After back-to-back bad loses for No. 20 Pitt, the Panthers were a team desperate for a strong showing Sunday afternoon against St. Johns. Playing in their home away from home- Madison Square Garden- Pitt showed the desperation of a team needing to get back on track in a dominating 63-47 victory over the Red Storm. A lot of that was due to the performance of senior point guard Tray Woodall, who set the tone early on with a three-pointer to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. A Brooklyn native ... Read More
Pitt proves its mettle in upset over No. 6 Syracuse
Many have said that the Pitt Panthers basketball team was a product of a soft schedule and really hasn’t beaten anyone this season. Those critics can’t say that anymore after Jamie Dixon’s team defeated No. 6 Syracuse 65-55 Saturday in front of a packed house at the Petersen Events Center. It was an old-school performance from the Panthers, who played as physical of a game as they have had in years, dominating the glass holding a 39-24 rebounding edge. “I was obviously happy with the ... Read More
Pitt bench paces Panthers to rout of DePaul
Since the Big East Conference season began for the Pitt Panthers’ basketball team, it has been one nail biter after another for the Panthers. With that being said, Jamie Dixon’s squad needed a cakewalk for a change and they got one in the form of the DePaul Blue Demons Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. Everything went Pitt’s way from the opening tip as the Panthers cruised to a 93-55 victory, setting a school record for largest Big East Conference victory in program ... Read More
Pitt’s Trey Zeigler starting to earn Jamie Dixon’s trust
Trey Zeigler's first season as a member of the Pitt basketball program has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. The Central Michigan transfer, who averaged 15.8 points per game a season ago, was thought to provide an immediate scoring option off the bench for the Panthers this season. But things haven't exactly gone the way Zeigler probably thought they would as the junior is only averaging 5.1 points per game in barely over 15 minutes per game. He came out of the gates slow; ... Read More
Pitt holds off U Conn rally to escape with 69-61 win
Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers have made it a trend the first couple weeks of the Big East Conference season of playing their best basketball away from the Petersen Events Center. That trend ended Saturday afternoon as the Panthers finally won a conference game at home, defeating a gutsy Connecticut team 69-61. In typical Pitt (15-4, 3-3) fashion, it was a nail biter as the Panthers blew a 14point lead, only to see the Huskies tie the game at 55 with 4:38 remaining. But unlike the previous ... Read More
Tray Woodall could play vs. Villanova
One thing was pretty much absent during Pitt’s most recent loss to Marquette- the presence of point guard Tray Woodall. Woodall suffered a concussion during Saturday’s loss and played only four minutes, but that likely won’t be the case Wednesday night against Villanova as the senior floor general says he will be ready to go and plans to play. The fifth-year senior was injured at in the first half Saturday when he collided head-first with Golden Eagles guard Derrick Wilson. Woodall said he ... 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 gets back on track with route of No. 19 Georgetown
Well that was more like it. After back-to-back disappointing losses to begin their final Big East Conference season, Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers came out with a sense of urgency we haven’t seen in a while. The end result was a performance unlike any other we have seen this season and an impressive 73-45 road win over No. 19 Georgetown. Just when you thought it was safe to write the Panthers off, they got back to doing what they do best- playing strong defense. Freshman center Steven Adams ... 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
Pitt Digs Early Hole; Upset by Rutgers
Many wondered how playing a soft non-conference schedule would impact No. 24 Pitt as it headed into Big East Conference play. They got their answer Saturday afternoon against Rutgers. Jamie Dixon's Panthers fell behind by as many as 16 in the first half, digging themselves an early hole too big to climb out of as they were upset by the Scarlet Knights 67-62, losing their second consecutive conference game to open up their final Big East season. For the second consecutive game, the ... Read More