Analysis: After loss to Virginia Tech and with tournaments approaching, Pitt needs to get better in a hurry
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Three weeks ago — when Pitt was winning regularly and fans were dreaming of lofty tournament seedings and an ACC championship — the Georgia Tech game appeared to be a mere nuisance on the schedule.
One of those games put under the victory column long before it’s played, an insignificant roadblock — only in the minds of fans — on the way to March and greater glory. Or, so it appeared to a fan base gloating in the midst of Pitt’s climb to first place in the ACC.
Now — after a 79-72 loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday — the next game Tuesday at Petersen Events Center matters more than anyone previously thought. Pitt needs to start repairing its reputation immediately and prove to the doubters and the NCAA Tournament committee that the 12 ACC victories — not the four defeats — represent what this team has become in 2023.
The prize for shedding the lingering effects of the Virginia Tech game and defeating Georgia Tech (11-16, 3-13) is moving closer to locking down one of the top four spots in the ACC and the coveted double-bye status for the conference tournament.
Furthermore, who needs a two-game losing streak going into the final home game next Saturday against Syracuse? That game will come with plenty of other distractions after Jim Boeheim accused Pitt of buying players.
Never mind that he said never mind. You think that will matter to the Oakland Zoo?
Beyond those trappings of college basketball that don’t matter to Jeff Capel, Pitt needs to fix the problems that helped lift Virginia Tech to only its sixth conference victory in 16 games.
To Pitt’s credit, the Panthers found a way to score 72 points — slightly below their season average — in a game when 3-point shooting was off-target (3 of 19). How desperately does Pitt need its long-range shooting? The Panthers were 7 of 28 from 3 when they lost to Florida State last month.
Virginia Tech did its homework and took away what Pitt does best. In most games, however, Pitt beats good defense with execution and quick shots. Getting it back should not be a serious issue, at least against Georgia Tech.
“We did a good job of hanging and trying to get our energy back up,” assistant coach Milan Brown said on the 93.7 FM postgame show. “But we couldn’t put together back-to-back stops where we could get a run … where we can go on an 8-0, 9-1 run to put more pressure on them.
“In the second half, we just traded baskets back and forth, back and forth, and you can’t do that when you go into halftime down 11.”
Virginia Tech hurt Pitt inside and out, hitting 9 of 19 from beyond the arc and scoring 30 points in the paint. While Pitt was winning eight of its previous nine games, opponents were averaging 23.8 paint points.
The raises a question: How much does Pitt miss center John Hugley’s bulk and defensive presence around the basket? The Hokies enjoyed too many easy layups that were set up by Virginia Tech coach Mike Young’s carefully designed offensive sets.
Pitt center Federiko Federiko, who was in foul trouble and collected only three rebounds (none defensively), has played well as Hugley’s replacement. Backup big Guillermo Diaz Graham has provided more help than Capel could have expected six months ago, but an offseason in the weight room will do him, his twin brother Jorge and the team much good.
Pitt has its problems, just like every team trying to play its best basketball as March approaches. The best teams figure it out.
“We’ll learn from this one,” Capel said, while insisting that nothing will change behind closed doors. First place, third place, it’s all the same to Capel.
“We never look at anything like (the standings),” he said. “We concentrate on what’s right in front of us. We never paid attention to it. It doesn’t put us in any different position.”
Except now, the defeats hurt a bit more.