few fresh modes of attack.

Dixon typically resists change on defense, employing a  strict half-court, man-to-man set. But college basketball has evolved since Dixon took over in 2003: More fouls are called, more zone is played and fewer points are recorded. 

Thus spawned the evolution of Dixon’s defensive philosophy. 

On Friday, point guards James Robinson and Josh Newkirk put extended pressure on Savannah State’s point guards. The two picked their men up well past the half-court line and into the Tigers’ end of the court. 

Newkirk said the three-quarters floor length pressure was no coincidence, rather, a strategy imposed by Dixon. 

“We just want to disrupt their offense by picking them up,” said Newkirk, a freshman, who had 11 points and four assists in 24 minutes of play. “We just want to take some time off the clock so they won’t get into their offense as easy.”

Because center Talib Zanna — who will return next game, according to Dixon — served a one-game suspension for violating team rules, junior Rutgers transfer Derrick Randall made the start against Savannah State and held his own defensively. 

After the game, Randall said Dixon taught him a lot of the defensive hedging skills he exhibits today. 

Hedging breaks up the offensive flow of the pick-and-roll. During a hedge, the defending big man steps out to temporarily cover the ball handler off a screen, giving the ball handler adequate time to recover from the screen and get back to his man.

Dixon has always placed a high level of emphasis on defensive hedging. Similar to extending pressure on point guards, hedging takes time off the clock, slowing the game’s pace.

“Since day one he taught me how to hedge,” said Randall of Dixon. He said learning Dixon’s system of hedging is an ongoing process. “I just got to get there quicker and put my hands up. I’m just so anxious to jump out and just be on defense. I got to learn from all the fouls I [sometimes pick up].”

Another way for Pitt to kill time while on defense is by playing zone. Dixon sparingly used a two-three zone Friday, although he said there is more to come.

“We will be playing more zone,” Dixon said. “We zoned during some [out-of-bounds plays]. We did a little bit of trapping in some areas.”

There were a total of 48 fouls in Friday’s contest.

“If the fouls continue, I think that’s what’s going to end up happening. Just like putting the 3-point line further back, they thought it would open up the game. No, that just means people are going to play more zone,” said Dixon.

“Zone takes more time and uses up more clock. I think that’s where it’s headed,” said Dixon. “Unintended consequences are headed this way, and it’s not going to help higher scoring.”

Last season, Pitt’s opponents averaged a mere 56 points per game. Dixon hopes to keep things that way, but the Panthers could have a difficult time holding tonight’s opponent, Fresno State, to those standards. 

The Bulldogs (1-0) put up 98 points in their first game, an overtime thriller against UC Irvine. Five players for Fresno State finished the game in double figures. Sophomore Marvelle Harris finished with a game-high 30 points.

The Bulldogs return just two starters from last season, Tyler Johnson and Allen Huddleston, but the two led the team in scoring last year.

In 2012-2013, the Bulldogs went 11-19 with a 5-11 record in the Mountain West Conference. Rodney Terry, Fresno State’s head coach, is in his third season at the helm.