I’m not exactly outraged or scandalized that Pitt is now ranked #2 in the AP and #3 in the Coaches. UCLA didn’t just have bigger wins this week, they had bigger televised wins. There’s no pretending that getting on TV doesn’t matter for the profile and the voters. No one got to see Pitt destroy FSU (who, before the game was supposed to be good, but on Sunday night I had the misfortune of hearing Doug Gottlieb stump for UCLA and dismiss Pitt with a “they haven’t beaten anyone,” comment. So predictable.) or any of the other teams Pitt has beaten. Not even on FullCourt for the first 6 games.
That Ohio State got the top spot in the Coaches, though, is a bit of a stumper. If the argument is that Pitt hasn’t beaten anyone, OSU is even worse. Pitt can at least claim to play a team from the ACC and A-10 to this point. The best from Ohio State is Kent St. in the MAC. Yes, OSU takes on UNC on Wednesday, but that doesn’t explain the present.

Still, it’s too early to get that worked up over this. Just slightly annoyed.

It’s a big deal, insofar as the team has never been ranked #1 in basketball. Heck even RMU, Pitt’s next opponent is hoping so, since it will be the first time they have played a #1 team at that time.

This early in the season, though, it is also a big target on the team’s back. Actually, I was going to argue that was a negative. Now I’ve changed my mind. One of the questions about Pitt, that may not be fair, but history requires asking. How can this Pitt team do with all the expectations they have on them?

Every team, every group of players are different. Yet, if we are willing to point out (sometimes gleefully) how other teams always blow it in the big moment, the same has to be asked and proven otherwise of Pitt.

Having 28 assists in a game is a noteworthy accomplishment, regardless of the opponent. Last year, the team was quite impressive in sharing the ball coming in at 21st nationally with 16.4/game (yes, even with Krauser running the point), but the team is even better this year to date. Of course what helps is making the shots, and Pitt shot 62.5% in the game.

The Panthers are shooting 53.0 percent from the floor, which would break the team record (50.9 in 1986-87). They are shooting 47.0 percent from 3-point range, which would obliterate the Panthers’ standard. Pitt hasn’t shot better than 38 percent from 3-point range in any of the past 15 seasons.

“You can’t double-team one of us, because that’s going to leave somebody open,” said Antonio Graves, who scored a team-high 17 points against Florida State. “We all can play. We’re all good. That’s the thing about this team.”

Admittedly, Pitt has played its easiest part of the schedule. Open shots and accompanying assists may not be as plentiful when Big East play starts Jan. 4 at Syracuse. But while the percentages might decrease, the mind-set of passing the ball is one every coach desires in his players.

“I am,” Jamie Dixon said, “very fortunate to coach these kids.”

Mike Cook, who has quickly become a favorite with the way he has completely meshed with this team — that year sitting out was not wasted. He was big on the assists.

Small forward Mike Cook led the way with nine assists. Cook and the rest of the Panthers took advantage of Florida State’s tendency to overplay passing lanes. Dixon put in a few new plays to expose that, and the Panthers made an effort to make the extra pass.

“That’s what we preached all week,” Cook said. “We watched film on them and saw how they played the passing lanes. We tried to come out and make extra pass and play off Aaron. When they double- and triple-teamed him, we wanted to make the play.”

Dixon said no one should be surprised with Cook’s ability to pass. Cook played some point guard at East Carolina, and Dixon always admired his passing skills going back to his days as a high school player in Philadelphia.

“I realized how good a passer he was then,” Dixon said. “I think we’re seeing it now.”

Studying film of opponents? Making adjustments to take advantage of the opponent’s tactics? No — must stay focused on basketball for this post.

To think there were questions about whether Cook could make the adjustments from being the big fish in the small pond/go-to-guy at East Carolina to playing as part of a team where he may not be the focal point of the offense every night.

Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News really liked what he saw from Pitt’s shooters, and how it bodes for the season.

Good luck trying to use a zone defense against Pitt. Opponents often were tempted to try it against the Panthers in recent years because they were erratic from behind the 3-point line, but the team’s unselfishness and zone offense execution generally were effective counters. This team has those qualities and is making 47.1 percent of its 3s–with G Ronald Ramon, G Antonio Graves, G/F Mike Cook and F Sam Young all hitting at least half their attempts. Florida State tried to control 7-0 C Aaron Gray with a 2-3; he wound up with nine points, but the Pitt regulars had FSU down by as much as 36.

Must maintain perspective. Must remember it is not even December. It’s hard. Really hard. I am so excited about the possibilities with this team.

As far as bowling, that doesn’t seem to be something to watch closely. That would require external assistance and some weirdness at this point. Instead, it’s time to look to the South Side facility for puffs of smoke to tell us what Coach Dave Wannstedt figures out this week.

That’s probably a good thing because Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt will need an extended offseason to come up to some solutions to some of the Panthers’ biggest problems.

Wannstedt’s first item of business will be to decide whether changes are needed on his staff, and that means defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads will be on the hot seat for at least a few weeks. Wannstedt said he will spend this week in the office evaluating the entire program, including his staff, before hitting the road to recruit.

Rhoads is the guy who has drawn the most criticism because the Panthers’ defense has struggled for four seasons. Many times it seemed as if it was overmatched by teams, such as Connecticut, with marginal talent. The Panthers gave up 139 points and 1,621 yards in their final three games.

Against the Huskies — a game Pitt needed to win — the Panthers had a 31-17 lead in the fourth quarter but allowed Connecticut to drive 98 yards to pull to within seven and then 77 yards to tie the score as time expired. Connecticut then won, 46-45, in two overtimes.

One of the things Wannstedt said after that game and many other losses for that matter, is that the Panthers were close to making some plays but just couldn’t get it done. Pitt’s defense often looked a half step too slow and the defensive line showed its youth and inexperience more often than not coming down the stretch.

The problem was and is that the team showed no improvement on defense over the entire course of the season. If anything the defense regressed during the season. Fundamentals such as tackling form, rather than hitting or arm tackling, pursuit angles, staying in the lanes, and so on. Again, something that has been seen from the defense for the last 4 years.

The question is, will Wannstedt hang all the blame on the players or at least consider whether the coaching and schemes are doing anything to help the players make the plays and improve their fundamentals?

While Wannstedt gave defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads a public vote of confidence last Tuesday, Wannstedt also said he would evaluate his staff at the end of the season.

After Pitt allowed an average of 405.3 yards and 46.3 points in its final three regular-season games — losses to Connecticut, West Virginia and Louisville — its defensive coaches could be in trouble.

Wannstedt hired defensive line coach Greg Gattuso, but Rhoads (secondary), Charlie Partridge (special teams) and Curtis Bray (linebackers) are Harris holdovers.

Wannstedt, however, consistently defended Pitt’s coaching and its schemes all season. He hinted that it’s going to take player improvement in every phase for a turnaround.

“Right now, we are not good enough, and obviously, as we do every year, we’ll take a good look at things,” Wannstedt said. “We’ve got to recruit like we’ve never recruited. We’ve got to have as tough an offseason as we’ve ever hard. We’ve got to bring these young kids along at a fast pace.”

And that’s another issue. The development of the kids. Plenty of redshirts burned, but it seemed too many were wasted. Dickerson, Collier, Fields, Porter, Chappel and Berry to name just a few. Supposed impact players that didn’t get much time.

Leaving the fans to wonder. If the players out there were that bad, but the new kids with supposedly better raw talent still weren’t ready 9 or 10 games into the season, then what does that say about the teaching and coaching?

To the shock of no one, AD Jeff Long supports whatever Coach Wannstedt does. Gee, really? Considering Wannstedt was Long’s biggest hire, and fair or not, will be the primary way in which Long’s performance as AD will be judged. Yeah, I’d say he’d be fairly supportive of Dave Wannstedt.