here's some
here's some
thanks Pfrad....Bear sorry it took so long to get back to you..
Everything i have been reading tells me that this is the biggest game of the year for Pitt....
By record, by ranking, by their position in the Big East Conference, the Panthers should be a team experts are looking at as a Final Four -- and therefore national champion -- candidate. But we seldom hear that talk. Pitt might be considered one of many as a possibility to reach the Final Four, but seldom is it mentioned as a leading candidate.
There's good reason for such reluctance. For all its glittering numbers, Pitt has failed to step forward and consistently show people how good it is. The Panthers have done what they've had to do, but they haven't come up with anything extra.
It all began in the preseason. Coach Ben Howland chose to put together a soft non-conference schedule. And why not? It had worked to near-perfection the year before. But by playing almost no one, the Panthers never had the opportunity to show what they could do.
They ventured out for three road non-conference games. They won at Penn State and Rhode Island, teams that are below average and average, and lost at Georgia, which is nothing more than a third-place team in the Southeastern Conference. In their only non-conference home game of consequence, they beat Ohio State, the ninth-place team in the Big Ten.
Early in the Big East season, the Panthers did step up by slicing and dicing Notre Dame and Syracuse, ranked teams, at home. Both wins were beautiful in their execution -- but expected of a top 10 team on its home court.
Shortly thereafter, the Panthers turned around and lost to those teams on the road -- albeit in much closer games -- and added an unexpected defeat at Seton Hall.
Since losing at Seton Hall, the Panthers have won three in a row. But look at who they've beaten. Their wins are against Georgetown, Rutgers and Virginia Tech. It's easy to get lost in the glitter of a win at Georgetown, but, truth be known, these are not your father's Hoyas. Nor John Thompson's. Georgetown had lost 8 of 10 going into the Pitt game. Rutgers and Virginia Tech are conference bottom-feeders.
This all serves to make the final three games of the regular season something special.
Connecticut is in first place in the East Division. The Huskies are coming off a win at Notre Dame, which is the only loss at home for the Irish. After Connecticut, the Panthers have Seton Hall at home Wednesday and conclude the regular season Sunday at Villanova. Seton Hall has won nine in a row. Villanova is 8-6 in the league, although winners of only three of its past 10 league games after opening 5-0. Still, on the road, the Wildcats could pose some problems.
What these final three games do is give Pitt the stage it has seldom had this season. It has the opportunity to close with a flourish against upper-echelon Big East teams.
The toughest game of the final three is today. The Huskies have won three in a row and 5 of 6. Included in those victories are an eight-point win at Notre Dame and a 14-point win at home against Syracuse. They have an excellent outside player in guard Ben Gordon, who's averaging 20.4 points a game and shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. They have an excellent inside player in Emeka Okafor, who's averaging 15.5 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.8 blocks.
It promises to be one of those terrific competitions that college basketball seems so often capable of giving up. The next two games are only slightly less so.
The table is set for the Panthers like it hasn't been at any time this season. They have nothing to prove, they have everything to prove.
Many teams are playing for seeding right about now and pitt will make the tourney for sure, but if they want to even have a shot at a number one seed they have to win games like this in convincing fashion.
The home crowd and better talent on the Pitt side of the floor are just some of the reason I think they stomp them.
s c O O p
