On Saturday afternoon, Pitt men’s basketball dropped its fourth-straight game in a 78-75 overtime loss to Clemson. While the Panthers looked improved from their other recent ACC games, the loss marks a pivotal moment in their season where it is clear that the team’s identity is shifting — if it’s not already different from what it once was.
Pitt started the season as a determined team that barely missed out on last year’s tournament due to weak play in their non-conference schedule. The once first-four-out squad leaped into the opening weeks of this season quickly solidifying themselves as a group that could float around the AP Top 25. Things looked good for Pitt after jumping out to a No. 18 national ranking in week five. Despite falling out of the poll the following week, there were few worries. This team was deemed early on as one that was going to make waves in ACC play.
Well, it’s week 12, and the Panthers sit under .500 and at ninth in the ACC. While there is still a lot of season to play, and no reason to count out a bounce-back, if the Panthers don’t act now, it will surely be too late for any big-dance aspirations.
The Panthers need to get back to the initial favorableare in need of a get-back to thea once opportunistic view ofn their season’s future, of their season and luckily there are still ways to make this happen.
Defensive effort needs to stay aggressive
Anyone who watched Pitt’s last two games can attest to the fact that the defense against Clemson saw a 180-degree shift in effort and, in turn, effectiveness.
As opposed to a lack of effort seen in previous games, it looked like Pitt had ramped it up against the Tigers. Players were flying around the arc on switches and aggressively going over screens — particularly junior forward Guillermo Diaz Graham and senior guard Ishmael Leggett. The two were all over the floor, scrapping for offensive rebounds and loose balls, which led to extra offensive possessions for Pitt — on which they capitalized with 25 second-chance points.
For the rest of the season to go as well as fans hope, this same effort must apply.
While Clemson still shot the ball at a wildly efficient clip from all over the floor, it wasn’t necessarily due to bad defense on Pitt’s part, but rather Clemson’s great offense. Some plays saw shooters open, but for the most part Clemson — to the detriment of Pitt — did what it has done all season, and that’s shoot the ball as the 14th-ranked team in the nation from beyond the arc.
Defense is not what lost them the game, and in a lot of instances, it actually saved them, like the strip by Legett at the end of regulation to stop Clemson’s game-winning opportunity.
This is a double-edged sword, though. Pitt needs to get used to high-level shot-making if it wants to compete with the nation’s top dogs. Although the effort was noticeably different, week in and week out, 3-point defense continually acts as a thorn in the Panthers’ side.
Shot selection and play calling needs to change
Some of the shots taken against Clemson were not only simply bad looks, but possession-wasters, momentum killers and large expenses to a game that was decided by only 3 points.
Down the stretch, many shots taken by Pitt seemed rushed, especially from behind the 3-point line. The Panthers fell into a sort of iso-ball style that was just not working for them. This offensive strategy — while sometimes effective due to the shot-creating nature of the Pitt guards and their individual craftiness with the ball in their hands — is just not a reliable way to score.
Most times chess is a lot more fruitful than checkers, even if you have pieces capable of going one-on-one and carrying the scoring load. The team was a lot more successful when it seemed to run a play or get into a set and move the ball around. This helped the Panthers then dictate the tempo and efficiently use their possessions.
There was a specific play to note where sophomore guard Jaland Lowe had a fast break opportunity, but instead of rushing a shot without a numbers advantage, he recycled the ball back to the key, called over junior forward Cameron Corhen for a play and easily got downhill for a big bucket.
This was great until a few minutes later, when Lowe got overzealous on a heat-check three when the Panthers would have bettered themselves from a set play to find an open catch and shoot shot.
It ain’t over till it’s over
A key aspect that defined Pitt in this game that others didn’t see was was its fight until the final buzzer. The Panthers trailed at most by 14 in the second half, and they didn’t let this deficit define their night like they had in other games, where they were unable to claw back after getting down.
This never-give-up mentality saved their game, pushing it to overtime. In simple terms, the Panthers stayed in it through all 45 minutes.
For the rest of the season to move in the right direction, not falling victim to opposing leads needs to become a priority, and from a fan’s view, it was refreshing to see a close, entertaining game for once in what has seemed like a while.
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