Crap, I have a lot of tabs in a few browsers with stuff to get through. Time to start digging.
Pitt is trying to put the positive spin on having to go so far away from home.
“We’ll benefit more by not having a whole bunch of Pitt fans, being worried about all the madness of getting tickets for family members and all that stuff,” Pitt junior Keith Benjamin said.
“It’s just us out here.”
Uh, yeah. About that.
The Pitt-UCLA game is a homecoming of sorts for Gray. The Pitt senior center was born in Tarzana, Calif., about 300 miles south of HP Pavilion. Gray, who moved from California when he was 2, was barraged with ticket requests for his family members still living on the West Coast. He estimates at least 30 will be in the stands.
“I have a lot of family out here,” he said.
There’s also Levon Kendall from Vancouver. It’s just slightly easier for family to come straight down to California then to go to Pittsburgh.
Dixon vs. Howland, chance to go to the Elite 8, East vs. West, Big East vs Pac 10, etc. etc.
I am usually cautiously optimistic (OK, usually pessimistic but hoping for the best), but tonight I really love our matchup.
I think we dominate inside with Gray and Kendall. Also, I think that in a game where points will come at a premium, Pitt has the ability to put the ball in the basket more than UCLA.
Afflalo has me scared s***less. I don’t want to see another star go off against us (Hoffman, Wade, etc.)
Pitt struggles with teams that pressure full court and shoot 3s really well, neither which UCLA does. They lock you up half court, but not the length of the court. Also, they are not a tremendous 3 point shooting team.
If we can stop easy transition points and limit our turnovers (big if), I think we prevail.
Only 12 more hours. Ugh….
Go P, Go I, Go P, I, Double T
This freaking day can’t go fast enough!
Beers of choice for tonight’s game? I’m thinking about skipping any beers during the game and cracking open a 20 oz. Stone Arrogant Bastard afterwards to calm me down so I can actually get to sleep, ’cause win or lose, that will be a tough task tonight.