There plenty of reasons for Panther fans to believe Dixon will bring this squad to the NCAA Tournament. However, this team is far from a lock to be dancing by the end of the season. They have four returning starters from last year, but with a tough ACC that could realistically put seven to nine teams in the Tournament it will certainly be a tough road ahead. If the Panthers do falter it will be for one of these reasons.
5.Health
The offseason has not been kind to Pitt’s health. The laundry list of injuries is as follows James Robinson (foot), Sterling Smith (foot), Cameron Johnson (shoulder), Alonzo Nelson-Ododa (eye), Rafael Maia (hand), and Chris Jones (toe). That is a bad sign, because Pitt has all these injuries and they have yet to play a game. The ability or inability in this case to stay healthy can derail the hopes of any team. It will be extremely difficult for this team to make it dancing if the trend of injuries continue at its’ current rate.
4.Depth
The starting five for Dixon will be solid this year, but who will be coming off the bench is another question. Newkirk leaving left a void at the back up point guard spot. Sterling Smith is a transfer from Coppin State, so it is not known how his game will transition to power conference play. Sheldon Jeter will provide a nice spark, but Alonzo and Rozelle Nix are also question marks coming into the season. Last season Pitt never had consistent bench play and it doomed them in the end.
3.Schedule
The schedule for the upcoming season is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it gives the Panthers plenty of opportunities to build their resume. On the other hand though it could be tough to make it through the season with enough wins. Playing good teams is great, but in order for it to mean anything you must win. Moral victories will not get you a Tournament birth. Last year Pitt picked up a couple big wins, they were not able to put together enough of them to impress the committee.
2.Free Throws
This has consistently been one the worst struggling points of Dixon led teams. It really is remarkable how badly Pitt struggles at such an easy shot. There is no good reason for this happen. The word FREE starts the phrase and that is exactly what they are. Points are very rarely just given to teams in sports and when they are taking advantage of that is crucial. Practice and repetition is all that is needed to become a good free throw shooter. Hopefully Pitt can change this trend or they could be sunk.
1.Three-Point Shooting
Basketball in today’s age centers on shooting. Duke won the title last year and a good reason for that was their ability to utilize shooters. Pitt has not had consistent shooting and it has hurt their floor spacing. Too often is the Pitt offense bogged down by poor spacing and clogged lanes. Dixon does have several different players who are decent shooters, but he does not have an elite outside scorer. Shooting is key to success in basketball these days, no longer can P