Pittsburgh College Basketball Predictions 2010-11
November 16, 2010
The Pittsburgh Panthers, led by head coach Jamie Dixon, bring back one of the deepest and most experienced team in the country this year. Dixon is the only coach in the Big East to pick up 20 wins and 10 Big East wins over the last seven seasons. Pittsburgh has not had as much success though in the NCAA tournament. The Panthers have only made it past the Sweet 16 back in 2009.
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Many experts are forecasting that Pitt is the team to beat in the Big East this year. They are the highest rated team in the preseason rankings at 5th in the country. This could finally be the season that Pittsburgh fights for a national title. It is a long way away, but the Oakland Zoo is sure to be excited about their team at the beginning of the year.
Backcourt: Junior point guard Ashton Gibbs returns as one of the top players in the Big East. He owns a unique ability to score when his team needs points, but he also makes his team around him better. He averaged 15.7 ppg last season and he isn’t reluctant to take over a game.
Travon Woodall will team up with him in the backcourt creating a 1-2 combo that can do it all. As a sophomore Woodall is going to play a lot of minutes and be asked to produce as a nice second to Gibbs. He has a lot of opportunity to help this team reach the next level this season.
Frontcourt: My favorite player on the Panthers is Brad Wanamaker. At 6’4 210 lbs he is a great player on the wing. Wanamaker is a tough matchup because he owns both the quickness and athleticism to score from the outside or in the paint. After Gibbs, Wanamaker has the experience and talent to be a real difference maker.
The wide-open Big East has Pittsburgh at the top now, but every team is going to be circling this game on the schedule. Dante Taylor and Gary McGee are two more serviceable players that will look to produce in the paint. McGee is a big center who should play a key role in stopping teams from getting to the hoop.
Prediction: The Pittsburgh Panthers have year in and year out been one of the best teams in the Big East. I don’t think Jamie Dixon has received enough credit since he took over. Year after year he brings in new players who have toughness, strength, and the ability to play at a high level.
This team is no different and this year’s success should approach that of the 2008-2009 teams. There is a lot of experts who like Pittsburgh to win the Big East Conference and I can see why. This team is the total package and will win at least 25 games. There is a good chance this team is a top 3 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament.
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