The University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team is stuck in a rut.

Foul shots are rimming out, layups refuse to drop and the Panthers are collapsing faster than the Pittsburgh Pirates in August.

Pitt has fallen so far, there’s nowhere to go but up.

The Panthers are off to an 0-6 start in the conference — dead last in the Big East — and have lost seven straight games overall.

Pitt fans never saw this nightmare coming.

And why would they?

Jamie Dixon has been at the helm of the program since the 2003-04 season and the Panthers haven’t stopped winning.

Until now.

It’s been a tumultuous four-week stretch for Pitt, but the program’s consistency over the years — 227-68 under Dixon — is exactly why I believe the Panthers are about to turn it around.

Pitt has been without point guard Travon Woodall since the beginning of December and his return to the lineup — which should be soon — would give the Panthers an immediate boost.

Khem Birch — a highly-touted prospect and McDonald’s All-American — left the team a month ago and has depleted Pitt’s depth even further.

Missing two key guys in the rotation — one the trigger man for the offense and the other a big-time talent — is enough to send a team into a temporary tailspin.

Fortunately for Pitt, the Panthers have already hit rock bottom — a 62-39 loss Jan. 11 at home to Rutgers, a program that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991.

Pitt hasn’t tasted victory since that debacle, but the Panthers haven’t quit, either.

Dixon’s squad was far more competitive in the following game at Marquette and put forth a strong effort Monday night in a 71-63 loss at top-ranked Syracuse.

Monday’s defeat could have been much worse. The Orange jumped out to a 13-0 lead, but Pitt didn’t give up and battled throughout.

Moral victories are no consolation for a team with Final Four aspirations, but the past two performances show Pitt is heading in the right direction.

However, for the Panthers to make the NCAA Tournament for an 11th straight season, Pitt must turn the corner right now.

The first test is Saturday, when Louisville comes to town.

The Cardinals are in a funk of their own, losing five of seven after beginning the season 12-0. For Pitt, it might be just what the doctor ordered.

If the Panthers can right the ship Saturday, it could pave the way for a late-season surge. A 9-3 finish would put Pitt at 20-11 overall and 9-9 in the Big East.

Luckily in college basketball, mediocrity is excused if a team catches fire at the right time.

Just ask UConn, which finished 9-9 in the Big East last year and went on to win the NCAA title.

Pitt doesn’t resemble a championship-caliber team right now, but I do believe Dixon is a championship-caliber coach.

The Panthers might continue to struggle, but I think eight years of excellence is a more telling indicator of the future than just one horrendous month.

Jason Orfao is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.