In the wake of the most decisive win in NCAA tournament history for the Pitt Panthers, now the Panthers have an opportunity to not only shock the world, but destroy a lot of March Madness brackets. The Panthers will face the top seeded Florida Gators (33-2) Saturday at the Amway Center in Orlando. Tip off is set for 12:15 p.m.
For Jamie Dixon and the Panthers, this is an opportunity to not only advance to the Sweet Sixteen, but to prove many doubters and detractors wrong. After an impressive blow out win against Colorado, where tough defense and aggressive transition offense paved the way, the Panthers seem primed to pull off what many would consider to be the biggest upset of the first weekend of the tournament.
It won’t be easy, however. The Gators have won 26 straight games and went undefeated in conference play. Head Coach Billy Donovan has two NCAA titles and looks to advance to his team to their fourth Final Four during his coaching tenure in Gainesville.
The Gators are one of the best defensive teams the country, only giving up a paltry 57.9 points a game, which ranks third in the NCAA. Offensively, its all about balance. Forward Casey Prather is the top scorer averaging just over 14 points a contest but he is supported by a number of others including guard Scottie Wilbekin (12.9 ppg), guard Michael Frazier II (12.6 ppg) and forward Patric Young (11.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg).
Frazier II is a dangerous perimeter player. He is shooting nearly 46 percent from beyond the arc, and his ability to get hot from outside could be a major factor in this match up. The Gators will generally go about eight deep in terms of their rotation, and have seven players who average at least 20 minutes of action a game.
Rebounding will be a another key factor in this contest. Pitt has the advantage statistically, and if they can control the boards, it might turn the tide in favor of the Panthers.
Do the Panthers have a chance? Sure they do.
For one, for all of the supposed invincibility talk related to the Gators, Florida won an extremely weak conference, the SEC, and had a number of close calls along the way, including a two-point OT win against Arkansas, a three-point win against Vanderbilt and a narrow win against lowly Auburn. Sure, they ultimately won those games, but the notion they are unbeatable is far from a fact.
The Gators also lost to UConn earlier this season. Anyone who watched the Huskies escape last night against No. 10 seed St. Joe’s can tell you that the Huskies are not exactly an unstoppable team this year. It’s another factor worthy of consideration.
Florida and Pitt have some common opponents this season also to compare . Both teams played Florida State, the Gators escaped with a one-point win at home against the Seminoles, and the Panther were narrowly beaten by five. Both teams played Albany, and both won by double digits. Both teams also played Fresno State and Savannah State and won with ease.
Are we seeing a trend here?
Pitt will lean heavily on seniors Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna in order to advance. Also look for the Panthers to have to deal with the press early and often from the Gators, and the ability of point guard James Robinson to handle this will be another key. It will also be important for players like Cam Wright, Josh Newkirk and Michael Young to come up big in supporting roles.
If the Panthers can play great defensively, control the boards, handle the press, and get a “one shining moment’ type of performance from Patterson, we might just see the Panthers move on to Memphis for the Sweet Sixteen.
