Self-serving good: Seth Davis at SI.com makes the following observation about Hakim Warrick in relation to the BC game this weekend:

Syracuse has neither high-quality big men nor a bevy of outside bombers. It has a great player in Hakim Warrick, but he doesn’t like to be pushed away from the goal. On Saturday he’ll be pushed — a lot. (The manner in which this game will be officiated is critical.)

That pretty much jibes with what I saw in the Pitt-Syracuse game.

You look at how Hakim Warrick spent a lot less time in the second game under the basket. In the first game, he attempted 4 layups (made 3) and had a dunk. In the second game, he only attempted 2 layups (made 1) and added another dunk. His jump shots in the first game were overwhelmingly taken in the paint. In the game yesterday, all of his shots were outside of the paint. He just did not want to be in there banging.

The thing is, he shied away from contact in the second game. Not the first. I think he’ll be more aggressive inside against BC — at least initially. Davis is right. If he gets the early calls, he should be able to go off on the Eagles.

As B.B. noted earlier, Davis after picking against Pitt in 3 straight big games (going 0-3), gives a kiss of death by finally going with the Panthers.

Villanova got a lot of mileage out of its rout of Kansas a month ago, but the Wildcats haven’t done much since. They did beat Notre Dame 65-60 in the next game, but in their two toughest tests, at Connecticut and home last weekend against Syracuse, they came up short. The loss to ‘Cuse was especially bad considering it came at home and the Orange, who get out-rebounded by everybody, beat the Cats on the boards 42-34. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh isn’t the right team to be playing if you’re susceptible to inside muscle. The Panthers won the battle of the boards by six when they beat Syracuse on Monday, and with freshman guard Ronald Ramon looking healthy and confident again, I think Pitt is a team on the rise.
Seth’s Pick: Pittsburgh 67, Villanova 62

I feel like Pitt has just been given a kiss of death.

Greg Doyel lists the game as one of the weekend’s best.

Villanova has an awesome NCAA resumé aside from one troubling number: The Wildcats (16-6, 6-5) are seventh in the Big East. With everything else going for it, Villanova can finish seventh in the Big East and still get an NCAA bid — but don’t push your luck, Wildcats. Beating the Panthers (18-4, 8-3) would put a nice bow on things. Watch Villanova’s quartet of guards try to fluster Pitt’s Carl Krauser.

Fine. If they can’t protect the inside, Troutman, Taft, Gray and even Kendall should be able to go off.