Doing Game Notes for a basketball game is a lot more difficult than football. Football allows plenty of time to write and note what is and is not working. Basketball is in continual motion, and you can’t look away for long stretches to make a note. Still, I find that I want to take them. It seems I’ve crossed into something of geeky territory, because I have found that I actually like taking the notes. I pay more attention to the game and I am actually seeing the offense and defense running their plays or zones.
Going into this game I was a bit worried because of UConn’s tough loss on Saturday at North Carolina. Ideally, I wanted UConn to have won that game with very physical play by both sides and still be number 1. They lost and slipped to #4, and would obviously be looking to bounce back. Their coach, Jim Calhoun, is too good to let them lose 2 in a row with the talent they have.
Before the game, I saw that Pitt got a huge bump in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll to #9 (from #15) and in the AP Writers poll to #8 (from #13). I was very surprised by the level of the bump and it struck me as a little much. Pitt may have been underrated in the polls by a couple notches, but seeing them jump Kansas and Georgia Tech (both of whom didn’t lose last week) was a bit much. I’m guessing Pitt’s first national game (last Monday against Notre Dame) was viewed by more of the voters.
The first 10 minutes do not go well for Pitt. They play completely off their style. Krauser, especially, tries to match UConn’s uptempo style to push the ball up and down the court. This is a big mistake. Pitt has strong physical players who are tough and difficult to move on defense. By playing uptempo, UConn, which has faster, more athletic players can use their speed to get around the Pitt defense. Since they are playing uptempo, the Pitt defenders are reacting a little late and keep getting whistled for ticky-tack fouls — reach-ins, hand checks and the like — because they are being beat on the dribble. Pitt needs to slow the game down and keep UConn from moving the ball so much.
Page and Krause both pick up 2 two fouls early. At the 12 minute mark, Pitt calls a time-out. Coach Dixon is visibly hot. Pitt is down 18-10. He is pissed at the refs for the cheap calls, and is being pushed back to the bench by a couple assistants. I get why he is pissed at the refs. The cheap calls are all against Pitt right now, but that is because Pitt is completely off their game. The players look visibly flustered and worried about the refs; they are playing UConn’s style; and that is leading them to take bad shots. They are running and gunning, but misfiring.
Pitt goes down 20-10 at about the 11 minute mark, and Pitt uses another time out. This time, Dixon is focused on his players rather than the officials. This marked the turnaround in the game for Pitt. It quickly became obvious that Dixon really got on the team — and they actually listened — about not playing UConn’s game. About playing the half-court game that they can win. Not the up and down the court, frenetic pace that is killing them.
And the message gets through. Pitt goes on a 7-0 run over the next 3-4 minutes. The game slows to a half-court game where Pitt controls the tempo. Pitt, does, though miss some big opportunities to score more.
There has been a lot of talk about the difference in the team from last year with Brendin Knight at point versus this year with Carl Krauser. Knight was the more traditional PG looking for passes, setting up the offense, and having great court vision. Krauser is more the scoring PG. He looks around the court, as much to get his own shot as he does for finding the open pass.
I was struck by just how much Krauser can hurt the team at times during the 7-0 run when he forgets about his teammates. Pitt was cleaning the boards on rebounds, both on offense and defense, leading to the run, but there were plenty of missed chances. The problem was Krauser was more interested in slashing and driving more than he was in passing. He would stand out beyond the key looking things over, trying to get a lane cleared for him to drive. Or he would pass the ball on the perimeter where it would clearly have to go back to him. Since everyone knew he was looking to take the ball himself, the Pitt players were not moving as much. They were not cutting and moving away and without the ball. To some degree they had to stay where they were. They weren’t sure which way Krauser was going with the ball, and the most they can do is try and get their defender to move out of the lanes.
Of course, UConn came out of the drought, and you could see just how much talent is on the team. They have excellent shooters. Their size inside is something to envy with Emaka Okafor, Josh Boone and Charlie Villanueva. Then add in their excellent shooters with Ben Gordon and Denham Brown. Jeez. If they could make free throws (gee, that sounds familiar), they would be unbeatable.
By halftime, UConn reasserted themselves and had a 39-32 lead.
Think Pitt would like to have the first 9 minutes or so back for a do over? The bright side, it only took them 9 minutes to start playing their game. In the last week or so, it has taken Pitt at least 15 minutes to an entire half, before they settle down and play the game at their tempo. This is something that Dixon has to get control of immediately. Getting Pitt to play their style from the opening tip-off. Not getting caught up in trying to push the ball or play too fast.
Playing up-tempo led to more turnovers — Pitt had 9 in the first half; and poor shooting — only 39%.
The second half is completely Pitt’s style from the opening. Pitt has the tempo at their pace. There’s some frustration by UConn that they haven’t been able to put Pitt away. Pitt, on the other hand, hasn’t really been able to close because UConn keeps responding to any surge by Pitt.
At about 13:40, Pitt ties the game at 47. Then takes the lead 49-47 at the 13 minute mark. UConn has been held to only 8 points in the first 7 minutes of the second half.
UConn ties then takes the lead. And for the next 10 minutes I have no notes because the game keeps going back and forth. Neither side getting any separation. The lead changing. This is an edge of the seat game. UConn never getting more than 4 points ahead of Pitt; Pitt never being more than 2 points ahead.
At 2:47, Krauser gives Pitt a 63-62 lead. But UConn retakes the lead at 1:45. Then extends the lead to 3. UConn’s big men really work the glass, and UConn shows how good they can be at killing the clock when they need to.
Pitt gets back within one point, 66-65 with 34 seconds left, and they have to foul. Oddly enough, since the refs kept their whistles in their pocket most of the second half, Pitt had to foul 3 times before they got to the one-and-one free throw time. UConn is just as bad as Pitt at the line. Unfortunately, Denham Brown made his free throws to give UConn a 68-65 lead with 25.8 seconds left.
Krauser takes the ball and drove right to the basket. Unfortunately, for Pitt, UConn was not biting. They knew Krauser was going to take it all the way himself. That he wouldn’t pass the ball or kick it out. He ended up being stuffed and UConn got the ball with 14.4 left. Krauser and Pitt were completely predictable. It cost them against a talented and well coached team.
By the time Pitt fouled, 6 more seconds had run. UConn missed the first of the one-and-one. Pitt got it and called time out. 5.5 seconds left. Still a chance to send it to OT.
On the inbound, Ben Gordon gambled on the steal for the inbound to Krauser and whiffed. Krauser drove to the 3 point line and passed to the open Adam Graves, the freshman point guard. Graves had an open look but it hit the front of the rim. Damn.
Final score UConn 68-65.
It’s still hard to be that upset over this loss. UConn is one of the best teams in the country, and Pitt almost beat them in Hartford. Just a little short. If Pitt could have had the first 9 minutes back… Oh, well. There is a rematch this year, and Syracuse is coming up on Saturday.
Post-game. Caught Digger Phelps’ comments like Lee It was still nice to see Phelps finally concede how good Pitt is, after his dismissal of them last week after the Notre Dame game.
When did Chevy Troutman start playing so far away from the basket? He has been too far away all season. He can’t get rebounds or points when he is that far out (7 boards, 5 points) and he is not the kind of player to be out there. He needs to be down low more. I know that with Chris Taft, that he is playing outside more, but he needs to be closer. Way too often he was up at the free throw line or further.
Box score. Despite only getting to the line 7 times, Pitt went 6-7 (it helps when Jaron Brown doesn’t get to the line). Pitt shot a tolerable 7-20 from 3-point land, but shot only 41.3% (26-63) overall. Julius Page shot only 4-11 with 14 points. He has not shot well all year now, with his shooting % for the year at 41.1%.
