Analysis: Pitt must set sights on strong finish, even if it includes a berth in the NIT
Share this post:
Pitt is in the grip of a slump, if that’s the correct term for losing two of three games at a point in the season that matters most.
The Panthers’ NCAA Tournament hopes, already slim before the 69-62 loss at Clemson on Tuesday night, have all but disappeared.
Blame Pitt’s inability to make baskets when the stakes were highest. After trailing 58-56 with 4 minutes, 30 seconds left, Pitt missed four of five field-goal attempts, plus two more shots at the free-throw line. That was the difference in a game that was closer than the seven-point final margin indicated.
“I thought it was a great fight on our part,” assistant coach Jason Capel said on the 93.7 FM postgame show. “We have to learn from this.”
Capel was correct about the team’s fight, which has been evident all season. But that’s the least any coach can ask of his players. In that regard, Pitt did not disappoint anyone.
The real victory is coach Jeff Capel and his staff shepherding the team to 18 victories with so much youth in the backcourt and the lack of consistent scoring in the frontcourt.
Jason Capel’s declaration that the team must “learn” from what happened seems more appropriate for a loss in early December than one in late February. Actually, Pitt lost to Clemson at both points this season.
Pitt’s problem in its 10 defeats largely has been an inability to match the opponent’s physicality and score — and prevent scoring — in both paint areas. When Blake Hinson isn’t hitting 3s, Federiko Federiko and Guillermo Diaz Graham need to combine for more than two points.
Give players and coaches credit for keeping the game close without those two things.
Practices and the approach to games won’t change now that Pitt (18-10, 9-8 ACC) looks like a better bet for the NIT than the NCAA Tournament. Winning just two of the final three regular-season games will give Pitt back-to-back 20-victory seasons, something that hasn’t happened in 10 years. There’s also the chance for even more success in the ACC Tournament.
But let’s be clear:
Missing the NCAA Tournament is the definition of a disappointing season now that 68 schools are invited. It’s especially so with Hinson — despite what happened Tuesday — having a season worthy of ACC Player of the Year consideration.
This won’t be a popular take, but the NIT — the Not Important Tournament, if you must — won’t be such a bad consolation prize. Pitt hasn’t played in that second-tier tournament since 2015 and hasn’t won a game there since 2001. It’s a shallow prize, but the NIT offers a chance to build momentum going into next season, assuming Pitt can keep most of the team together for another run.
These days, that’s no lock.