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#43 Pittsburgh
Panthers
Big East
2004-05: 20-9, 10-6, 5th
2004-05 postseason:
NCAA
By
Joel Welser
Under Coach Jamie
Dixon, Pittsburgh is
51-14. Entering his third season at the helm, Coach Dixon will
have his biggest challenge yet. It looked really bad for the
Panthers until Carl Krauser opted to give a college another
shot. Pitt has some talent, but they lose too much to have any
higher expectations than #43 heading into 2005-2006.
Who’s Out:
It was Chris Taft who left early for the NBA, but the numbers of
Chevon Troutman will be missed the most. Troutman averaged 15.0
points and a team high 8.0 rebounds. Taft tacked on 13.3 points
and 7.5 boards. Fellow forward Mark McCarroll averaged 2.4
points and 1.8 rebounds as a senior. That adds up to a lot of
frontcourt production not returning. Yuri Demetris started all
14 games he played in and will not return to Pittsburgh.
Who’s In:
Power forwards Tyrell Biggs and
Doyle Hudson will need to come in and contribute immediately to
the frontcourt. Biggs is a wide body at 6-8, 260 pounds. He has
decent passing skills for a big man and can step out and hit the
mid-range jumper. Hudson, a transfer from Roane State (TN)
Junior College, still has his best basketball ahead of him. The
Bahamas native has international experience and is quite
athletic for a 6-8, 220 pounder. Small forward Sam Young can
move to the four if need be. He’s undersized for that role at
6-6 and 200 pounds, but his toughness can make up for his
stature. Levance Fields might prove to be the best of the bunch.
The 5-10 point guard will backup Carl Krauser this year, but is
expected to be the future show runner for the Panthers. Fields
is a great scorer who is still developing into a solid floor
leader. A year behind Krauser will help.
Who to Watch:
Will Carl Krauser play team ball
after his foray in the world of professional basketball? If not,
it’ll be a long year in western Pennsylvania. Krauser can put up
big numbers, like his 16.0 points and 5.9 assists last year, but
it isn’t all about the numbers. Krauser has to be a better floor
leader if Pitt wants to make it back to the NCAAs. Krauser’s 4.2
turnovers per contest won’t cut it.
Projected
Conference Rank:
A 7th place finish in
the Big East will put Pittsburgh squarely on the bubble. The
backcourt of Carl Krauser, Antonio Graves, Ronald Ramon and
Keith Benjamin is extremely talented. Levon Kendall and Aaron
Gray have patiently waited on the bench and are poised for
breakout seasons. The frontcourt depth will have to come from
the newcomers and there isn’t much time to get adjusted.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected Starting
Five:
Carl Krauser, Senior,
Guard, 16.0 points per game
Antonio Graves,
Junior, Guard, 7.8 points per game
Keith Benjamin,
Sophomore, Guard, 2.2 points per game
Levon Kendall, Junior,
Forward, 3.5 points per game
Aaron Gray, Junior,
Center, 4.3 points per game
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