What MATTers : Panthers' Fate Likely Sealed to NIT, Could Benefit Young Players, Seniors, Team

What MATTers: Panthers' Fate Likely Sealed to NIT, Could Benefit Young players, Seniors, Team
The Pitt Panthers men's basketball team concluded its season Saturday in crushing fashion, with a 66-52 loss to Florida State. The defeat also marked a three game losing streak to end the regular season. During the skid, Pitt also lost at Wake Forest on March 1, and to Miami (FL) earlier this week. Not only did the Panthers lose these games in heartbreaking fashion, their NCAA Tournament at-large hopes went up in flames. As a result, Pitt will have to earn the ACC's automatic bid by winning the conference tournament. Play begins this Wednesday, where the #10 seeded Panthers will be faced with an extremely daunting task of winning 4 games in 4 days. Seventh seeded NC State is up first. Next would loom a date with #2 seed Duke. If the Panthers could somehow get past the Blue Devils, a rematch with #3 Notre Dame or #6 Miami (FL) would be in the cards. In a possible championship showdown, Pitt could meet one of #1 Virginia, #4 Louisville or #5 North Carolina. The full bracket can be viewed below:

Less than two weeks ago Pitt was still in the discussion for an at-large berth. However, the defeat at Wake Forest, 69-66, severely dampened Pitt's chances. Losing to inferior opponents has really been an issue for the Panthers. Earlier in the year, Pitt fell at Hawai'i (RPI #170) , 74-72, and at Virginia Tech (RPI #232) in OT, 70-67. Couple these with a lack of wins versus “quality” opponents, and the Panthers can only blame themselves. Pitt was not opportunistic, given the quantity of games versus highly ranked opponents. Pitt was just 2-5 against ranked teams, including 0-5 away from Petersen Events Center. The lack of a “quality” road victory hurt Pitt's tournament resume. The selection committee greatly values wins away from home. Pitt finished with a 2-9 road record. The committee also evaluates the body of a team's work. The Panthers were inconsistent in 2014-2015. Rebounding, defense, and opponent field goal percentage were Pitt's weaknesses, which at times were seriously exposed. Coach Jamie Dixon has not been pleased with the effort this year, "We've come up short; it's been a combination of things. The defense is standing out, as well as today it was some offensive execution as well.” To reinforce Dixon's comments, Pitt has allowed opponents to shoot 44.9% from the field, and 35.5% from three point range. Those rank 282nd and 252nd out of 351 schools, respectively. It's definitely not a reflection of a Jamie Dixon coached team, because defense is the staple. Dixon's teams are known for playing lock-down defense. He's been quoted as saying the team's goal is to hold opponents under 40% shooting. Pitt is also notorious for its strong rebounding ability. However, this year Pitt's size is smaller compared to years past. The Panthers only have one player taller than 6'9”: C Joseph Uchebo at 6'10”. As a result, the Panthers have been consistently out rebounded by opponents. Despite these issues, Pitt will still participate in the postseason. The school confirmed it will accept a bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) if it does not qualify for the NCAAs. Pitt could host the first two rounds. Accepting the invite could shed several positives. The Panthers' younger players would have additional time to practice and earn more game experience. The seniors would also extend their season. Lastly, Pitt could utilize the opportunity to earn its 20th win. In each of the 12 seasons under Dixon, the Panthers have won at least 20 games. Whether Pitt wins a game in the ACC Tournament or in the NIT, that would be quite an accomplishment to extend the streak to 13 straight. Whether Pitt runs the table in the ACC Tournament or not, it will be gratifying to see this team play beyond Wednesday evening.
References:
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sp...030715aae.html
https://twitter.com/LifeOfADukeFan/s...00017173966849
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/...urgh/2015.html