Generally speaking, it's a good idea for college basketball teams to be playing well in late February and early March. The teams that get on a roll at the end of the season usually are the teams that perform well in the postseason conference and NCAA tournaments.

It's just not always the case. Take the past two national champions, for example.

Florida lost three of its final five regular-season games last season before winning nine consecutive games in the Southeastern Conference and NCAA tournaments to capture the national championship. The Gators did the same thing a year earlier, losing three of five to end the regular season and then making a run to the national championship.

This is not to suggest that Pitt, which has lost four of its past six entering it regular-season finale tomorrow against DePaul, is a contender for the national championship, but it doesn't necessarily mean the recent play of the Panthers will carry over into the postseason, either.

Pitt has proven that the past two years. The Panthers were not looking particularly sharp in late February a year ago. They were 3-3 in their final six games last season, including losses to Louisville and Marquette. But the Panthers beat Marquette and Louisville in Big East quarterfinal and semifinal games to advance to the Big East tournament title game.

After losing to Georgetown in the title game, Pitt won its first two NCAA games to advance to the Sweet 16, where the Panthers eventually lost to UCLA.

In 2006, the Panthers lost three of their final four, but still won three consecutive tournament games to advance to the Big East title game.

"I guess it depends if you're a half-full or half-empty guy," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "You can look at it and say we've lost four of our past six or we've won two of our past three. We are who we are today.

"What we need to do is play well. A lot of it has been who you're playing, where you're playing, who's healthy. We try not to overreact to a game. With that said, we have to do things better. We have to defend better, rebound better, shoot better. It is up to us."

Senior Keith Benjamin talked about focus yesterday. He said this team has the talent and toughness to win games in March, but the mental approach has been lacking.

"On any given night when games become one-and-done, all it takes is for one team not to show up," Benjamin said. "In the Big East and NCAA, it doesn't take who has the best scouting report, the best coach or the best players. All it takes is that night for guys to show up. The sky is the limit for any team in America.

"That's how we feel. We've been through a lot. We feel like we have strength in numbers again. Levance [Fields] shouldn't have a problem from here. Everyone is back toward 100 percent. The only thing we have to do is be ready."

The Panthers are looking to shore up some glaring problems with their defense and rebounding that have been evident the past six games. The past six opponents are averaging 74.8 points per game. Five of the six opponents have shot 47 percent or better from the field. Louisville shot 58 percent, Syracuse shot 59.

The Panthers also have been outrebounded in four of their past six contests, sometimes by wide margins. When the Panthers were at the top of their game in seasons past, it was big news when an opponent won the rebounding battle.

NOTE -- The Pitt athletic department is encouraging fans to get to the Petersen Events Center early for the game tomorrow. Senior day ceremonies will take place at 11:30 a.m.