Matt Freed, Post-Gazette The Panthers struggle to defend the post when Pitt center Aaron Gray gets into foul trouble. Click photo for larger image. Related story: Pitt women don't get caught looking ahead

When Louisville coach Rick Pitino was preparing to face Pitt a few days ago, he claimed he could find no weaknesses. He was not the first coach to come through the Petersen Events Center to make that proclamation this winter, but he likely was the last.

If opposing coaches did not know what Pitt's weaknesses were before Monday night, they do now after Louisville dismantled the Panthers, 66-53.

Since the postseason is a mere three weeks away, let's take a look at three problem areas that need to be shored up before the Big East and NCAA tournament commence in March.

Pitt's susceptibility to the press and quick guards.

Other teams had been able to give Pitt problems with the press, but Louisville had the most success, forcing the Panthers into a season-high 19 turnovers, 16 in the first half when the Cardinals built a 17-point lead.

If there is one element the five former Conference USA teams bring to the Big East Conference, it is quickness and athleticism. Pitt is 7-3 against the five new members since they joined last season, but the Panthers have had a hard time adjusting to the athleticism that Louisville, Marquette, Cincinnati, DePaul and South Florida display.

Pitt has averaged 15 turnovers per game against those teams. In five of those 10 games, Pitt turned the ball over 18 or more times. On both occasions when that has happened this season, Pitt lost. Marquette forced 18 turnovers in a 77-74 overtime victory against the Panthers last month.

In the past 21 conference games against the Big East's old guard, the Panthers averaged 12.9 turnovers per game and only twice had 18 or more turnovers.

Pitt plays an athletic Washington team from the Pac-10 Saturday afternoon and gets another shot at Marquette in the regular-season finale.

"It's something we'll have to adjust to," senior center Aaron Gray said. "We had not been accustomed to seeing it. We're going to have to respond."

Pitt's inability to play effectively when Gray is in foul trouble.

When Gray gets into foul trouble and has to sit on the bench or play carefully, the Panthers become a very ordinary team on defense. Pitt might have some of the best defensive statistics in the Big East when it comes to scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense, but it all seems to be predicated on Gray's presence.

Take the past two games. Gray played 26 minutes against Louisville, but he had to play carefully most of the game because he picked up two fouls in the first half and his third foul early in the second.

As a result, Louisville had its way around the basket. The Cardinals scored 42 points in the paint, and its forwards and centers combined to shoot 18 for 35 from the field. Starting center David Padgett was 7 for 13 and had a game-high 16 points.

Against Providence, Gray had to sit for the final 8:53 of the first half and was forced to play with three fouls much of the second half. The Friars took advantage and shot 46 percent from the field. Providence's centers and forwards were a combined 16 for 30 from the field. Center Herbert Hill was 9 for 17 and scored 20 points.

When Gray sits, 6-10 power forward Levon Kendall is forced to play center, and he does not have Gray's kind of strength and is unable to prevent opposing players from getting good post position. Taking Kendall's place at power forward is 6-6 Sam Young, who is not the defender that Kendall is at power forward.

"We've adjusted to foul trouble in the past," Kendall said. "I think both of these teams had pretty good post guys. It's a combination of a bunch of things. I don't think there is any one thing to pinpoint. It's just been a collective thing with our post defense."

The Panthers are not a team that is built to come from behind.

Pitt has proven in the past that it is more than capable of coming back from seven or nine points down. Once the deficit reaches double digits, however, the Panthers have a hard time getting back into games.

Louisville jumped on Pitt early and led, 13-2, before the game was five minutes old. The Cardinals led by as many as 19 in the first half and 20 in the second half, forcing Pitt into a catch-up mode, something with which the Panthers are neither familiar nor comfortable.

Pitt does not have the athleticism at guard to press and force turnover, so the Panthers have a hard time scoring in bunches. Their offense is predicated on stopping the other team and scoring in transition or setting up for a good shot in the half-court offense.

When the Panthers had to start forcing 3-point shots against Louisville, they got into trouble.

"When you're down 17 at halftime, you have to do things that put you in a tough situation," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said.

"It can multiply. One thing leads to another. You have to change your game when you're down 17 with 10 minutes left."

Louisville was able to expose all Pitt's warts in the same game. No other team, except maybe Wisconsin, had come close to doing that.

Whether other teams on the remaining schedule have the coaching and talent to follow the blueprint remains to be seen. One thing is sure. It's not a matter of coaches knowing the weaknesses any longer; it's a matter of being able to expose them.

How Pitt adjusts in the days and weeks ahead could go a long way toward determining how well the Panthers will perform in the postseason.

"We need to get better," Dixon said. "I don't think we ever thought we were as good as we needed to be."