Two well-documented home losses at what once seemed like a place of invincibility, to teams Pitt was heavily favored to defeat, will change things. As first posted here courtesy of one of our spies readers, Pitt has put up signage for the Oakland Zoo. It also posted a line from a TV commercial that every team uses now.
Signs with life-size photo montages of the Oakland Zoo were installed around the corridor of the student entrance at Petersen Events Center.
Prominently displayed among the images of Pitt fans was the team motto: We Must Protect This House.
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“We always talk about winning your home games and doing what we have to do,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “I’m sure our guys understand and have thought about it. They think about every loss. We haven’t had a lot of them, but we’ve had two and I’m sure that’s what’s on their mind.”
Winning at home is the overriding theme for this game, as most of Pittsburgh is likely treating this as something to watch in between commercials for extended pregame and tailgating for the Jets-Steelers playoff game at 4:30 pm. And it seems that the team has noticed some of the national doubting.
The fact that some doubt has mounted outside the program among the Pitt faithful is something that has not gone unnoticed by players.
Point guard Carl Krauser, coming off the worst game of his career at Rutgers, said the Panthers are taking an us-against-the-world mentality into the game.
“I’m looking forward to this game,” Krauser said. “A lot of people out there see the two losses. It’s like they don’t even see the 11 wins. A lot of people out there talk about the negatives and not the positives. We started off great. Then when we started losing and everyone was saying we were terrible. We don’t pay attention to any of that. We’ll stay together. We’re building a force field around our team.”
Not that Pirate faithful have total confidence in their team right now. The local coverage is lacking in part because of the Jets, I’m sure. But also because basketball in NJ as a whole is not exactly hot this season.
Not sure if I’ll be able to see or hear the game. Visiting the parents in Lebanon, Pennsylvania this weekend — part of the Penn State area so it seems likely the ESPN Regional game they show will be Michigan-Penn St. rather than Pitt. Plus, my parents are on dial-up so I can’t listen via the internet.
I have to believe Pitt will come out strong in this game. Don’t underestimate Seton Hall, though. They are desperate to show something. Anything. I expect something within single digits, but a Pitt win.
