It’s a big day for Pitt basketball. Are the Panthers the team that won seven of eight, including wins over No. 6 Syracuse and at No. 17 Cincinnati? Or are they the team that most recently was beaten decisively at Marquette then was crushed at home by Notre Dame?
Better still: Is Pitt the nationally elite program is has been for almost all of the past 10 years? Or will it enter the ACC next year as a pretender rather than a contender?
The Panthers must prove their mettle at Madison Square Garden at noon today against St. John’s, an up-and-coming Big East team, which, to the possible surprise of some, has the same conference record as its opponent. Both are 8-6 and in a three-way tie for seventh place.
The task for the Panthers is neither formidable, nor easy. St. John’s can be beaten. Just not without a strong performance by the Panthers. The Red Storm, as they are called these days, has lost three of its past five, but the losses all have been on the road against elite teams, Georgetown, Syracuse and Louisville. Most recently, they decisively beat South Florida at home.
Pitt needs to up its performance. In their past two games, it was outclassed at Marquette and blew an early 16-point lead and then fell apart against Notre Dame. Coach Jamie Dixon has had six days to consider his options, but most likely he will go with the lineup that got him to this point in the season -- a 20-7 record and a ranking of 20th in the nation.
That means struggling Talib Zanna should start at power forward. Zanna was excellent in non-conference games, averaging a team-high 13.3 points. But he has struggled against the better competition of the Big East. His scoring average in the league is 7.2, and even that’s a bit misleading. His average in the past 11 games is 5.5 and only once has he scored in double figures.
With Pitt’s 10-man rotation, the obvious move would be to replace Zanna with J.J. Moore, a more fluid offensive player with a higher scoring upside. But Moore, too, has slumped, averaging less than five points in his past six games.
Dixon, who does not like to make changes in his starting lineup, will almost certainly stick with Zanna, who is a better rebounder than Moore.
The truth is that Pitt does not have a lot of offensive options. Guard Tray Woodall and small forward Lamar Patterson are the only players who have approached a strong, consistent offensive production.
Pitt needs to win two of its final four to ensure a berth in the NCAA tournament. Of the four remaining games, St. John’s is probably the most difficult. Which means the Panthers can afford another stumble. But Pitt is playing for more than a bid. Pitt is playing for its reputation.
