As has already been documented Pitt has a week off, then face two difficult games to end the non-con before the start of Big East play. Can you guess what the story in the papers is today?
From the Trib.
If Pitt, off to a 9-0 start for the eighth time in its history, is concerned about facing a tougher schedule the rest of the way, the Panthers aren’t showing any signs of it.
“I already know we’re for real,” senior guard Carl Krauser said.
There are no more games against teams such as St. Peter’s, Vermont and Coppin State, whom the Panthers defeated, 77-51, on Wednesday night at Petersen Events Center.
Following a Christmas break, Pitt will begin preparations for only its second road contest of the season, at South Carolina on Wednesday. The Gamecocks (7-2) played at Temple on Thursday night.
Oh, and South Carolina lost to Temple 63-50.
And over at the P-G.
Of the 15 remaining teams the Panthers will face, only one does not have a winning record. Together, those teams are a combined 104-35 (74.8 percent).
The Panthers will find out a lot about themselves over the next 10 days. After a break for the Christmas holiday, they will travel Wednesday to South Carolina (7-2) for their first game outside the city limits this season. Three days later they’ll face No. 23 Wisconsin (9-1), their first ranked opponent of the year.
“We’re definitely excited,” junior forward Levon Kendall said. “It’s something you play for. We’ve done our best to stay up and motivated for these games. It’s a matter of pride. We want to prove ourselves and show people what we can do. We’re pretty confident about it. We get to go down to South Carolina, see what we can do, maybe surprise some people or show them what we’re made of.”
The team appears quite eager to play some tougher opponents. Not necessarily to “prove” themselves, but to just play better games.
The South Carolina game will be a night when the Gamecocks retire the jersey of their all-time leading scorer, B.J.McKie. Their players will have the winter break to stew over losing to Temple and only mustering 50 points.
