PITTSBURGH — Jamie Dixon means it this time. No, really, he does.

The Pittsburgh coach insists he’s not kidding when he says it might be time to loosen the reins as the Panthers move from the bruising and brutal Big East to the more wide open ACC.

“We’ll run a little better and be a little bit more skilled on the floor,” Dixon said. “I think we’ve got a good group and I think we’ve got a versatile group.”

One Dixon hopes can still bring the intensity on defense. Just because he’s more willing to let the Panthers get out on the open floor doesn’t mean he wants them entirely abandon the formula that made them perennial contenders in one of the nation’s toughest conferences, including a 24-9 mark last year.

The ACC figures to be just as tough, if in a slightly different way. The question, sophomore forward Durand Johnson said, might not be whether Pitt is ready for the ACC but whether the ACC is ready for the Panthers.

“We’re just used to being tough and having that mindset going into every game compared to teams that haven’t been coached like that, that haven’t been through the battles we have,” Johnson said. “That just gives us the upper hand.”

Following are five keys to Pitt’s season:

TALIB’S TIME: After the departure of Steven Adams, the Panthers will rely more on the athletic Talib Zanna. The 6-foot-9 senior from Nigeria lacks Adams’ physical presence but possesses long arms and loves to run the floor.

MR. ROBINSON’S NEIGHBORHOOD? Point guard James Robinson proved to be every bit the calming presence the Panthers needed to run Dixon’s motion offense last year. Now Dixon needs Robinson to do more than distribute the ball and be his team’s best perimeter defender. Dixon needs Robinson to score.

JUMPING JOHNSON: Dixon would love for Johnson to become more than a spot-up shooter, and Johnson has the build and the athleticism to get to the rim. The Panthers have needed a slasher for years. Johnson might be the answer.

FRESHMAN FRENZY: Cracking the lineup as a first-year player can be difficult at Pitt. Dixon puts a premium on defense, something it can take a full season or two to learn. Freshman Josh Newkirk, however, may be the exception. The 6-1 guard, who is from the same Raleigh, N.C., high school as NBA star John Wall, has wowed his teammates with his blurring speed and quick hands.

SELFISH PATTERSON?: Senior forward Lamar Patterson might be Pitt’s best all-around player. It might be time for him to become one of its most selfish. Patterson is a stat box filler, but has spent most of his career deferring to teammates. He’ll need to be the one deferred to if the Panthers want to make a splash.