The five spot might be the most important position on the basketball court for Jamie Dixon’s system. Pitt had many successful years due to the fact that they seemed to keep reloading at that spot. Guys like Aaron Gray, DeJaun Blair, Gary McGhee, and Talib Zanna anchored the middle with defense and rebounding. Last year, the Panthers did not have that same kind of power in their frontcourt and it hurt them. Teams like Louisville could out muscle team on the interior. Several additions were made by Dixon over the offseason in order to fix that problem. If Pitt is to reach the NCAA Tournament these guys will have to come up huge.
Rafael Maia- Ht. 6’9 Wt. 245
2014-15 Stats- 9.9 PTS, 8.7 REBS, .6 BLK, 53.8 FG%, and 54.5 FT%
Maia was the favorite to win the starting spot in the offseason, but an injury to his hand could change that. If he is healthy though he can provide the type of rebounding Dixon loves out of his big men. Maia does struggle to score and his defense is not elite, so if he wins the job it will because of his ability to crash the boards. However, he needs to improve as a rim protector or he will see a reduction of minutes in crunch time.
Alonzo Nelson-Ododa- Senior Ht. 6-9 Wt. 210
2014-15 Stats- 6.6 PTS, 5.1 REBS, 1.7 BLK, 45.2 FG%, and 80.9 FT%
Alonzo is one of the more intriguing candidates for the starting spot. His defensive presence could be a game changer for the Panthers. As well, his length, height, and athleticism make him a great fit for what Jamie Dixon wants out of his center. But the problem with him is he is not nearly as good a rebounder as Maia. For someone this size he should not be averaging as little as five rebounds a game. If he expects to see crucial minutes he will have to become more aggressive on the glass.
Rozelle Nix Center- 7-0, 318, Cincinnati, Ohio/Pensacola State J.C./Kingdom Prep (Ga.)/Withrow H.S.
This junior college transfer is just a beast of a human being. He has the size to truly hold down the paint. However, a draw back of being this size is that he will not be as mobile as a guy like Alonzo. If he fails to be able to cover ground quick enough it really would hurt the Panther defense. He has the physical tools do some good things now it just the question of whether he will come through when called upon.
Michael Young- Junior Ht. 6-9 Wt. 235
2014-15 Stats- 13.4 PTS, 7.3 REBS, 1.3 AST, 53.0 FG%, 69.3 FT% and 29.4 3P%
If those three guys fail to become contributors look for Dixon to go small, like he did a year ago. After starting last year with a traditional line up the Panthers got off to a rocky start, but after changing to a small ball lineup the Panthers made noticeable improvements. If that happens again at least this time Young has some experience playing out of position. However, if Young is forced into the starting center role again this year the Panthers will need to shoot much better from the perimeter in order to counterbalance the lack of size on the interior.