Depth and Scoring Balance Keys to Pitt's Success

Last year’s team was very dangerous offensively as DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and Levance Fields were three of the best players in the Big East. Yet, Pitt was very predictable at times because outside of those three, the Panthers really had no one who could take over a game.

But this season, the Panthers can count on a number of players to break out at any time, and that is what makes them so dangerous. They have six players (Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wannamaker, Jermaine Dixon, Gil Brown, Nasir Robinson and Travon Woodall) who have scored at least 19 points in a game and a center in Gary McGhee who is not relied upon to score a lot but has scored in double-figures seven times this season.

After his team lost on Sunday, Villanova coach Jay Wright said Pitt’s balance and versatility are what make them so difficult to guard. He also cited that their athletic wing players like Brown, Robinson and Wannamaker are so valuable on defense because they can guard perimeter players as well as guys in the post.

After the win Jamie Dixon said his team’s balance, along with their continued improvement, are the things that excite him the most.

On Sunday the Panthers received strong offensive outputs from Gibbs with 21 points, Brown with 16 and Dixon with 10 even though his shots didn’t seem to be falling for him. But in the previous game against Marquette they had three other players score in double-figures as McGhee, Robinson and Wannamaker each had 10 points.

This will be a valuable asset when the NCAA Tournament comes around because opposing teams will have a hard time to prepare for them since it’s difficult to account for seven players who have the ability to score.