PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was 4am after just flying back from a loss at Florida State, a players-only meeting in the Panthers home locker room where the air was cleared. Pitt guard Jaland Lowe said they feel like they understand what they need to do going forward, even if they didn’t see it in the final score against Clemson.
Lowe said they got out what needed to be said. They were honest with each other and played the type of aggressive game they wanted to even if the result was an overtime loss against the Tigers. Senior Ishmael Leggett said that meeting was needed and everything was put on the table and they talked about holding each other accountable.
“When you lose it’s on the point guard,” Lowe said. “I have no problem taking the blame, it’s on me for sure. I have another level I can take my game to. My teammates have another level they can take their game to. I’m going to do my best to get that out of myself and out of my teammates. Once I do that, I know everyone will pick it up. As a leader on this team, if they see me going 100%, they will go 110%.”
What Lowe really wants to see from his team is setting the tone early in games. Taking the game to the opponent for the entirety of a game, not just in spurts.
“Be more of a bully, people come out and bully us first,” Lowe said. “Can’t have that, it’s not like us. We got to be out there on the attack first instead of waiting. We got to be the bullies first.”
“Playing with that fire, that intensity and it lasting 40 minutes and it’s something we haven’t done in a long time,” Leggett said. “Playing on fire, with that grit, that Pittsburgh toughness from start to finish.”
Leggett called it having that ‘back against the wall’ mentality. It’s what he wants to see for this team. He believes with the Clemson game and the week of practice he is seeing that desperation. It’s about being strong, confident, not playing weak.
“We’re in a slump right now,” Lowe said. “The whole world knows it. In order to get out of that slump, you need some energy. You need some determination. You need some fight.”
“We know how good we are. It’s something we have to deal with right now. You don’t get to win without adversity. It’s our adversity right now, we are ready to get through it.”
That next opportunity comes Saturday at 12:30p as the Voice of the Panthers Bill Hillgrove, Panthers great Curtis Aiken and Cale Berger start Panthers pregame at noon on 93.7 The Fan.