Overview:
Pittsburgh has surpassed the 20-win and 10-win
Big East regular season marks for a school record
fifth straight season. The only other program with a
similar streak is UConn. Head coach Jamie Dixon is
also the first coach to guide Pittsburgh to three
straight 20-win seasons. With the Panthers, it's
truly a total team effort, with everyone
contributing. Pittsburgh's bench has outscored the
opposing bench in 22 of 27 games this year.
Potential Difference Maker: When junior
center Aaron Grey asserts his will, Pittsburgh
becomes a very tough team to contend with. And Gray
has been asserting his will quite often this season.
He leads the Big East in both rebounding (10.4 rpg)
and double-doubles (14). He is also the only player
in the conference currently averaging a
double-double.
On Offense: They run various set plays to go
with a wide – open motion that takes advantage of
the team’s athleticism. They are at their best when
they play with patience and get the ball inside to
Gray to make them a very balanced offensive team.
On Defense: This is the heart of what makes
Pitt tough every night. They play great man-to-man
defense and give up very little easy. They will
force you to make shots from the perimeter.
Strength: They are a very deep team with good
ball handlers and a big man that has been more
consistent this year. They are a great defense and
rebounding team, so they will be in any game they
play.
Weakness: They are an inconsistent shooting
team and a fairly young team. They depend greatly on
Krauser’s leadership, and he will need to play well.
Key to Success: Pitt needs to control the
tempo of the game which will depend heavily on their
ability to get the ball inside to Gray and Krauser’s
decision making.
How to Beat Them: Win or play evenly on the
boards and do not let them get points in the paint.
You have to match their toughness and try to get
some easy baskets by pushing the tempo.
