Tip-off Review: Pittsburgh's Final Four Hopes

        Gilbert Brown and Dante Taylor need to pick up their game if Pittsburgh is going to make a Final Four run as their ranking would indicate. Brown is a tremendous athlete who has shown glimpses of potential playing alongside Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker, but due to a hamstring injury that sidelined him last season, he never developed the consistency needed to become a consistent threat. It was weight issues and conditioning problems that sidelined forward Dante Taylor from some serious minutes after the hype that surrounded his commitment to Jamie Dixon's program.

        Gibbs and Wanamaker combined for 46 points in their season-opener against Rhode Island, but Brown and Taylor scored just 12 total points. Brown looked sloppy with 4 turnovers, including some that could have easily been avoided, like his running of the baseline as he inbounded the ball after a dead ball. While his decision-making with the ball in his hands, his shooting was even worse. He continues to sling his shots from behind his head, resulting in a slow release and decreased accuracy. Taylor, on the other hand, looked impressive in his new, slimmed-down frame. However, he was slowed down by the effective play of redshirt-freshman Talib Zanna (9 points, 11 rebounds) and three personal fouls.


By President Corey Ruff - 11-8-10