Throughout the current seven-year stretch that began under coach Ben Howland and continues with Jaime Dixon calling the shots, the Pittsburgh Panthers have won a lot of basketball games.
The Panthers have won Big East regular-season championships (three times), Big East Tournament titles (twice) and captured 25 or more victories in seven of the last eight seasons.
Since 2001-02, only Kansas, Memphis and Duke have won more games than Pittsburgh. These are the glory years for Pitt Panther basketball, whether anyone in the Steel City realizes it or not.
What the Panthers haven?t done during this run is crack the elusive level belonging to college basketball?s superpowers. This season?s team, however, may just smash those boundaries.
The Panthers, off to a school-record tying 25-2 start, are the No. 1 team in the polls this week for the second time this season but first time in school history. They?ll test that ranking Tuesday night at The Dunk against Providence College (7 o?clock).
If Pitt can stay anywhere near the top spot, it will earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. If the Panthers keep playing like they are right now, they could advance to the school?s first Final Four since 1941.
"I?ve said all along that this team could be as good as any team we?ve had," said Dixon, who has won nearly 79 percent of his games as Pitt?s coach. "We?ve always been in a certain area, seeded anywhere between three and nine, in the NCAA Tournament. We?ve been in a pretty consistent box."
While Pitt rose to No. 1 in early January, it was its impressive 76-68 win at then-No. 1 Connecticut last Monday that has really opened the country?s eyes. With Sam Young pouring home 25 points and massive (265-pound) sophomore DeJuan Blair ripping the Huskies inside for 22 points and 23 rebounds, the Panthers showed a national TV audience that they?re capable of anything this season.
"We?re coming off a big win and people are talking about this team a little differently. But we recognize it?s really one game and we seem to anoint teams after one game, especially if it?s on national TV," Dixon said.
Since Howland established the program as a national power in 2002, Pittsburgh?s teams have looked a lot like the city?s famed football Steelers: tough and great on defense.
That combination led to 29 and 28 wins in 2002 and ?03, but when Howland left for UCLA, his trusted assistant (Dixon) took over and believed in the same ingredients. That was good enough for the Panthers to roll into the Sweet 16 round of the NCAAs in both 2004 and ?07 but a lack of offensive punch ended both runs.
While this Pitt team still boasts strong, tough players at virtually every position, it may be Dixon?s best offensive group.
"They are extremely efficient offensively," said DePaul?s Jerry Wainwright, who lost to Pitt by 23 and 19 points this season. "They have a team that shares the ball, they have great confidence. I think they?re a minor-league version of the Steelers. DeJuan Blair, we have to use two blockers on him to keep him off our quarterback. Physically they keep coming. I do believe they have a chance to get as far as anybody in the country."
The team?s three stars are an absolute load. Young, a senior forward, plays with an assortment of drives and jumpers and is capable of scoring 25 points every night. Senior point guard Levance Fields "is the consummate floor leader and the guard that many, many coaches would love to have," according to Wainwright.
The Panthers' trump card, however, is Blair. A 6-foot-7 bruiser who attended Schenley High just a few blocks from Pitt?s campus, is all but unstoppable inside. Last week he averaged 21 points and 20.5 rebounds in the UConn and DePaul games to earn Big East Player of the Week honors. His interior scoring skills give Pitt the balance every championship team needs.
Dixon says he?s enjoying this team but isn?t ready to hand out any awards just yet. Taking care of business Tuesday night and at Seton Hall over the weekend would set up two showdown games at home against Marquette and UConn with yet another Big East title on the line.
"You just want to be playing as well as you can going into this (final) stretch," he said. "We feel like we?re playing well but that can change rather quickly."
The Panthers have won Big East regular-season championships (three times), Big East Tournament titles (twice) and captured 25 or more victories in seven of the last eight seasons.
Since 2001-02, only Kansas, Memphis and Duke have won more games than Pittsburgh. These are the glory years for Pitt Panther basketball, whether anyone in the Steel City realizes it or not.
What the Panthers haven?t done during this run is crack the elusive level belonging to college basketball?s superpowers. This season?s team, however, may just smash those boundaries.
The Panthers, off to a school-record tying 25-2 start, are the No. 1 team in the polls this week for the second time this season but first time in school history. They?ll test that ranking Tuesday night at The Dunk against Providence College (7 o?clock).
If Pitt can stay anywhere near the top spot, it will earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. If the Panthers keep playing like they are right now, they could advance to the school?s first Final Four since 1941.
"I?ve said all along that this team could be as good as any team we?ve had," said Dixon, who has won nearly 79 percent of his games as Pitt?s coach. "We?ve always been in a certain area, seeded anywhere between three and nine, in the NCAA Tournament. We?ve been in a pretty consistent box."
While Pitt rose to No. 1 in early January, it was its impressive 76-68 win at then-No. 1 Connecticut last Monday that has really opened the country?s eyes. With Sam Young pouring home 25 points and massive (265-pound) sophomore DeJuan Blair ripping the Huskies inside for 22 points and 23 rebounds, the Panthers showed a national TV audience that they?re capable of anything this season.
"We?re coming off a big win and people are talking about this team a little differently. But we recognize it?s really one game and we seem to anoint teams after one game, especially if it?s on national TV," Dixon said.
Since Howland established the program as a national power in 2002, Pittsburgh?s teams have looked a lot like the city?s famed football Steelers: tough and great on defense.
That combination led to 29 and 28 wins in 2002 and ?03, but when Howland left for UCLA, his trusted assistant (Dixon) took over and believed in the same ingredients. That was good enough for the Panthers to roll into the Sweet 16 round of the NCAAs in both 2004 and ?07 but a lack of offensive punch ended both runs.
While this Pitt team still boasts strong, tough players at virtually every position, it may be Dixon?s best offensive group.
"They are extremely efficient offensively," said DePaul?s Jerry Wainwright, who lost to Pitt by 23 and 19 points this season. "They have a team that shares the ball, they have great confidence. I think they?re a minor-league version of the Steelers. DeJuan Blair, we have to use two blockers on him to keep him off our quarterback. Physically they keep coming. I do believe they have a chance to get as far as anybody in the country."
The team?s three stars are an absolute load. Young, a senior forward, plays with an assortment of drives and jumpers and is capable of scoring 25 points every night. Senior point guard Levance Fields "is the consummate floor leader and the guard that many, many coaches would love to have," according to Wainwright.
The Panthers' trump card, however, is Blair. A 6-foot-7 bruiser who attended Schenley High just a few blocks from Pitt?s campus, is all but unstoppable inside. Last week he averaged 21 points and 20.5 rebounds in the UConn and DePaul games to earn Big East Player of the Week honors. His interior scoring skills give Pitt the balance every championship team needs.
Dixon says he?s enjoying this team but isn?t ready to hand out any awards just yet. Taking care of business Tuesday night and at Seton Hall over the weekend would set up two showdown games at home against Marquette and UConn with yet another Big East title on the line.
"You just want to be playing as well as you can going into this (final) stretch," he said. "We feel like we?re playing well but that can change rather quickly."
