So, did anyone catch the Jamie Dixon Show on the radio? Has he gotten any more relaxed when he talks? Still nothing but cliches?
With Pitt off until Thursday (ESPN 9 pm), there’s a little more talk about how Pitt won the ND game. There is the “glass is half-full” view.
Pitt did not close out the game with efficiency, but two freshmen and a sophomore were at the forefront of the pulsating victory. After Krauser fouled out with 2:06 remaining in regulation, coach Jamie Dixon turned to his talented underclassmen, who performed like veterans under trying circumstances.
Freshman Sam Young scored seven of his 15 points in the overtime periods. Freshman Levance Fields came in, ran the team and scored five points. And not to be outdone by the fantastic freshmen, sophomore Ronald Ramon made the winning shot, a 3-pointer, with 16 seconds remaining after Fields penetrated and kicked it out.
“It was tough,” Ramon said of playing without Krauser. “He was the one who was going out there and making plays for everybody. He’s the energy guy. We feed off him. But it was time for us to step up and make plays.”
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When Pitt looks back on the 2005-06 season, the performances of Young, Fields and Ramon against Notre Dame might be viewed as one of the turning points of the season. There are going to be other times when Krauser is in foul trouble or having an off night. The Panthers now know that they have the players capable of filling the void.
Or the somewhat “half-empty” approach.
But the Panthers nearly self-destructed by missing two free throws in the final 35 seconds of regulation and making only 10 of 19 during the two overtimes to finish 30-for-46 overall.
Still, through it all — the missed free throws, Notre Dame’s hot shooting, the loss of Krauser — Dixon said his team hung together.
“You want to win them all,” he said, (but) there’s no extra value, nothing special we should take away from this, other than it’s the effort we need throughout conference play.”
Consistency from the free throw line is going to drive everyone crazy. Pitt shot 65% against ND. In the previous 5 games it was 58.3, 81.0, 83.3, 72.7 and 60.0. Overall, it is 68.6%. One thing to expect is that there will be times late in a game where the opponent will decide to make Pitt finish the game from the line. Especially when no one is sure what kind of performance Pitt will give at the line.
The P-G basketball Q&A is up early today. Questions about Gray’s NBA potential, why Graves plays, the strategy of not fouling at the end of the ND game, getting into holiday tournaments, finding Paul Evans, and a couple more. Also one on RPI and SOS.
Q: Just some clarification about the RPI as it affects Pitt’s chances come NCAA tournament selection time. Isn’t Pitt’s RPI higher this year than it has been in the past? Is the RPI based on what the rankings of a team were when Pitt played them? Or does the RPI fluctuate based on how that team does after the game?
FITTIPALDO: The RPI is adjusted throughout the season, Ed. That’s why you hear coaches rooting for teams they just played. You want them to do well the rest of the season because it will help your RPI. Pitt’s RPI is better than it has been, but I maintain that it’s way too early to be looking at the RPI now. I think you have to wait another month or so before examining what it means. You have to wait and see how some of these teams perform in their leagues.
I would argue that the RPI is worth looking at in terms of the non-con at this point. It’s silly to worry about NCAA seeding or bubble things right now, but SOS and non-con RPI are good to compare. Especially to other ranked teams. I think it helps with perspective.
