Dixon’s Job Well Done
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – This is Jamie Dixon’s best coaching job yet.
The Pittsburgh mentor is in just his third season, so there isn’t much to compare it against as of now. But this season posed a sure challenge to the Panthers, and with their 85-77 win at Providence on Wednesday night, it’s a challenge his team has met to the tune of 20 wins yet again, equaling last season’s total.
Prior to the season, few figured the Panthers would be here. Their personnel losses included Chris Taft – perhaps addition by subtraction since he was maddeningly inconsistent last year – as well as steady bookend Chevy Troutman and reserves Mark McCarroll and Yuri Demetris. Taft and Troutman were two of their top three scorers and their top two rebounders and shot-blockers. Carl Krauser opted to return after declaring for the NBA Draft, but wasn’t a certainty during the summer due to academics. They were picked seventh in the Big East preseason coaches’ poll, just ahead of Notre Dame and Cincinnati.
But the Panthers are right there in the Big East race, solidly in fourth with a 9-3 record and a 20-3 record overall. They nearly won at Connecticut for the second year in a row, while getting a win at Louisville earlier in the year. This time around, it seems like the usual lame duck schedule the Panthers played in non-conference – only two road games, one of which was across town at Duquesne – is paying off in the form of a team knowing how to win, with young players getting experience that pays off later.
The big development has been that of junior big man Aaron Gray. The 7’0″, 270-pound post player has transformed himself from being a guy who comes in to bang to one who scores and rebounds as well. Gray had 22 points on a perfect 9-9 night from the field and grabbed nine rebounds against Providence, and also added two blocks to his team-leading total (37 on the year). Now averaging 14.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, Gray is doing more than just putting up better numbers; just watch him play and the difference is apparent.
“He’s just doing such a good job of keeping the ball up around the basket,” said Dixon. “He caught all the balls and he never brought it down.”
Gray’s conditioning has improved, from his body looking a little slimmer to his interior mobility to his running. He now gets up and down the floor much better than he used to, and he’s gotten better as the season has gone along. Numbers can back that up: his averages in Big East play are 16.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, and he plays about three more minutes per game as well.
Dixon also made a change at the point guard spot. While Krauser still handles the ball often and leads the team in assists, sophomore Ronald Ramon and freshman Levance Fields have each spent time as the primary ball-handlers. They have combined for a better than 2:1 assist/turnover ratio, while Krauser leads the team in scoring. For good measure, Krauser had seven assists and one turnover to go with his 12 points on Wednesday night.
Fields and Sam Young have been key contributors as freshmen. Young, their third-leading scorer, fits the Panthers’ physical style perfectly and has been one of the first players off the bench. He had seven points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes on Wednesday. Helping out among the younger players is sophomore guard Keith Benjamin, who reached double digits in scoring for the fifth time this season with 15 points on Wednesday.
With four games left, the Panthers may have the inside track on the final first round bye in the Big East Tournament. They have two games at home (Providence and Seton Hall) and two on the road (Marquette, West Virginia) and are one game up on Georgetown. The Hoyas have road dates with Villanova and USF, with home dates against Rutgers and Syracuse. The Panthers have yet to lose at home this season, so if they hold serve and steal one of the final two on the road, they should be in a good position to get the bye.
Considering the questions surrounding the Panthers prior to the season, they’re certainly overachieving. With just two seniors – starters Krauser and John DeGroat – and the productive freshmen, it’s clear that Dixon’s star as a coach will only continue to rise as he continues to do the job he’s done this season.
