Inside Slant
It might not have been as gut-wrenching as the Villanova shot that knocked the Panthers out of the NCAA Tournament at the brink of the Final Four a year ago, but the 2009-10 season was another that ended in crushing fashion for Pittsburgh.
The Panthers fell by three points in the second round to sixth-seeded Xavier, missing a pair of three-point attempts that would have tied the game in the final seconds. The 71-68 defeat marked the end of Jermaine Dixon's Pitt career, one win short of what would have been the sixth Sweet 16 appearance in nine seasons for the program.
Still, not many thought the Panthers would make it even this far in 2009-10. Losing four starters from the Elite Eight team a year ago, Pitt was expected to go through a rebuilding season this year. That was accentuated when it struggled early, losing Jamie Dixon to injury and Gilbert Brown to suspension at the start of the season.
But one thing about the Panthers under Dixon is that Pitt always surprises. With Ashton Gibbs emerging as a No. 1 scoring threat, Brad Wanamaker taking a huge step forward as a junior, and Jermaine Dixon providing both points and leadership once his foot healed, Pitt again surged to the top of the Big East. It tied for second in the regular season, and earned the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and the NCAAs.
Ultimately, the talent and depth didn't match that of last year. When Gibbs became the target of opposing defenses, he found it less easy to score, and on any given night it was a crapshoot who would fill the void. The inside game often struggled to produce points unless Gilbert Brown was hot off the bench, and it was just short of where it needed to be in March.
However, Dixon and reserve Chase Adams are the only seniors, so the Panthers should be back stronger than ever when Midnight Madness rolls around this fall. By then, the pain of another close NCAA loss may finally have faded for the Panther faithful.
