Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon: 'We Must Play With A Chip On Our Shoulder'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan)- Pitt Men's Head Basketball Coach Jamie Dixon joined "The Cook and Poni Show" on Monday as his Panthers prepare to face Colorado as the No. 9 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament.
"They have good size, big bodies," Dixon told the guys from what he has seen on film. "They play great [defense] and they don't give up many second shots."
Dixon told the guys that he is fine playing the role of the underdog as a No. 9 playing No. 8 seed Colorado.
"We did that going into the ACC Tournament. We wanted to play that way and we carried it all the way through the tournament," Dixon said.
Dixon doesn't want to look ahead, but he is aware that the overall No. 1 seed Florida Gators could be looming if they win and advance over Colorado on Thursday.
"We have to play with a chip on our shoulder and play physical," Dixon said. "We have to be aggressive and let it fall as it is."
Dixon was impressed with the way his team played at the ACC Tournament with wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina before falling in the semi-finals to Virginia on Saturday.
"We got better," Dixon said. "Not satisfied. Proud of our improvement, but not satisfied."
He credited the play of senior Talib Zanna as the reason for the team playing much better in the ACC Tournament.
He says they will need that and more of the same from the other senior leader Lamar Patterson to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Pitt's run begins Thursday at 1:40 p.m. vs. Colorado in Orlando, Fla. The game can be heard on Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan. Coverage begins at 12:20 p.m. with Panther Preview with Andrew Fillipponi and Julius Page.
Listen to the full interview here:
Listen to The Cook and Poni Show weekdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan.
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