McCoy to Eagles 2nd Round, Great for him

Pitt's LeSean McCoy went to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2nd Round (53rd overall) of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

From a post I made yesterday on Pantherlair.com:
Did any of you honesty think that it was best for HIM to come back for another season to come back and take 20-30 carries a game and get beat up?

Everybody already knows what he can do. It's a weak draft this year and it was a great time for him to go.

The chance of him getting injured greatly overrules ANY other considereration that he could have come back for. He can now go shine and get paid for it, as opposed to getting beat up and possibly getting hurt. We have no real QB again this year and he'd be relied upon to win games again this season.

Why stay around and get beat up for free when you can get paid for it?

If you think he made a bad decision, ask yourself if you're being selfish and you really want him back at Pitt for yourself instead of him doing his own thing and taking care of himself.

Link: http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/LeSeanMcCoy.asp

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DeJuan Blair to go pro

DeJuan Blair is renouncing his final two years of college eligibility with the Panthers and going into the NBA draft.

DeJuan Blair, who was named to the Associated Press All-America first team and the Wooden All-America Team, was the only consensus All-Big East first team selection and was named the league's co-Player of the Year, is 19 years old. The decision was widely expected by most fans and personalities in the college basketball community. He doesn't have much left to prove. He was amazingly dominant most of the season against many of the best players in the country. Blair averaged 15.7 points and 12.3 rebounds for the Panthers this season in a little more than 27 minutes per game.

For those who say he needed to return in order to develop or "work on" a jump shot - Do you think Jamie Dixon would let him out from underneath the rim? There's no way. Jamie has to look out for the best interests of the team, not any one player.

One hindrance is that he shoots 60.5% at the free throw line. That number isn't likely to get better with another season in college, though.

Blair has signed with Pittsburgh area media guy James Cook and is looking to ink marketing deals.

Starting in May, Blair will train at the IMG Basketball Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he'll work closely with trainer David Thorpe. He'll also attend the NBA camps in Chicago alongside Pitt senior Sam Young, another possible first-round selection.

It is really unknown at this point who will start at center for Pitt next season. All American Dante Taylor will start at power forward, though.

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Panthers fall to Nova, 78 - 76

A wonderful season ended Saturday night for Pitt with a loss to Villanova on a Scottie Reynolds last second driving basket in Boston.

See Andy Katz's article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney09/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=4024675

Pitt was behind and tied the score at 76 on two amazingly clutch Levance Fields free throws with 5.5 to go (interrupted in between by a Nova timeout), but the inbound pass went to Dante Cunningham, who got it to Reynolds who was waay to easily allowed to drive the lane and put the ball up over Gilbert Brown, as you can see in the picture above. No real resistance. Nobody hasseled him. It was a microcosm of the falloff of Pitt's defense this season compared to last year and years past.

It truly was a great season in which Pitt played brilliantly at times, especially in the two games against Uconn and against Marquette.


Pitt now loses its three seniors, Levance Fields, Sam Young, and Tyrell Biggs. There also is a 99.9% chance that it will lose All American center DeJuan Blair to the NBA draft.

Incoming is a great recruiting class to help replace them, but it will be tough to duplicate the success of this season next year.

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Preview: Pitt vs Villanova

Scottie Reynolds vs. Levance Fields

There are two players in the Big East that can make a 5-of-15 shooting performance look good: one is Sam Young, and the other is Reynolds. That's what he shot from the field against Duke, and he still finished with 16 points. Reynolds, along with Reggie Redding and Shane Clark, were instrumental in shutting down Duke's offense. As Reynolds has been shaking off a case of the flu over the last few weeks, he has been shooting at less than 33 percent over the last four games. Fields is coming off another dramatic play. You can talk about him being a floor general, and everything that falls into that category, including his unmatched play as a passer. We all know the numbers. When push comes to shove, Levance Fields is the guy who wants the ball in his hands, and he proved that on Thursday night. He knocked down a go-ahead three-pointer against Xavier, and he came up with a steal on the ensuing possession that clinched the win. Big players come up in big games like that. With his injury out of the way, and his confidence increasing as the Xavier game went on, Fields is going to pick up where he left off on Thursday. The pressure is off.

Edge: Pitt

Reggie Redding vs. Jermaine Dixon

Redding came up with 11 points and nine rebounds in the win over Duke. The nine rebounds can be attributed to the combined 9-of-45 (20%) three-point shooting between the Wildcats and Blue Devils. Even though there were a lot of long rebounds, still, a guard that can rebound as well as Redding, is impressive. Dixon is still not getting in a rhythm, however he did come up with a couple big layups against Xavier. Still okay, but to think what this Pitt team could do if he was back in his midseason form. He has shot 5-of-21 in postseason play, and needs to get in a rhythm. Redding has been quite the opposite, as he has been on a roll - not just in the tournament, but throughout the second half of the season. Redding is doubling his season scoring average, with 14 points a game in the last two tournament games. Redding is a three-point threat - not a multiple three-point threat, but enough cause for concern.

Edge: Villanova

Shane Clark vs. Sam Young

Interestingly, Clark made his first start at the three after Pitt's loss at Villanova. Since then, the Wildcats are 13-3. Clark is more of a defensive threat, because of his height. For Young, it's a favorable matchup because he should be able to use his athleticism and pick his spots. Clark is prone to foul trouble, and has fouled out of two of the last six games, including the win over Duke. Still, in a 23-point win over Duke, he chipped in seven points and grabbed five rebounds. Not a dominant performance, but his defense on the perimeter was also a big factor in Duke's abysmal shooting performance. It's not too much to expect Young to outscore Clark…the real question is how well Clark can defend Young. If he does, the Panthers could be in trouble. If Young has another big game, this gives the Panthers a significant edge.

Edge: Pitt

Dwayne Anderson vs. Tyrell Biggs

Anderson plays the four the way Sam Young has played it in his career - a smaller, but more athletic type of a four. The last time these two teams played, Anderson matched up with Young at the three. The very next game, he moved down to the four, and has averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds since making the switch. Though he still grabbed seven rebounds in the win against Duke, Anderson was one of three Wildcats who got into foul trouble. Biggs had an okay game against Xavier - he didn't hurt the Panthers, but he didn't exactly help them either. Pitt has not needed the scoring from Biggs. It has three prime-time players in Fields, Blair and Young to take care of the scoring. If there were ever a time for Dixon and Biggs to get a 10-point game, this would be the time to do it. I'm sure for this game, much like the other games in this tournament, any extra rebounds Biggs can help with is a bonus. Biggs had to defend both Derrick Brown and C.J. Anderson on Thursday, and they both outrebounded him. Pitt is going to need significant help from Biggs on the boards against Villanova.

Edge: Villanova

Dante Cunningham vs. DeJuan Blair

This matchup is not for the faint at heart. Cunningham poses one of the toughest matchups Blair has seen all season. He came up big with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Duke. The move of Dwayne Anderson down low has helped Cunningham immensely. He can stay in the low post and play inside, while Anderson has the chance to be a versatile player from anywhere, offensively or defensively. One player who has been consistent for Pitt through this tournament, has been DeJuan Blair. He has finished with a double-double in each game of this tournament - not the typical numbers for your average sophomore, but Blair has proved more than once that he's not your typical sophomore. Blair is averaging 15.7 points and 15 rebounds in three tournament games this year. This matchup is comparable to Blair vs. Thabeet. Despite Cunningham getting in foul trouble, and having his worst shooting performance of his last five games, both players will excel in this matchup. Blair may have had a more physical matchup from Xavier, heading into this game, which may give him a slight edge.

Edge: Pitt

Depth: Villanova Bench vs. Pitt Bench

Fisher was arguably the top bench player in the Big East this past season, and had been taking is game to a new level in recent weeks. Fisher is an excellent free throw shooter, and pretty solid from three-point range, before he went 0-for-3 from three-point range against Duke, including 0-for-6 from the field. It still didn't matter. Stokes is another big-time scorer off the bench at guard, averaging around nine points a game. Both can be threats on the perimeter, but in a similar fashion of Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs - they'll take a few good looks when they're win, but don't expect more than one or two. Antonio Pena only comes in when the starters get in foul trouble. If that's the case, expect Pitt to gain an advantage there. Those are the three bench players that get the bulk of the minutes. Frank Tchuisi appeared in 23 games this season, and somehow had more field goals than Duke's Gerald Henderson - take that for what it's worth. The x-factor is Gilbert Brown. Brown quietly had seven points and six boards in the win over Xavier. Again, with his athleticism, he might be able to fill in and get some defensive rebounds. Though Stokes and Fisher have started games this year, and play like starters, the trio of Wanamaker, Brown and Gibbs have a chance to show their versatility in this game. We know Stokes and Fisher are strictly guards. Gibbs can play either of the guard spots, Wanamaker can play the one, two or three, while Brown is going to be an athletic four in this game.

Edge: Pitt


Overall: Villanova vs Pitt


Pitt 67
Villanova 57


The question this whole time has been whether Pitt was going to show up in this tournament. It's safe to say, after a 31-18 run in the second half against Xavier, they showed up when it counted most. The Panthers are in an interesting momentum flow right now. This team is much less of a defensive team than other Dixon-coached teams of the past. This team also has more offensive firepower. Thursday, they went back to their roots a little bit. We also saw Thursday, the advantage of having a veteran point guard in Levance Fields. Take your pick of clutch Fields shots over the years—the three-pointer against Duke last year, the two three-pointers at the end of the first UConn game this year, or last night's go ahead three-pointer with less than a minute to go. All three were clutch situations, all three were against big name programs with a lot at stake. We'll assume that Fields is healthy, and even if he isn't, now that the Panthers have finally advanced to that next level they've been so often criticized. Not just Fields - Young, and even Blair, have been trained to play in a game like Saturday. For Villanova - it's mind boggling to think they won by 23, while they shot just 4-of-23 from three-point range. They made up for that with a +14 in rebounding, and a 44-18 margin in the paint. That kind of play can work either way for Pitt. The Wildcats have a rebounding specialist at the three, an athletic four, and a bruiser on the inside. With that kind of variety, there's really no excuse to not have an advantage in the Pitt. Sure, big win over Duke, but Duke is a shooting team—live by the sword, die by the sword. Remember…a little used bench player in Frank Tchuisi outscored Duke's big guy inside, Gerald Henderson. It will be much tougher to stop playmakers like Sam Young and DeJuan Blair. If Pitt's backcourt, not just Fields, gets active, Pitt will have a significant edge. Also working for Pitt - revenge. Pitt has so much pride in its Big East opponents, that even with a Final Four trip on the line, getting the Wildcats back for the loss in January - two months ago to the date - might be more on the mind.

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Panthers beat Ok. State, 84 - 76

The Panthers are headed to the Sweet 16 for the 5th time in 8 years after a win today.

Oklahoma state played supurbly, nailing 10 3 pointers in the first half to keep it close. The game was tied at the half at 49. In the second half they only made 2 threes as they came back to earth.

Sam Young was a monster, posting 32 points and 8 boards. He had 23 points in the first half. Pitt outboarded Ok. St. 41-21, a dominating performance.

Here's a video with game highlights: http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/play/videos/u_vfGtJ5Adq2uXN65XROKELBd3a12IB

Here's a story: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20090322_OKST@PITT

The Big East Conference has a record 5 teams in the Regional semi-finals (Sweet 16) this year.

It's time for Pitt to get past this place that they have gotten stuck at every time this millenium. Ironically, they will try to do so against Xavier, coached by former Panther star point guard Sean Miller. They will play on Thursday, March 26 at 7:27 pm.

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Pitt readies for Oklahoma State

Today at roughtly 2:50 pm Pitt will take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a NCAA Tournament second round game at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

Below is a listing of the individual matchup breakdowns and an overall overview from Pantherlair.com.


Keiton Page vs. Levance Fields

Fields is the player that Pitt needs most right now. It has been proven all year that anytime Fields scores in double-digits, shoots at least 40 percent from the field, or even makes just a couple three-pointers, it makes a huge difference. Even if he doesn't put up the points, he's almost always good for a high-assist/low-turnover output. On Friday, none of those things came to fruition, as Pitt had to survive against East Tennessee State. Page is a true freshman that has worked his way into the starting lineup this year. Since making his first start against Iowa State on February 14, following a 25-point loss to Texas, Oklahoma State is 9-2. He doesn't have great assist numbers, doesn't put up a lot of points, but is an accurate three-point shooter, and has led his team to nine wins. It's a tall task for the freshman to defend as decorated a player as Fields, but more than anything, for Pitt to win, they need Fields to snap out of it.

Edge: Pitt

Byron Eaton vs. Jermaine Dixon

Dixon is also in a slump. He may have a quickness advantage on Eaton, but Eaton is a strong player. Dixon hasn't been the same for the last three games. He has a total of 11 points in the last three games, sat out a considerable amount of time due to foul trouble against East Tennessee State, and fouled out against UConn. Eaton is prone to foul trouble, which can be good or bad: he'll either draw people into getting fouls, or he himself gets called. It all depends on how the game is called. Eaton is not afraid to drive to the net, and when he's in the paint, he has the strong presence of a low-post player. His only drawback is that he's a hit-or-miss kind of shooter. He was an impressive 7-of-10 in a win over Tennessee, but was 0-for-7 in the Big 12 tournament loss to Missouri. The key for Dixon will probably be to stay with him on his drives. Both players picked up four fouls in their first-round games, and it might be a battle to see who can keep it under four.

Edge: Even

Terrel Harris vs. Sam Young

After Levance Fields, the player Pitt needs most is Sam Young. To his credit, Young's 11 second-half points helped separate the Panthers, but they certainly needed more than three points in the first half from him. Perhaps what hurts the most is the fact that Young was 0-for-4 from two-point range. Young is lethal for any opponent, but he's lethal to Pitt when he tries to create too much. While Young has the athletic advantage over mostly anyone he goes up against, he's going up against someone just as athletic in Terrel Harris. The only real differences between the two are that Harris is not as much of a threat as Young is in the three-point department and is in no way close to the rebounder that Young is. Harris is the most consistent overall shooter on Oklahoma State's team, and is a near perfect free-throw shooter. The key for Young: stay with Harris on his drives and take good shots, and he might be able to take over this game.

Edge: Pitt

James Anderson vs. Tyrell Biggs

Biggs is going to have to stand his ground; whether he scores or not is not the issue. Anderson is a threat from many areas. He can shoot the three-pointer, but he is also a very good slasher, something that creates a lot of mismatches for a lot of power forwards. Both players can be physical inside, but it's likely that Anderson will try to drive from the wing as he did against Tennessee. Biggs' defense will be tested, while anything he can come up with on offense will be a bonus for Pitt.

Edge: OSU

Marshall Moses vs. DeJuan Blair

Blair and Moses match up in a battle of the two leading scorers from their respective first-round games. Blair has the size advantage, and has proven to be a monster against everyone all year. A big reason for Blair being so successful is not his size as much as it is how quick and athletic he is for someone his size. Moses now creates that challenge for Blair. The Oklahoma State frontcourt is going to be outmanned by Biggs and Blair, but they've made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, so they are obviously doing something right, and part of that is using their quickness and athleticism. Moses paced his team with 11 rebounds, giving the Cowboys a rebounding edge on Friday. Blair did a similar thing for Pitt. The only drawback for both players is that they are both prone to getting in foul trouble, and both teams are not the same without them.

Edge: Pitt

Depth: OSU Bench vs. Pitt Bench

If there was one thing besides DeJuan Blair that went well for Pitt on Friday, it was the bench play. Freshman Ashton Gibbs showed no signs of being nervous in his first NCAA Tournament game, getting 10 points for the Panthers, which literally made the difference in the game. Brad Wanamaker wasn't able to get many shots off, but filling in for Jermaine Dixon after Dixon got his third foul, he helped Pitt out more than the scoreboard showed. Gilbert Brown's eight points was also a nice surprise. All three need a similar performance or better against Oklahoma State, simply because the Cowboy bench is represented by two players with minimal contributions. Obi Muonelo and Anthony Brown are the key bench players for the Cowboys. Muonelo is a hot-and-cold three-point shooter. In the Big 12 Tournament, Muonelo shot just 3-of-11 from three-point range in a loss to Missouri, knocking the Cowboys out. He connected on 2-of-4 three-pointers against Tennessee, not a huge difference, but in a game decided by two points, made somewhat of a difference. Brown's minutes are sporadic. If someone else gets in foul trouble, he's usually in to play some minutes. The Brooklyn native shouldn't affect the Panthers on the boards one way or the other.

Edge: Pitt


Overall: OSU vs. Pitt

Pitt 75

OSU 73


Pitt and Oklahoma State played polar opposites in their first round games. Pitt shot a decent 43-percent from the field, but turned the ball over 18 times. Oklahoma State shot over 55-percent against Tennessee, and won on a buzzer-beater. If both teams play to those same standards on Sunday, the outcome could be much different. The keys for Pitt are simple: hold Oklahoma State to a shooting percentage of 30 percent, cut down on the turnovers, and play more disciplined. For as disciplined a program as this has been over the last eight seasons, it's hard to believe when they have their best shot at a Final Four, they are not playing as disciplined. If Byron Eaton (7-of-10 against Tennessee) and Marshall Moses (8-of-10 against Tennessee) shoot as well against Pitt, and the Panthers don't get things corrected, Oklahoma State could pull the upset. The Panthers have a size advantage in the paint, while the Cowboys have a size advantage in the backcourt. This game could also come down to who exploits the other first. One area where both teams are similar, is how they are both prone to getting in foul trouble. Three Oklahoma State players picked up four fouls in Friday, yet still held on. Another player picked up three, and Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford was called for a technical.

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Pitt wins, 72 - 62

Well, Pitt played by far its worst game of the year but still won by 10. Had they played this bad against West Virginia in their last lost they would have lost by 40-50. They won today simply because the team they played is that bad and ETSU shot terribly today. Had Pitt played any team that was half decent today they would have been sent packing home. This is not a good sign going into the second round againt Oklahoma State. In fact, had they played Oklahoma State today, they would have lost by about 30. DeJuan Blair carried the team with 27 points and 16 rebounds. He was the only player to show any enthusiasm throughout.

It was the 161st win for Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, tying him with North Carolina State's Everett Case (1947-52) for the best start ever in the first six seasons of any college basketball coaching career.

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Let's Get it On!

Today, at roughtly 2:45-2:55 pm, Pitt will play East Tennessee State in a first round game of the NCAA tournament.

An article on both teams can be found here: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=ap-ncaa-etsu-pittsburgh&prov=ap&type=lgns

Versus

With a victory today against No. 16 seed East Tennessee State (23-10) in an East Region first-round game, Coach Jamie Dixon will tie the Division I record for most wins by a coach in his first six seasons.

How did he get to be so good? He said he was smart enough to figure out he needed good players.

Here's an article on Coach Dixon, talking about how he's as intense as ever: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/college/s_616951.html.

Here is a breakdown of the individual player matchups, courtesy of Pantherlair.com

East Tennessee St. vs. Pitt

No. 1 seed Pitt opens its 2008-09 NCAA Tournament run this afternoon when the Panthers open up against East Tennessee State. In advance of the game, PantherLair.com senior writer Tony Greco breaks down the matchup.

Courtney Pigram vs. Levance Fields
The only question with Fields right now is his health. It's a toss-up for Jamie Dixon: does he play Fields, risking the chance of aggravating his groin injury, or does he rest him, putting him at risk of accumulating rust over the weekend? The ideal scenario would be for Dixon to get Fields 10-15 minutes, then turn it over to his bench. On the flipside, Pitt's biggest challenge will be controlling ETSU's backcourt. Pigram, a senior, is a threat as a three-point shooter and is the Buccaneers top assist-man. Pigram averages over six three-point attempts a game and has converted 33 percent of those. With Pitt having a size advantage inside, expect Pigram's three-point attempts to be in the double-digits. This is NCAA Tournament time, and entering as a 16-seed, ETSU will have to be aggressive in situations like these.

Edge: Pitt

Kevin Tiggs vs. Jermaine Dixon
Tiggs is the Buccaneers' leading scorer, averaging 21.5 points a game. If anyone causes the biggest matchup difficulties, it will be him and Mike Smith. With that said, don't be surprised if Tiggs lines up at the three with Smith at the two. Tiggs, though standing at 6-4, is a guard with the presence of a big-man, which may make up for ETSU's lack of size. Tiggs has turned the ball over more than any player on his team, while also leading the team in steals. Unfortunately for Tiggs, Dixon is Pitt's best perimeter defender. Tiggs has the task of helping out as much as possible in the rebounding department. Dixon has gone up against every good guard in the Big East and hasn't disappointed. His best games offensively (19 points vs. Louisville) haven't really factored much in Pitt losses, just as his worst games. He fouled out against UConn, but the Panthers didn't really need him on offense. Dixon's main focus for this game is defense.

Edge: Pitt

Mike Smith vs. Sam Young
Smith could also line up at the two against Dixon. He is really a forward with guard-like skills. He is the Buccaneers' best overall shooter, best three-point shooter, and the team's top rebounder. Smith has the biggest challenge he has faced all year in facing Sam Young. Down the stretch, no player was more consistent than Sam Young. Despite leading the Panthers with 15 points in the loss to West Virginia last week, Young shot around 33 percent, well below his season average. If he stays within the realm of Pitt's offense, getting good looks instead of trying to make the big play every time down the court, Pitt will be fine.

Edge: Pitt

Greg Hamlin vs. Tyrell Biggs
A matchup between two players that average around five points and five rebounds a game. Both are the forgotten players in their starting lineup, mostly because of the star power surrounding them. Biggs showed ability to get a key three-pointer or hunt down a loose ball earlier in the season, but that really hasn't been seen since the conference season began. However, being a senior that is playing every minute for his career, and a senior who has played in five NCAA tournament games in his career gives him the edge over Hamlin - that and the 40-pound weight advantage he'll have inside. Hamlin is a senior and does bring experience. Biggs has already played in some bigger games though.

Edge: Pitt

Isiah Brown vs. DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair has already played on many big stages this season. He's established himself as one of the top overall players in the Big East and as an All-American. It's safe to say Blair has established himself as a Pitt legend. Now he attempts to take that next step as a college basketball legend. Tournament success in March comes from performance from big-time players showing up in this two-week stretch, and Blair has that opportunity. Brown worked his way into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman, and though he has been an average rebounder, he shoots at a clip of 67 percent. He's got a tough task in going up against Blair. Look for freshman center Seth Coy, at 6-11, to come off the bench early and often to help provide a double on Blair.

Edge: Pitt

Depth: ETSU Bench vs. Pitt Bench
If the Panthers get up in this game, it will be a good opportunity to get the bench players some experience. Fortunately for the Panthers, a few of the bench players have at least played on this main stage before. Gilbert Brown played in both NCAA games last year, and Brad Wanamaker and Gary McGhee both played in the first round win over Oral Roberts. For now, Wanamaker and Brown are the key bench players. The Panthers should get in a situation where McGhee and freshmen Nasir Robinson and Ashton Gibbs get in the game. ETSU uses a comfortable rotation of eight and sometimes nine players. This Pitt game looks like one where they will use nine. Adam Sollazzo is the key bench player, appearing in all 33 games and making 12 starts. Jarvis Jones and Micah Williams played in all but one game this year, and freshman center Seth Coy appeared in 24. Sollazzo, at 6-6, is a bit of a matchup problem at the two. Jones, Williams and Sollazzo could appear at any of the three guard spots, allowing starters Smith and Tiggs to move around in different spots. If these teams have anything in common, it's definitely the versatility of their rosters. Expect to see a lot of players in a lot of different spots.

Edge: Pitt

Overall: ETSU vs. Pitt

ETSU
59

Pitt
84

Lets face it: history is on Pitt's side for at least this first round. A No. 16-seed has never knocked off a No. 1 seed in the tournament. The only comparison these two teams have, are deep benches. ETSU's backcourt players are the go-to guys, and there's really no reason for Pitt to have any problem dominating in the paint. ETSU might employ a zone, similar to West Virginia, which has given the Panthers problems all year. They almost have to employ a zone, given their lack of size, and the odds facing them. The most important thing for Pitt in this game is to shake off the rust, since this will be the Panthers' second game in two weeks. The time off is good, but this team has shown in recent years that it struggles out of the gate after long layoffs. The second big question is team health. Does Jamie Dixon play Fields, and how much does he play? By not playing him, Pitt's offense changes completely. If Fields does sit, is Ashton Gibbs ready to step in and run the point, or does Wanamaker slide over? If Fields plays, is he risking himself aggravating his groin even more, and if he does that and Pitt wins, is he making things worse for two days later? Those are the biggest questions that need to be answered on Friday afternoon. The rest is in good hands.

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My Bracket

I am not saying too much in this one, but I am posting my picks from beginning to end.

Let's see how close I am in the end!

Let's Go Pitt!

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Pitt gets #1 seed

The NCAA Tournament field of 65 was announced today, and the Pittsburgh Panthers were awarded the second #1 seed. They will play in the East region, which is in Boston. Below is a link to a viewable bracket. The first two rounds are in Dayton, Ohio.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/brackets/viewable_men

Some pundits, including Greg Anthony, thought it was good that Pitt lost in their first BET game because they had some injuries and they could have used the rest. Sure, the rest is great, but to play by far your worst game all season in your conference tournament is not good.

Pitt will open up Friday, March 20 versus 16 seed East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament and are 23-10 overall on the year. More on them can be found at http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/ETNST.

Pitt has a lot to prove in this tournament and they will be thought of very lowly if they go down early. It all starts soon. Let the excitment begin!

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Panther's get their tails kicked by 'Eers, 74-60

Pitt stunk up the joint last night at Da Gahden versus hated rival West Virginia, going down in the first round of the Big East Tournament for the first time since the 2004-2005 season, a season in which they also lost their first round NCAA Tournament game to Pacific. That team, though, was the worst team of the Dixon head coaching era, and this team is the best of the Dixon coaching era. What this team does in the next tournament will be decided soon.

West Virginia is a good team and they have a great coach, but there is absolutely no excuse for being dominated by them at MSG. It's your team's home away from home in the tourney that you have dominated for so many years. You're coming off two of your best games all season. Where their heads were is anybody's guess, but it's tough to say that they were focused on this game.

WVU led at halftime, 36-34, and came out in the second half in a 1-3-1 zone, reminicent of John Belein's recent WVU teams, and Pitt was rather clueless from that point on. (Post-Gazette story here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09072/955341-175.stm )

After the game, Levance Fields and Sam Young refused to speak with reporters, which was a very poor showing of sportsmanship. DeJuan Blair did speak to the media, but he said the referees were out to get him. He fouled out with 14 points and only 5 boards, and he sat the final 16 minutes of the first half after picking up two quick fouls. Brad Wannamaker also fouled out. We can only hope that their level of "upsettedness" carries over into the NCAA tournament and they make a deep run. After such a bad loss... the worst loss and the worst showing of the season, in fact... nothing less than an appearance in the NCAA Tournament final will help bring me solace.

Jamie Dixon said they got what they deserved. He's a master of halftime adjustments, but he couldn't get the team to counter the 1-3-1 that WVU came out with in the second half.

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Time to Play Ball!

Pitt plays WVU tonight at 7:00 at the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, known by Levance Fields as "The Mecca."

I've been there for 5 Big East Tournaments, and it's a wonderful occasion. Go there if you ever get a chance. Go to every single game and just have fun. Go to great restaurants in between, walk around the city, window shop, shop shop, and have a ball.

Regarding Levance's injury: He did not practice at all in order to let his injured groin rest. Coach Dixon will leave the decision up to Levance as to whether he plays or not, stating that he would never not let a player play.

Pitt won both meetings with WVU this season, 79-67 at the WVU Coliseum and 70-59 at the Petersen Events Center. WVU coach Bob Huggins has called Pitt the toughest team to matchup with all season and the best team that he's faced all season.

The Panthers are very superstitious while in NYC, staying at the same hotel(Hilton NY on 53rd), practicing at the same college (Baruch College), and eating at the hotel's restaurant. They even use the same bus driver to get around.

They do one other thing the same just about every time they play at Dah Gahden: Win.

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The Week That Was

Toad’s “What a Year” post yesterday was spot on and got me to thinking about the dominance we as Pittsburgh sports fans have enjoyed over the previous twelve months. While nothing short of a repeat performance could top the euphoria of 1979’s City of Champions run, 2008-09 is certainly running a strong second and this spring could be the most prolific in the long history of Pittsburgh sports. And we may look back on the past week as the pinnacle.

I’m hard pressed to recall a week quite as dominant as the last seven days. With our six time World Champion Steelers already setting the bar high, the remaining teams have answered the bell. You can read in greater detail the individual exploits elsewhere on this site, I just want to tie them all together in an abstract look at Pittsburgh greatness.

-Pitt came out of the DeJuan Blair-described “Celebrity Death Match” with Connecticut looking like a runaway freight train. The Panthers are ranked second in both polls and lead the nation in RPI after a week which saw them crush 21st ranked Marquette and then top-ranked UConn for the second time this season. The Huskies came into the Peterson Events Center with a score to settle after Pitt knocked the Huskies from the top of the polls last month on their home court. However, backed by an electric crowd that seemed more appropriate for a Steelers-Ravens tilt, Pitt emerged victorious in a game whose atmosphere resembled a heavyweight fight. Most importantly for Pitt is that they are peaking at the right time and have avoided any major injuries (so far). With the Big East Tournament starting later this week, the Panthers are poised for quite possibly the most successful postseason run in school history.

-After being left for dead, the listless Penguins flipped a switch and suddenly have come alive, looking more like the team that was two victories from the Stanley Cup last season. Ray Shero took a big gamble in firing Michael Therrien on February 15th but at least in the short term interim coach Dan Bylsma has made the embattled GM look like a genius. The Pens are 8-2 since the change and put an exclamation point on their comeback with a thrilling shootout victory over Washington on Sunday to extend their winning streak to six. Shero once again looks like the shrewd dealer he was last spring after going through a downright Littlefieldian phase over his free agent signings. While his playoff numbers are quite pedestrian (28 goals, 22 assists in 105 games), Bill Guerin has already shown how valuable a scoring winger is for Sidney Crosby, netting four points in two games on Sid’s line. Despite the winning streak, the road to the playoffs are still an uphill climb for the Penguins, however we all remember how it ended the last time a Pittsburgh team had to make a late season run just to make it to the postseason:


Just sayin’!

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What A Year!

This site is all about Pittsburgh sports. I am going to try a serious attempt to cover all of them. That's right, from the Pens to the Steelers and from the Panthers to the Pirates. After my session on the Kegs and Eggs show with Mike and Chris this morning, I realized I know alot about our teams, but not nearly enough. I hope for this scenario of me knowing all my teams like the back of my hand becomes my career someday, but that's just a dream, right? Who knows. Hopefully alot of people heard me on the radio, even though I sucked, and maybe even place some ads!

I will start with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Can you believe that game yesterday? Who could ask for more excitement. I loved the fact that we matched them in their physical play in all aspects. We also showed that we would be patient and stick to our gameplan in the face of adversity. It was Dan Bylsma's 8th win in 10 games, giving him 17 point out of a possible 20. This is a franchise record for the first 10 games, overtaking the late Herb Brooks. We are well on our way to the playoffs. There is some speculation on whether or not we should take the "interim" tag off of Coach Bylsma, but I think he is doing just fine with the job so far. The playoffs will definitely make the organization rethink this option.

The Steelers have had a few fre agency departures, but non were surprising. We lost Bryant McFadden, our promising young starting cornerback, to the Arizona Cardinals. We also lost Nate Washington to the Tennessee Titans. Anthony Smith, a third string Safety was lost to the Green Bay Packers. We have young bodies to fill these slots, luckily, and non were a big hit. We have William Gay, who was playing great with his chances last year, for McFadden, Limas Sweed for Nate Washington, and any safety on the practice squad can fill the shoes of Smith. I think one of the biggest avanues we have to look at is the offensive line. We resigned Max Starks and Chris Kemoetu, but released Kendall Simmons and probably Marvel Smith. With the draft coming up quickly, all our issues should be resolved. With the addition of Rashad Mendenhall this season after his early injury last and the resigning of Sean McHugh as a FB/TE position, we should be set on offense.

I have to honestly say I am extremely excited about Pirates baseball this year. I look at this team and realize that we are only one or two elements away from a playoff birth. Before I jump to that idea, let's get to .500 this year first. What will it take for our Pittsburgh Pirates to get 81 wins? If you watch the Bucs, you may have realized that we always seem to have one pitcher playing well and the rest playing horrible. If we could get all our pitchers to play one year together as a unit, we would, without a doubt, get at least 81 wins. I like our odds for this year. We have a great pitching coach, finally, and it is showing in the preseason already. We are 8-3 right now while outscoring opponents 61-43. Last year, we went 13-17, while scoring 150 runs to 155. We are starting off great. I fully believe that success breeds confidence, confidence breeds winning. We are having early success. Let's hope that carries onto the regular season.

On the idea of baseball, we have the World Baseball Classic going on right now. Last year, USA finished and embarrassing 8th place. You might ask why is it embarrassing? Well, considering we created the sport, we should be. The USA team turned a corner this year and are playing like a unit. The are 2-0 and into the second round. They have beaten Canada and Venezuela a combined 21-11. I know this isn't Pittsburgh, but we do have John Grabow in the games, and he is as Pirate.

Pitt Panthers basketball is now looking for a #1 seed in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. They have had an incredible season for the ages, upsetting the #1 ranked UConn Huskies twice. We are 28-3 and 15-3 in the conference, which is second to Louisville in conference play. We have been undefeated at home and lost to Louisville, Villanova, and Providence. I am really looking forward to the Big East Tournament as well as the big tournament. Let's see if we can bring back a national championship!

Last year, Pitt Panther football seemed to take a big step forward as far as a winning tradition. We were 9-4 and 5-2 in the conference. We went to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX, wich turned out to be a big snoozefest against Oregon. It ended with a loss of 3-0. That's right, a field goal, that was it. Hopefully this coming year, with the new offensive coordinator in the mix, we make an even bigger splash in college football. We have the second full class of recruits under Dave Wannstedt and also a winning season under his belt, not to mention a few nationally televised games this year. This will give the team some big stage time to prepare for the big stage that is a bowl game.

I hope this quick rundown will help out any Pittsburgh Sports anxiety you may be having. Looking at this as well as all the other college Pittsburgh area teams possibly making the big tournament, this may be the best year in Pittsburgh Sports. A Superbowl Championship, possible long run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, stopping the streak of Pirates losing seasons, possibly a National Championship, possibly a great Bowl Game, and Everything Pittsburgh celebrating its one year anniversary soon. Who knows what 2009 will lead to, but it sure is promising.

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Pitt dominates the Huskies, 70-60

Pitt becomes the seventh school to beat a top-ranked team twice in a season, with the last one being North Carolina over Duke twice in 1998.

Pitt beat UCONN twice in 19 days. This win was more convincing than the last one, with the Panthers dominating most of the game except for a 12-0 run that UCONN made in the second half to cut Pitt's lead to 2.

Sam Young was beyond super. No words can really describe his performace. He scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds. He took over in a game where DeJuan Blair was less than dominant.

This senior class now has 109 victories, the most in school history.

The Panthers finished 19-0 at home this season and are riding a 21 game home winning streak.

Pitt next plays the winner of the Notre Dame-Rutgers-West Virginia bracket at 7 p.m.Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

This was the largest crowd ever to experience a game at the Pete, at 12,908. Capacity is 12,508.

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On The Radio

Just a quick note:

I will be on the new Pittsburgh radio station 660AM-The Burgh on Monday at 8:30 in the morning! Everyone needs to tune in and listen. It is my radio debut, so don't make too much fun!
http://www.660ampitt.com/home.php

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Panthers ready for UCONN, Levance Fields doubtful

A team insider has reported that Levance sustained a groin injury when he was injured during the Marquette game on Wednesday. I also know that today he got around on crutches and that he has not worked out over the past two days. In his absence, Ashton Gibbs may get the start at the point. Brad Wannamaker and Jermaine Dixon also will spell him, in that order, most likely. The bottom line is that Pitt can beat UCONN without him.

Pitt has fared well against ranked teams at the Pete, going 9-3 overall. Against top 5 teams, Pitt has never lost since it moved into its current home (which was for the 2002-2003 season). Here is how Pitt has done against top 5 opponents at the Pete.

Date
Rank
Opponent
Result
Jan. 14, 2008
No. 5
Georgetown
W, 69-60
Jan. 29, 2005
No. 4
Syracuse
W, 76-69
Feb. 15, 2004
No. 5
Connecticut
W, 75-68
Jan. 6, 2003
No. 5
Notre Dame
W, 72-55

Tomorrow is also senior day, and this senior class of Tyrell Biggs, Sam Young and Levance Fields have a chance to become the winningest class in Pitt history. They are currently tied with the 2004-2005 senior class of Mark McCarroll and Chevy Troutman, which won 108 games.

In their four-year tenure, this class has had four consecutive 20-win seasons and 10-win Big East regular seasons, which makes them the only class in the league to do so in that span, and they reached the Big East Tournament final three times, the NCAA Sweet 16 once and achieved its first-ever No. 1 national ranking.

Pitt also looks to become only the 6th team to beat a #1 ranked team twice in one season. In this instance, it would be UCONN twice.

DeJuan Blair is ready for the game. He had some great quotes today:

"It's March, c'mon. March is when big players step up. I'm here."

"I'm not scared of anybody," Blair said. "I just hope the refs let us play. I hope Thabeet is on the court all day, and I hope I am, too. That's what the crowd wants to see."

"I hope he (Thabeet) shows up with an 'I'm going to kill DeJuan' attitude," Blair said yesterday, "because DeJuan already has that attitude for him. It should make for a beautiful game."

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun on DeJuan Blair:

"If I can't vote for my guy, which I can't [because of conference voting rules]," Calhoun said of Thabeet, "it's tough to make the argument that [Blair] isn't the MVP of our league. At times, he's unstoppable inside. He's an amazing, amazing player. [Pitt senior Tyrell] Biggs is a nice player, but if you put him inside, it's not the same. We were out of kilter that night because Blair took us out of kilter. We didn't have an answer for him."

Meanwhile, check out what Hasheem Thabeet said:

Hasheem Thabeet told the Hartford Courant that "it is not about Hasheem against Pittsburgh. It's about UConn basketball." True, but a repeat of Thabeet's last performance against Pitt (five points, four boards) would not bode well for the Huskies' chances against the Panthers.

Pitt is 18-0 at home. With a win tomorrow, Pitt will have 2 perfect home seasons since they moved into the Pete. Connecticut has yet to lose on the road yet, going a perfect 9-0. Something will give tomorrow.

I'll be there in my seat before tipoff. The Pete will be rockin. It should be fun!

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Panthers Roll Golden Warriors, 90-75

Pitt put on a grand performance for assistant coach Brandin Knight, who's #20 was hung from the rafters in a pre-game ceremony. He becomes the 4th player to have his number retired, joining Don Hennon's #10, Billy Knight's #34 and Charles Smith's #32. Brandin led Pitt to two Big East regular season titles from 1999-2003. I recall with great joy watching him play all 4 years that he was at Pitt. Watching him go from playing on a not very good team, a good team and two great teams under Ben Howland. His first two seasons were my junior and senior years at Pitt. His Pitt playing career also mirrored Ben Howland's coaching career at Pitt.

The retirement of his number was done moreso for what he did for the entire program that what he did on the court. He did great on the court, yes, but his numbers and output do not justify the retiring of a number. This was done because is known somewhat as the face of the turnaround of the program. He was there since the beginning of it and he was instrumental in it. His career accolades are listed below.

* Named to the 2002-03 Wooden All-America team, one of only 10 players nationwide selected to the squad.

* 2002-03 Associated Press honorable mention All-America selection.

* Selected 2001-02 Associated Press Third Team All-America and to the 2001-02 The Sporting News All America Second eam.n Two-time USBWA All-Region selection (2001-02 and 2002-03).

* Named Big East co-Player of the Year, Big East Most Improved Player, and First Team All-Big East in 2001-02.* 2001-02 USBWA/NABC All-District Team selection.

* Concluded career as school recordholder in career assists and career steals.

The Panthers led by as many as 10 points in the first half and they were up 43-36 at halftime. Coming out of halftime, though, Marquette went on a 21-5 run to go up 57-48 with 15:56 left in the contest. It didn't seem like time to panic, and it turned to be no big deal. Pitt promptly went on a 21-2 run. Pitt started making shots, going on streaks of 6 and 8 straight field goals during the second half, and all of Marquette's 3 point shots stopped falling in. Marquette had great ball movement and strong dribble-drive execution, but they didn't execute enough at the rim and Pitt's defense did enough to keep them at bay.

Blair led the team with 23 points. He also pulled down 9 boards. He was dominant underneath. Sam Young chipped in 18 points and 8 boards, Jermaine Dixon had 13 points, 4 boards, and 4 helpers, and Levance Fields had 17 points and 10 assists. Pitt was 34-54 from the field for 63%, while Marquette was 26-61 for 42.6%.

The Panthers now prepare for Saturday's huge, much anticipated noon showdown with Connecticut. Chants of "We want Uconn!" were heard last night with about 3 minutes left in the game. We will get them.

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Panthers Prep for Golden Warriors

Tonight at 7:30 pm Pitt (26-3, 13-3 Big East) takes on the Golden Eagles, as they are now known, of Marquette. In the non-pc era, they were the Golden Warriors, in honor of the Wisconsinite Amerian Indian population, which is a tremendous name.

Marquette will be playing its second game without the services of point guard Dominic James, who broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot, ironically the same injury that shelved Levance Fields for 12 games last season. James was a 4 year starter, although he regressed last year and this year in my opinion and has been passed by by some of his teammates. Marquette is coming off a 62-58 loss to Louisville.

Marquette is coached by first year coach Brent "Buzz" Williams, known so because he buzzes around everywhere with high energy. He has put together a top 5 recruiting class for next year and he has Marquette performing very well this season, at (23-6, 12-4).

The Panthers are coming off a 89-78 win over Seton Hall in which saw the scare of DeJaun Blair going down with a possible knee injury. All reports are that he is ok after a hyperextension of his left knee. Blair is one player the Panthers cannot lose if they want to make any major post season runs. He is their best player, their #1 rebounder, their second leading scorer, a major enthusiastic force, tied for team lead in steals, and a ton of other things.

If the Panthers win tonight, it will be a great feeling going into Saturday's noon game versus Uconn.

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Panthers blow off DePaul, 80-61

About the only thing that didn't go right in the victory was that Pitt didn't cover the 25.5 point spread, but that's not their problem.

Game recap - http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09053/950940-175.stm

DePaul is a team that truly is in the basement of the Big East. The Blue Devil's haven't lost a game by less than double digits since January 29. Yes, you read that correctly. 0-14 in the Big East. 4 more losses and they will be 0-fer the season.

DeJuan Blair had his way, going for 20 points and 18 rebounds in 23 minutes. Blair also set a record. Blair's 41 rebounds in successive games surpassed the Pitt record of 38 by former NBA player and Pitt great Jerome (Send it home Jerome!) Lane.

Pitt won overall on the boards 49-25, an insanely dominant stat.

4 players were in double figures for the Panthers - Blair, Tyrell Biggs with 12 points and 5 boards, Sam young with 16 and 6, and Jermaine Dixon with 11 points and 3 assists.

Pitt is now 17-0 at home with home games remaining against Marquette and Uconn standing in the way of an undefeated home slate. Overall, the Panthers are 25-2, 12-2 in Big East.

With Oklahoma and North Carolina losing, Pitt looks to be #1 in Monday's polls with Uconn a likely #2. Currently, the Big East looks like a strong candidate for two number 1 seeds in those two squads.

The next action is on Tuesday, when Pitt travels to Providence to take on the Friars and then plays at Seton Hall on Saturday.

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