One thing has always been missing from Jamie Dixon's Pitt basketball teams in the past and that's been the ability to shoot the ball consistently from the perimeter. Sure there have been some snipers that have wore a Panthers uniform in the past, but never has Dixon had a team that has the potential to be as lethal as this Pitt team can be from the outside. Through six games, all wins, Pitt is shooting the three ball at a 40.7 percent clip (44-for-108). That number also includes a program ... Read More
Can Lamar Patterson step up as Pitt’s go to guy?
Despite the lack of quality competition, it has been a nice start to the 2013-14 season for Jamie Dixon's Pitt Panthers. Through three games Dixon has done a good job of getting all his youngsters valuable playing experience as almost everyone on the roster has played a role in Pitt's three wins. The scoring has been fairly balanced with nine different players averaging five or more points per game and six different players averaging at least 8.7 per contest. However when the ... Read More
Pitt improves to 3-0 with record setting performance vs. Howard
Pitt senior Lamar Patterson spent the greater portion of the Panthers first two games playing facilitator, setting a career-high with seven assists in the each of the Panthers two opening wins. But Sunday night against the Howard Bison, Patterson reminded the nation that he can fill it up when needed as well. The senior connected on all four of his three-point attempts in the first half, scoring 16 of his team-high 20 points as Pitt improved to 3-0 on the season, cruising to a 84-52 ... Read More
Will Jamie Dixon shrink rotation in 2014?
One of the strengths of the 2012-13 Pitt Panthers basketball team was the extraordinary depth that Panthers' head coach Jamie Dixon had at his disposal as Pitt was one of the rare teams in the country that could run 10 competent bodies out on a nightly basis. That's something that will likely change this season. Gone form that deep 2013 team are five players who were among the top eight Panthers in terms of minutes played. Steven Adams is in the NBA. Tray Woodall and Dante Taylor have ... Read More
It’s Lamar Patterson’s time to shine for Pitt
As Jamie Dixon and the Pitt Panthers basketball team prepares to take on Wichita State Thursday in "second round" action of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, many are still trying to figure out exactly who this Pitt team is. This Panthers team can beat any team in the nation, but at the same time can lose to any team in the field as well. Talent wise the Panthers can win a couple games in this tournament or even surprise a few people and go on a run. But to do so, one man in particular must step ... Read More
Pitt uses strong second half to knock off Seton Hall
Coming off their best win of the season Saturday against Syracuse, No. 23 Pitt had to be careful not to fall victim to the classic "trap game" Monday night against the struggling Seton Hall Pirates. For 30 minutes, they nearly fell into that trap. The Panthers broke open a 36-34 game at the 10 minute mark of the second half, by going on a 20-12 run to escape with a 56-46 win to improve to 19-5 on the season and 7-4 in Big East Conference play. Pitt had problems getting into a rhythm for ... Read More
Lamar Patterson stepping up to ignite Pitt offense
The Pitt Panthers have always been a team known for playing defense and this 2012-13 version of the Panthers is no exception to that rule. After holding the Providence Friars to 64 points in Pitt's 68-64 victory on Tuesday, the Panthers have held 19 of their 20 opponents on the season under 70 points. But while defense is still the backbone of Jamie Dixon's program, they still need a potent enough offense to win games. When it comes to scoring the basketball, Pitt's biggest strength is ... Read More
Pitt’s ability to take care of basketball should lead to more wins
There is no doubt that the 1-3 start to the Big East Conference season is nothing short of disappointing for Jamie Dixon's Pitt Panthers. But despite shooting woes and the inability to rebound the basketball costing them three games, including two in a row at home which never happens, there may be a silver lining in the way the Panthers' guards take care of the basketball. With the talent that Pitt has, you have to think the shooting problems will take care of themselves. But you win games ... Read More
Pitt rallies but falls short in overtime to Marquette
Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers basketball team continues to show signs of being a good basketball team, but after continuously teasing fans of that fact, they continue to do things to lose games when it counts. Saturday afternoon was no exception, as despite some late-game heroics from Lamar Patterson, the Panthers were outplayed in overtime and dropped a 74-67 Big East Conference battle to Marquette. Other than taking a 2-0 lead in the first minute of the game, the Panthers never led in this ... Read More
Perimeter Shooting proving to be Pitt’s biggest weakness
There is a huge weakness on the Pitt basketball team that showed up in a big way during the Panthers' Big East Conference losses to both Cincinnati and Rutgers. A big reason that Pitt has gotten off to an 0-2 start in conference play is the fact that they can't hit a jump shot to save their lives right now. This is a problem that you saw coming during Pitt's soft non-conference schedule. They have some shooters, but they haven't been able to consistently knock shots down as a team. With ... Read More