Here’s the sad truth about sports, fans and major media. Most of the time, fans are just paying attention to only their team. They set their rss readers to just their team news — maybe expand to conference info. But come the last two weeks of any season, suddenly it becomes a ravenous search for all the information. Media companies know this, and ramp up the stuff they put out.
College basketball, is probably the most extreme because of the Tournament. The “bubble” and suddenly all these fans want to know how their team stacks up against others. That’s why the crutch of the “blind resume” and similar gimmicks are overused on ESPN and other places. It’s easy, superficial and gives the pundits space to argue without any real meaning. It also fuels the potential outrage of wronged fanbases come selection sunday.
Most likely outraged teams this Sunday: Virginia Tech, Maryland, Villanova, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Ohio St., Arizona St., Arizona, Oregon, Texas A&M, Kansas State and Dayton (subject to change if they win two games in their conference tourneys).
My point being, that major media companies ramp up the output — meaning those working for them — are doing a lot of stuff. That’s my way of explaining my strange absence here. Fanhouse at AOL has had me very, very busy with stuff on or about or around the Tournament.
My trip to MSG for the Big East Tournament, is sadly, still years away. I have to get to a point where the wife will agree to either solo it with the kids or put up with her mother for a week while I spend a lot of money in NYC without her. Still, at least others get to go.
Bob Smizik speculated on whether Sam Young might go pro. Guess, he wanted to get that out of the way now, so he has time to focus on how bad the Pirates are later in March. Stunningly, he left out one other reason why Young might leave now. He’s already going to be 23 by draft day. The NBA isn’t wild about older players because they feel the physical development is about done — meaning little more in the way of upside. Still, that’s a concern for another day.
Young was fantastic for Pitt last night. 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. The blocks were the big thing since 3 came in the final few minutes of the game.
“Although I’m not known for that, I have made some plays on defense in the past, like the Syracuse game,”
Young said, “For me, it doesn’t matter how I win the game. I just want to win the game any way possible.”
It was fitting that defense keyed this victory as so many others have in the past at Madison Square Garden for the Panthers, who are attempting to reach the Big East championship game for the seventh time in eight years.
Pitt had allowed eight consecutive opponents to shoot 42 percent or better from the field. But last night the Panthers buckled down and had their best defensive performance in more than a month.
The Panthers held Cincinnati to 39-percent shooting and outrebounded the Bearcats, 37-36. Cincinnati had outrebounded Pitt in the two previous meetings this season, including a game at Petersen Events Center two weeks ago when the Bearcats won the rebounding battle by 12.
Pitt did limit almost all of the Bearcats.The one guy they couldn’t stop in the second half was Deonta Vaughn whose individual effort willed his team to a tight finish.
The sophomore points scored 30 points, despite a valiant, hustling defensive effort by Ramon for much of the game. Vaughn was 8 of 25 from the floor, and 5 of 15 from 3-point range. During one stretch of the second half, he scored 20 points in a row for Cincinnati, including four 3-pointers in a 2:11-span of the second half to single-handedly keep the Bearcats (13-18) in the game.
“I’m just glad I don’t have to play against Vaughn again, this week anyway,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “I thought we did a pretty good job for the most part.”
The shooting % for Vaughn wasn’t great, but he also drew fouls and went 9-12 from the free throw line.
For the limited media following Cinci, it appears to be some relief to have the season end. Not even the niggling NIT to worry them.
Glass Half-Full column for Pitt at the Big East Tourney or do you prefer the Glass Half-Empty. I guess the fact that Pitt is still playing at least makes me want to look at the glass as half-full. We all know the problems and blemishes on this team.
Eric Hall from the Beaver County Times has been a bit down on this team in the second-half of the season. Interestingly, he isn’t necessarily down on the program.
An underrated perk in having NY/NJ players on Pitt’s squad when it comes time for the Big East Tournament, lots of local media love. Especially when you win.
This may be a shock to Pitt fans, but Louisville and their fans are a little worried about tonight.
The first two times the University of Louisville men’s basketball team came to the Big East Conference Tournament, it was sent home by Pittsburgh.
Will the third time be a charm or produce more harm?
Pitt beat Cincinnati 70-64 in last night’s opening round in Madison Square Garden, setting up a quarterfinal showdown against No. 12-ranked U of L (24-7) tonight.
“We’ve lost to them two years in a row,” Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said last night. “It’s time for things to change.”
Hopefully, not tonight.
