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Christmas Wish List: Can Pittsburgh finally get some national recognition?

Tray Woodall

Over the course of the next two weeks, College Basketball Talk will be detailing what some of the country’s best, most intriguing, and thoroughly enigmatic teams need. It’s the spirit of the holidays. We’re in a giving mood.

What do other teams have on their Christmas Wish Lists? Click here to find out.

Gotta have it list-topper: Some national recognition Really. This team is 11-1, with its only loss coming against the now-No. 2 Michigan by just five points. Even with that, the Panthers were kept out of both Top 25 polls. They should finally change this week, but one can only hope.

Jamie Dixon’s team has one of the best backcourt combinations in the country, with senior Tray Woodall and freshman James Robinson together averaging close to 11 assists and just 2.7 turnovers per game. Woodall has now fully stepped out of the shadow of the now-graduated Ashton Gibbs and his likely successor, Robinson, has been one of the most reliable freshmen in the country.

Talib Zanna has also developed into the more well-rounded forward that Dixon recruited him to be. He has more than doubled his scoring output since last season and slightly increased his rebounding numbers.

Stocking stuffer: Consistency from freshman Steven Adams

When Steven Adams stepped on campus at Pittsburgh, it was known that his ceiling was high, but his game was raw. There have been times when he was good (16 points, 10 rebounds vs. Bethune-Cookman) and times when he has looked like a freshman (0 points in 10 minutes vs. Michigan). If Adams can have more games like the latter and less like the former, Zanna would have more of a complement in the frontcourt. Time is the key.

Planning on re-gifting: Stretch of late January/early February

Once Pittsburgh hits conference play, the Panther will play a stretch of four ranked teams in six games from Jan. 28 to Feb. 18. Pitt meets Louisville, Syracuse, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame, with Seton Hall and Marquette in between. That’s typical for the Big East’s conference schedule, but if the Panthers find some momentum early in the month, they’ll have that group of games to grind through.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_