The Pittsburgh Panthers are still chasing that elusive national championship, and this year head coach Jamie Dixon has a team that is capable of making a run to the Final Four.
The Panthers are typically known as a physicall and mentally tough team that will really get after you on the defensive end and clean up the boards. They are a scrappy group that does struggle offensively from time to time, which is usually their downfall.
The Panthers return four of five starters from last year's squad, with their only loss being guard Jermaine Dixon. While he was a solid player for Pittsburgh, he is certainly replaceable.
Pittsburgh has quality guards in Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker, and they will counted upon heavily for scoring. It's like that the loss of Dixon will result in shuffling of the starting lineup that moves Gibbs to the point guard position.
There is some concern over whether or not Gibbs can run the offense and remain a scoring threat. The Panthers do have a deep bench, giving them other options if the Gibbs move doesn't work out.
Pittsburgh is definitely a serious contender, and they should battle it out with Villanova for the Big East title. However, they still must show consistent offensive production to be a legitimate national championship threat.
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