Opposing Coaches Call Out Pitt's Weaknesses

The Athletic's Seth Davis talked to opposing head coaches about their strengths and weaknesses.

PITTSBURGH -- The ACC basketball season is 12 games deep and the uncertainty of the non-conference schedule has given way to some more extensive data points  The Athletic's Seth Davis granted some of college basketball's head coaches anonymity so they could give honest praise and criticism of their opponents - including the Pitt Panthers. 

Davis' regular "Behind Enemy Lines" column offered some nuggets on what opposing teams make of the Panthers - the good and the bad. 

It started with some high praise. So much of the narrative surrounding this season has been about reviving the glory days of the 2000's and early 2010's and many coaches believe they have reached that point again. 

“They remind me of the old Ben Howland/Jamie Dixon teams," Davis wrote. "Their physicality can really mess you up. They’re an old team, and Jeff Capel lets them take a lot of ownership. They are very serious about it. They communicate to each other, and they hold each other accountable."

The opposition also had high praise for leading scorer Jamarius Burton and point guard Nelly Cummings. 

"Jamarius Burton is very strong," Davis wrote. "You have to have somebody in the gap on him. ... "Nelly Cummings has been an unbelievable addition."

But the descriptions of the Panthers took a turn for the negative. Opposing coaches believe there is a straightforward way to neutralize Blake Hinson, one of the better scorers and rebounders Pitt has. 

"You have to take away Blake Hinson’s 3-pointers, make him put it on the floor," Davis wrote. "A defender with length can disrupt his shots because he’s not that big."

Davis added that other coaches think Pitt can be exposed on the inside and have been lucky to face an easier schedule in ACC play. 

"They don’t have an inside presence," Davis wrote. "They’ve had a favorable league schedule to this point. They don’t score the ball in the post, but they’re sharing the ball."

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