5 Things Pittsburgh Panthers Must Do To Make 2015 NCAA Tournament

By Bryan Zarpentine

5 Things Pittsburgh Panthers Must Do To Make 2015 NCAA Tournament

Pittsburgh basketball
John David Mercer - USATODAY Sports

With time running out in the college basketball regular season, the Pittsburgh Panthers are on the outside of the NCAA tournament picture looking in. The Panthers have been a perennial tournament team under Jamie Dixon, but they are in danger of missing the Big Dance for the second time in four years. Here are five things the Panthers must do to make the NCAA tournament.

5. No More Bad Losses

461945875JA030_DUKE_V_PITTSBURGH
Getty Images

5. No More Bad Losses

461945875JA030_DUKE_V_PITTSBURGH
Getty Images

The Panthers have a decent resume, but they have a couple bad losses, including a loss to ACC bottom-dweller Virginia Tech. Simply put, Pitt can't afford to add any more bad losses to its resume.

4. Win the Rebounding Battle

Pitt
Getty Images

4. Win the Rebounding Battle

Pitt
Getty Images

Even in Pitt's recent wins, it has been beaten on the boards, and that's something the Panthers need to turn around down the stretch. Pittsburgh has always been a tough and physical team that wins the rebounding battle, and if it is going to make the NCAA tournament, it is going to have to get back to being that kind of team and start dominating on the boards.

3. Get Bench Contributions

Pitt
Bob DeChiara - USATODAY Sports

3. Get Bench Contributions

Pitt
Bob DeChiara - USATODAY Sports

Pitt is a solid enough team, but it is a little short on stars. This is why its need all hands on deck to get into the Big Dance. The Panthers go fairly deep on the bench, and they need to get contributions from everyone on the roster if they're going to become a tournament team. Pitt will need its top players like Jamel Artis and Michael Young to lead the way, but those guys will need a good supporting cast behind them.

2. Win Out the Regular Season

Dixon
Rich Barnes - USATODAY Sports

2. Win Out the Regular Season

Dixon
Rich Barnes - USATODAY Sports

Pitt has four games left in the regular season, and it needs to win all of them. The Panthers will play Boston College, Wake Forest, Miami and Florida State, all of which are teams that Pitt can and needs to beat. Any loss in those four games could be the end of its tournament hopes, especially since the Panthers are on the outside looking in. If they win all four games, however, they'll be 22-10, which puts them in decent shape.

1. Make A Deep Run in the ACC Tournament

Pittsburgh Victory
Charles LeClaire - USATODAY Sports

1. Make A Deep Run in the ACC Tournament

Pittsburgh Victory
Charles LeClaire - USATODAY Sports

Pittsburgh winning out the regular season may not be enough; it'll also need to add to its resume during the ACC tournament. The Panthers may need to reach at least the ACC semifinals to get to the Big Dance, as that will keep them from another bad loss and give them at least one more quality win. Also, playing in prime-time on Friday and possibly Saturday before Selection Sunday will keep them on the committee's radar.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like