Hey, let’s start this a little early since the College Gamenight will be at the Pete.
I’d be live-blogging, but I’m visiting my folks and my computer just won’t go on their wireless for whatever reason. Plus, I’m banished to another room while everyone watches the Eagles-Saints game. I’ll still be popping out to read comments and post some thoughts when I can.
9:18: Pitt has withstood a hot shooting start from the Hoyas. Green is shooting really, really well. Nice to see the Pitt big men really going inside. Could someone tell Dick Vitale to stop bringing up the Florida Gators BCS championship with Erin Andrews.
Honestly, surprising to see this much offense. I like the chances for Pitt in that kind of game — if it keeps up. 17-16 Pitt under 11 minutes.
9:27: Interesting to see Biggs playing PF with Gray. A mew wrinkle and Biggs seems to be responding well to it. Cook has been quiet so far.
9:36: Did I say Cooks was being quiet? So much for that. Loved the woofing with Summers as well.
Pitt’s keeping the pressure on Georgetown and running a lot more than expected.
35-29 Pitt, 4:19 ’til the half.
9:45: Cook and Young on consecutive possessions missed 7-foot open jumpers. Always unnerving.
Young and Biggs already have 3 fouls. More pressure on Kendall to step up this game.
Gray with a slam on the feed from Fields who came in on the drive to end the half.
41-32 Pitt at the half.
Pitt had 15 assists on 17 16 assists on 18 baskets.
Dixon at the half time interview heading in the locker was only a little concerned about overcommitting on some somethings.
A solid first half. Gray really looks happy when Hibbert is the only one on him. I expect the Hoyas to zone and go smaller in the second half. The only problem with that for G-town is Hibbert is a bigger part of their offense, and they do need to score points.
We’ll see.
10:08: Nice start by Pitt. 47-34 in the first two minutes and still more passing. Heck, the bucket they gave up came from maybe too much passing.
10:10: Pitt with 49 points still doesn’t have anyone in double digits.
10:23: Georgetown won’t go away. This is an intense game. Pitt up 55-45, Ramon going to the line to shoot 3, with under 12 minutes. I get the feeling that if Green or Wallace for G-town get hot, this game can change. Pitt is playing very, very well but so are the Hoyas. Don’t think I can emphasize that enough.
10:35: Georgetown has gone smaller against Pitt and is making the comeback. Hibbert is sitting during this run by the Hoyas. Pitt lead now only 60-53, 7:38 left.
10:40: Vitale with another good point regarding Pitt’s penetration by the guards. Georgetown is not doing a very good job against it. I think a lot of that has to do with having to respect the 3s from Pitt. Pitt hasn’t had many open looks at the 3 and that’s why they have only taken 8 so far. They are getting the space to go inside.
10:58: Pitt wins 74-69 as Sapp hit a meaningless 3 at the buzzer.
Gray in post game with Erin Andrews. About the unselfish play, it is all about the players wanting to win first.
Patrick Ewing, Jr. came off the bench and nearly sparked the full comeback for G-town. Because of the tremendously accurate shooting from both teams, there weren’t nearly the rebounding opportunities. Gray, Cook and Kendall tied the lead for Pitt with 4 boards each out of some 20+. G-town managed something less than 20 (official stats not out yet, so I don’t trust the accuracy levels).
The rematch on February 24 should be something.
Cook led Pitt with 18 points (7-11). Gray and Graves each had 11 and Ramon had 10.
They’re shooting 60% and as the announcers said, no one in the past 2 1/2 years has shot over 50% against them.
1. Really good win for as well as Georgetown played. I can’t believe their (GTown) shooting didn’t fall off. They shot 59% for the game…how many times do you do that and lose. We were fortunate to shoot as well as they did (also 59%).
2. I don’t know how many minutes Sam Young played, but I don’t recall seeing him too much. I wonder if the lack of playing time is due to him still not being 100% or due to poor play/practice. I’m very curious as to how he’ll bounce back next year as he’ll be thrust into a starting role.
3. This team is so balanced. One night it’s Levance, another it’s Gray, another it’s Cook, etc. It’s so easy to lose in the NCAA tournament, but this team clearly has the potential to beat anyone in the country when they play well.
If Pitt plays as well as they did tonight, they should be able to beat both UCONN and Marquette…although Marquette is playing better and better.
– is it me, or is Kendall getting better every game since Big East started? And they did mention the 40, when they got on Dick V’s “all Canada team”
– we played very well, even though we kept giving up the back door cuts
I heard the Canada feature, but missed them mention the 40 point game.
Kendall has really played much better the last two games. I don’t mind him playing the minutes he gets as long as he’s producing like he did tonight. He looks a lot more aggressive and isn’t taking bad shots. There was one sequence where he had a wide open look at a 3, passed it, got it back and had another wide open look and still didn’t shoot it. Earlier in the year, he takes that shot every time.
But again, the game wasn’t really ever close so what can you say? And they did shoot very well – Ewing Jr. isn’t going to hit too many more three’s with a 7 footer in his face.
As reported by the Tribune Review, “[In a student’s hand made sign listing committed recruits] the box next to McCoy’s name was empty, but to the cheers of the Oakland Zoo, Pitt’s student section, he stopped to check it. McCoy then signed autographs.â€
Provided that he wasn’t wholly caught-up in the moment – and from all indications he has a tendency to be so – it would be one of the bigger coups for the football program in a long, long time.
No doubt, McCoy’s LOI may not materialize. But this is nevertheless exciting news.
See Kevin Gorman’s article (dated Sunday, January 14, 2007) at:
link to pittsburghlive.com
I am also impressed with the passion & energy of the “Oakland Zoo” and just hope that the kids involved in that cheering section realize that there is a difference between going crazy supporting the team and disintegrating into crude cheers and embarrassments (have seen games at Maryland and Duke and was completely turned off – as the national media is increasingly becoming – by the cheering sections trying to become bigger that the team and the game themselves). Let’s hope the Zoo takes the high road with their efforts.
