Pitt showed the best way for their team to beat the Mountaineers in the first meeting. The team has to play strict man-to-man defense and resist the urge to double-team or help when there is a drive to the basket. WVU is such a sound and excellent passing team that they won’t hesitate to dish to the open player for the clean shot.

The other thing playing tight man does, is force the Mountaineers to continually move on offense. Their players move with out the ball better than any other team. It’s how they get open. If Pitt stays with them, at all costs, they keep running to try and shake loose. While West Virginia is a well-conditioned team, they are still not a deep team. The more Pitt’s defense forces them to move, the more it goes to Pitt’s strength in its depth — where fresh legs can be thrown at them in waves if need be.

I think this is extremely vital since I don’t see how this isn’t a very close game. The more they run, the less spring in the step near the end when they may need that jumper.

On offense, expect Pitt to move quickly in transition. Not to necessarily take quick shots, but, again to force WVU to get back on defense quickly. Not give them as much time to get set in the 1-3-1 zone. Getting the ball inside against that zone is very difficult, so it is important that Ramon, Krauser and other guards on the perimeter make the open jumpers.

If Pitt forces WVU to respect the perimeter game, this could be the kind of game where Keith Benjamin and Sam Young make things happen going to the net. Both are still raw, but have solid first steps that can get them to the basket. WVU doesn’t foul much, so that would only be a bonus. The flip side of their taking it to the basket is the fact that in the 1-3-1, there is plenty of clogging inside and WVU is adept at taking the charge.