In the ‘Burgh, the game is being chalked up to just one of those games where ‘Nova was hitting 3s. Carl Krauser, though, had some issues about the way the refs were calling the game.

“My mouth has been quiet for quite a while — and I haven’t disrespected any refs,” the Pitt junior said. “That’s not the reason we lost the game, but it helps. Today, I got really aggravated.”
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“I kind of felt like Shaq out there — you know, when Shaq gets hacked all the time,” said Krauser, who helped the Panthers whittle a 13-point deficit with 5:37 remaining into a three-point deficit on two free throws with 1:38 to go. Pitt would never get any closer. “I’ve kind of felt like that for a while now. This is the first time I said anything. I’m out there working as hard as anyone else.”

Krauser believes his physical, all-out nature is working against him.

“I guess they think I’m tough, so they think I’m looking for contact every time,” he said. “That’s not the case. More than 90 percent of the time, I get hacked and hit and blood (on me). They look at you like you’re tough and you’re supposed to keep playing. It’s frustrating.”

Whether Krauser is correct in his assessment of the officiating is debatable, but this much is certain: Villanova exploited Pitt’s perimeter defense, which has been an area of concern much of the season.

Mixed feelings. There were times when it looked like Pitt was being mugged out there, and even the ABC crew seemed to point out more missed calls going against Pitt, but how much right does Pitt have to complain about physical play — especially in the Big East? Add in the fact that ‘Nova had 2 players foul out, had one more PF called on them than Pitt, and that includes 5 fouls Pitt committed in the last minute; and it’s hard for me to fairly judge the officials as being a top-5 factor for the loss.

Barring a complete collapse by BC, Pitt will not win a share of a 3rd regular season Big East title.

Interesting note from NY Daily News writer Dick Weiss about Jay Wright and the Villanova team.

This is Wright’s fourth year in the Mainline, the same year things started to click in when he was at Hofstra and began producing perennial NCAA caliber teams at that America East school.

No this is not the America East conference, but with their talent returning and a year older next year, they should be considered the primary dark horse team in the BE in 05-06 in early handicapping.

In Philly, where they ignored the game until it was over, they are jumping back on the bandwagon. In fact, they are now thinking that ‘Nova is peaking at the right time this year and next.

TIMING CAN BE everything, and quite frankly, fourth-year Villanova coach Jay Wright has picked the perfect time to get his Wildcats back on the national scene.

It’s not fair to say that this season would have been ‘Nova’s last chance to re-establish itself as a perennial NCAA Tournament program, the kind that top recruits would again put on their consideration list. But considering what’s coming next in the Big East Conference, this was probably going to be its best.
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Syracuse and UConn are established national powers. Louisville, Cincinnati, Pitt and De Paul are big time players on the national scene.

Georgetown, Notre Dame and St. John’s are name brands that can easily become household names again.

In a conference like that, Villanova can’t afford to be out of the spotlight any longer because it’s just going to get harder and harder to find.

As for the ‘Nova fans, well you stay classy:

A mob was preparing to storm the court yesterday at the Pavilion, where Villanova was putting the finishing touches on an 80-72 Big East Conference victory over No. 17 Pittsburgh.

Then there appeared to be some wavering. Was such a celebration appropriate for the occasion?

The Wildcats’ student section began chanting over and over: “Pitt’s not worth it,” and “Not an upset.”

But when the final horn sounded, a sea of blue T-shirts flooded the floor anyway, and No. 25 Villanova had won for the fifth time in its last six outings to the delight of a sellout crowd of 6,500.

Right. The last time they beat Pitt was the BE Tournament in 2000. Still, look at this way, has beating Villanova ever caused any student section anywhere to come running out on the court? Didn’t think so. It mattered to the ‘Nova players:

“It was great to get a win against them,” Ray said. “I hadn’t beaten them since I’ve been here. The first half, [Pittsburgh] was playing me and trying not to let me get any shots off. In the second half, I found ways to find my shots.”

Their point guard, Mike Nardi, gets a puff piece to the extent that he is touted as the “one of the finest point guards in college basketball.” He had 13 points, but only had 4 assists and 3 turnovers. Not exactly the game that demonstrated this.

West Virginia at home, Wednesday night.