March 17, 2011

The Panthers are led by their guard duo of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker. The two make for a fairly unique duo, as neither is a pure point guard, nor a pure shooting guard. Indeed, the bigger one (6'4 Wanamaker) plays more like the point guard than the little one (6'2 Gibbs). Offensively, Gibbs is best as a jumpshooter; it doesn't look like he should be because of how flat his shot is, but he's always done that, and they go in anyway, so it's no fluke. He can shoot off the dribble, but does it mainly via off-the-ball movement, knowing how to use screens, and with a quick enough release to take advantage of even the smallest shreds of daylight. Gibbs has had a weird season; he's scored well and shot extremely well, employing better shot selection and extra-passing, but he's driven the ball less than ever, and has also eased off on the defensive end for some reason. Of course, it has not held Pittsburgh back.

Meanwhile, the very unique senior Wanamaker has had a fine season. His size allows him to defend either guard spot, which he does with good hands and aplomb while never getting into foul trouble. Offensively, he is good enough to be a primary ball handler, and collapses defense via skill and body control rather than explosion. He does not shoot threes, but he rocks a great mid-range, including pull-ups off the dribble, and hesitation moves to get him to the basket, where he does a decent job of finishing. He leads the team, even if he doesn't lead it in scoring (Gibbs does). But his next level prospects are affected by his measurements and lack of athleticism.

Read full article