Versatile Panthers Ready For March
Pitt's Style Forcing Opponents To Adapt
By Joe Bendel

The Big Dance is a waltz for some and a complicated Salsa for others. It's about timing and the right partners, but even then, the best cha-cha-cha-er can end up with two left feet.

Syracuse found its rhythm at precisely the right time last year, thanks to an unsolvable 2-3 zone defense, a coach who pulled all the right strings and a freshman named Carmelo Anthony.

There might have been more attractive ensembles on the NCAA's 64-team dance card, but the third-seeded Orangemen ended up in the right bracket, playing the right teams and catching lighting in a bottle when they needed it most.

Typically, that's how the NCAA Tournament works: favorable matchups; timely play; star power; and a little luck. It's not always the best team that wins, but the team with the best path.

"I coached teams I thought were as good as any in the country and we didn't make it past two rounds," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "You never know what you're going to run into and how you'll react. There were a lot of teams out there last year that were worthy of winning the national championship. We just happened to get things going at the right time and it worked out. It is so tough to predict from year to year. You never know what's going to happen in a one-and-done tournament."

Pitt is keenly aware of the unpredictable nature of March Madness. The Panthers reached the Sweet 16 the past two seasons, but failed to proceed any farther. They lost to a lower-seeded Kent State team, Pitt was No. 3; the Golden Flashes No. 10, in overtime in 2002, and dropped a 77-74 decision to a lower-seeded Marquette team last season, when Pitt was No. 2 and the Golden Eagles No. 3.

Will this year be different?

"I believe they have a chance to make the Final Four," said ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas. "They're a Sweet 16 team, but so are 32 others. It depends on matchups. They're good enough to go a long way, but they're susceptible to losing early, too. I don't think there are many teams you can take out of that category. If they get the right draws, they can go a long way. If they get a tough draw, just like anybody else, they could have their season end earlier than they'd like."

The Panthers are making their third consecutive visit to the NCAA Tournament this season, with a team that found few unfavorable matchups along the way. Syracuse's prized 2-3 zone defense offered little resistance during a 21-point Pitt win in the Carrier Dome this past January. Connecticut's man-to-man defense was problematic during a three-point loss Jan. 19, but the Panthers figured it out in time for a 75-68 home win in February.

For the most part, the Panthers imposed their will on the opposition. They sliced through Syracuse's zone by dropping versatile 6-4 forward Jaron Brown into the blocks and creating mismatches with his quickness and strength. They got 52 of 66 points from forwards and centers.

While most teams try to shoot over a zone, the Panthers attacked it. They looked for the extra pass and found seams in a once-seamless Syracuse zone.

"They're so good at what they do, that there's no formula in stopping them," Boeheim said. "I don't care what type of defense you throw at them, they're so physical, strong and smart, they'll figure it out. They can go a long, long way in March."

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun concurred after Pitt kept his Huskies from running and gunning in February. The Panthers controlled the tempo on offense, draining the shot clock as much as possible, and got back on defense to prevent the Huskies from scoring in transition.

"They took us out of our offense ... they did what they wanted, which is a sign of a great team," said Calhoun, who later added, "Given the right circumstances and the right kind of bracket and the right kind of teams, they clearly can win the national championship. They have composure, strength and depth."

Pitt lost three starters from last year's team, but the replacements might be upgrades. Sophomore Carl Krauser stepped in for four-year starter Brandin Knight and has proven he's a better shooter, even if his floor game isn't yet to Knight's level.

Freshman Chris Taft replaced Ontario Lett at center and gives the Panthers a shot-blocking presence on defense and a force to be reckoned with on offense, things Lett could only provide in spurts. Junior Chevon Troutman moved into Donatas Zavackas' spot at power forward and gives the Panthers more athleticism and better defense, though the loss of Zavackas may very well be felt during the tournament.

While the Panthers might be a step better than last year's Sweet 16 team, they don't have that dead-eye 3-point shooter, like Zavackas, who could be needed in a down-to-the-wire game.

Krauser has shown an ability to take over the game and hit a 3-pointer, and senior guard Julius Page can get on a roll, but neither has elevated Pitt to the level of a St. Joe's, Louisville or Gonzaga, all of which can kill you from behind the arc.

Last year, Zavackas provided some of that necessary firepower.

"If there's an Achilles' Heel, they're not a consistent perimeter shooting team, a team that makes a lot of threes," ABC analyst Dick Vitale said. "That can be a problem sometimes down the road because the 3-point shot is so important in college basketball."

In other words, if the Panthers find themselves staring at a big deficit, it might be difficult to get back into the game. Vitale, though, believes Krauser could be an equalizer, like Dwayne Wade of Marquette was last year when he scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half of the Golden Eagles' Sweet 16 win in Minneapolis.

Pitt didn't have a go-to guy like Wade last year. Krauser could be that guy.

"I was concerned how they would adjust without Knight, he and Krauser are unique in their style," Vitale said. "But Krauser can break you down off the dribble and score. He gives the scoring dimension they didn't have, which is a big plus. "

What Pitt might lack in outside shooting, it makes up for in inside toughness. Their frontcourt of Taft, Brown and Troutman, with 6-10 Toree Morris, 6-10 Mark McCarroll and 7-foot Aaron Gray coming off the bench, is as formidable as they come.

"You won't find many teams out there that can match them physically," Boeheim said. "They're one of the best teams going. Does that mean they can win? I don't know. But they certainly have a chance."

"Pittsburgh is the most physical and the best half court defensive team I've seen this year," said Vitale, who's seen Duke, Stanford, Kentucky and Oklahoma State. "If you get into a half court game, you'll be in an unbelievable dogfight to beat that club. They have a winner's mentality, and when you have that, it makes for a great ingredient to win it all."

Joe Bendel covers college sports for the Tribune-Review.