Pitt game suddenly enormous for U of L
by Mike Rutherford on Jan 14, 2010 1:12 PM EST
in Basketball
Email
PrintNo Big East team lost more from a season ago than Pittsburgh, and yet the Panthers suddenly find themselves atop the league standings after a remakable three-game road sweep of Syrause, Cincinnati and Connecticut.
The streak marks the first time in 12 tries that Pitt has played three consecutive Big East games and walked away victorious from each of them. It also makes this Saturday's game against Louisville, which struggled mightily early in the season and blew a 17-point lead against Villanova on Monday, that much more important for the visitors.
Since joining the Big East fve seasons ago, the Cards have had tremendous success against Pitt during the regular season.
In 2007, Louisville secured a signature victory by going on the road and upsetting the highly-favored Panthers by 13. A year later, U of L became the first program in the Big East to notch multiple victories inside the Peterson Events Center. And then last January, Pittsburgh saw both its undefeated season and No. 1 ranking fall by the wayside after a trip to Freedom Hall.
A simialr upset this weekend would go a long way towards making Louisville's resume NCAA Tournament-worthy.
13 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
A win at Pitt might even be better for the NCAA resume than a home win over Nova.
I don’t really know enough to make that statement, but I think Pitt has a pretty good RPI, and it seems to me that you get a bit more RPI credit for road victories. Anyway, it’s a huge game, and I’m pumped.
Why we can win:
1) Our guys should have taken some lessons away from the Nova game about offensive execution and the value of inside-out play.
2) Samardo is coming off his best game in recent memory, and I’m hoping it is because a light switch has been permanently flipped.
3) Siva looks ready to start providing quality backup minutes at the point.
4) Pitt has played very well, but is not supremely talented.
5) We have had remarkable success on their home floor (which also means we’re due to lose there, but I’m going to ignore that).
I love Big East play. Big game after big game after big game.
by cardsinindy2010 on Jan 14, 2010 1:33 PM EST reply actions
How the hell is Pitt still good?
They lost their three best players from last year. Who the hell plays for them that’s any good? Wannamaker? Jerome Dixon? I know they have a McDonald’s all american (Dante Taylor), but I don’t think he’s been a huge contributor this year. The fact that this team is ranked and has only lost twice is a huge credit to Jamie Dixon’s coaching abilities.
The Big East will give us plenty of opportunities to prove ourselves, so losing one game (e.g. Villanova) isn’t the end of the world. That said, I’d really like us to win this game.
Our main hope in beating Pitt
lies in the possibility of overconfidence on their part. Oh, and maybe we’ll hit say 14 out of 20 threes or something. There’s always a chance but a damned slim one, I’d say.
theoldman
Pitt Is The Real Deal
The reason Pitt is still good is because Jamie Dixon is a heck of a coach. He maintains the same type of system (defense first and take good shots) and is successful with unselfish players.
Ashton Gibbs is not just a good player on a good team, he’s a star. He takes 1,000 shots every day and is nearly automatic most of the time – even with a hand in his face.
Gilbert Brown has NBA-type athleticism, Brad Wanamaker is greatly improved and a legitimate scoring threat and Jermaine Dixon is a superb defender. Guys like Dante Taylor, Nasir Robinson, and Gary McGhee are all capable of having solid games and as long as they’re not required to do too much, fit in nicely.
This team is not as good as the one last year, but they play just as hard. Pitt is the type of team that will walk into your house, punch you in the mouth, eat your food, drink your beer, then leave without apologizing. They don’t have a legitimate other-worldly talent like some teams, but they outwork and outhustle most.
Most important, Pitt’s two losses came without Brown and Dixon (Dixon’s first game back was the Indiana game and he only played a few minutes). The team is complete now and really starting to gel.
I could be wrong, but I wouldn’t count on Pitt being overconfident because the young guys have really bought into what Jamie Dixon sells. However, Pitt could be in trouble on Saturday if Louisville’s press is effective. The team’s greatest weakness is that they are without a great ball handler. And of course if Louisville is hot from beyond the arc, that can be a game-changer as well.
If Pitt is able to get into their half court set, then they will be difficult to beat. I expect a close game on Saturday. Pitt always has trouble with Louisville, though, so maybe Pitino has something up his sleeve.
Homer!
Just kidding, thanks for the great post. Always appreciate getting inside info from an opposing fan. Dixon must be a great coach because those three guys were so good, and it is amazing what he is doing without them.
No problem – glad to contribute. Dixon is annually exceeding our expectations – amazing what he can do without top talent.
It really is
As a louisville fan, I didn’t give a second thought to brown, gibbs, dixon and wanamaker when we played the past two years. The fact that they are players driving a top 25 team now proves how good a coach Jamie Dixon is.
Now you listen here, Survivorwannabee.com
If you try to walk into a house around here and drink our beer, you’re inviting yourself in for a world of hurt, if you know what I mean. I don’t think you want to mess with this guy…
>> Swop, show them your game face!
That’s right. Not so tough now, are you? See what happens when you try to punch him in the mouth. Go on, try it!
>> Quit whimpering, Swop. We’re trying to toughen you up.
by sarasota-card on Jan 14, 2010 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
This is the most bland post in the history of the site
by Mike Rutherford on Jan 15, 2010 12:02 AM EST reply actions
At least Sarasota-card saved it in the comments with weird Swop picture I can't stop staring at
I bet he can never get his face like that again
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
