Fresh off an emotional home win against Syracuse on Saturday evening, the Pitt Panthers (16-8, 5-5 ACC) are working their way back into the discussion as a potential NCAA tournament team. In order for the Panthers to make the NCAA tournament for 11th time in 12 seasons under Jamie Dixon, they will need to continue to build upon their current three-game winning streak that now has them sitting at .500 in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.
The next test will come this Wednesday when the Panthers play No. 19 Louisville (17-4, 7-3 ACC) at the KFC Yum Center. The Panthers lost to the Cardinals 80-68 in late January, behind Terry Rozier’s 26 points and an eye-popping team shooting percentage of 65.2 percent. The Panthers on the other hand, shot a dismal 37.3 percent from the field and only made six of 23 from three-point range (28.6%)
The Panthers have lost their last five match ups against the Cardinals, and will lean heavily on reigning ACC Player of the Week Jamel Artis to get above .500 in the ACC. Artis, along with front court mate Michael Young are coming off spectacular performances against Syracuse where both players had double-doubles and were able to control the glass against the Orange.
Starting senior guard Cameron Wright was forced to leave in the first half of Saturday’s contest with an ankle injury is doubtful for tomorrow night’s 8 p.m. tip off. With Wright likely out, Chris Jones, who had 15 points against the Orange, will likely get the start.
First-year transfer and Beaver Falls product Sheldon Jeter is looking to build off his season-high 18-point performance where the former Vanderbilt standout looked like the difference maker Pitt fans have been waiting to see. If Jeter can continue playing at this level, it makes the Panthers a much more dangerous team capable to scoring in bunches.
With James Robinson and Josh Newkirk handling the lead guard responsibilities, the Panthers rank third in the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio and rank in the top 10 in fewest turnovers per game. These strengths will be tested against the press defense that has been a staple of Rick Pitino’s Cardinals.
Louisville boasts a quartet of players who average 10 points or more per game. The Cardinals are led by Rozier (18.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) Montrezl Harell (15.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg), Chris Jones (13.6 ppg, 3.8 apg) and three-point shooter Wayne Blackshear, who chips in 11 points per game. Limiting the effectiveness of Louisville’s big four will be a major factor in winning this tough road test.
After tomorrow night’s contest, the Panthers will play at home against No. 12 North Carolina, and then at No. 2 Virginia. The Panthers have a golden opportunity to make a statement that they are NCAA worthy and do much to lock up a tourney bid. This three game stretch might be the most important of the season for the Panthers, as getting wins on the road against the likes of Louisville and Virginia, both considered Final Four frontrunners, would go far in proving that is a tournament team.
