First, barring any shocks tomorrow, Pitt will be #2 and it won’t be in dispute. Pitt is off until the 11th.
The acceleration of news cycle. Bloggers and such, means that sports news orgs are now getting instant opinion stuff out on big games. There was little competition when Pitt-Georgetown was on other than Ohio St.-Minnesota or the International Bowl.
That meant quick love for Pitt.
So it’s time to cement Pitt as the Big East favorite and biggest threat to North Carolina this side of Tyler Hansbrough jumping off a house, breaking his leg and ending his career prematurely, because the Panthers were fantastic at Georgetown, grabbing nearly as many offensive rebounds (18) as the Hoyas did total rebounds (20) thanks to a 20-point, 17-board effort from sophomore DaJuan Blair.
That’s strong.
That’s convincing.
That’s why the Panthers should be the unanimous No. 2 team in the country.
And just so we’re clear, it’s not that I ever doubted Pitt, because it’s always been clear that the Panthers have a great coach (Jamie Dixon), some great experienced talent (Sam Young and Levance Fields) and a developed habit of winning. It’s just that I have trouble pushing teams to the top of the rankings when they haven’t beaten anybody of note (that, by the way, is the reason I have UCLA ranked lower than the Bruins are in both the AP and Coaches poll), and entering this weekend the Panthers were 13-0 with their best win coming by single digits over a Florida State team that had previously lost by double digits to Northwestern.
Meantime: No. 1 North Carolina had wins over Michigan State, Notre Dame and Kentucky; No. 2 Connecticut had wins over Wisconsin, Miami and Gonzaga; No. 4 Oklahoma had wins over Davidson, Purdue and Southern California; and No. 5 Duke had wins over Michigan, Purdue and Xavier.
In other words, Pitt’s resume was less impressive than the other four teams in the top five of the latest AP poll.
Before anyone starts complaining, even before the game Gary Parrish said Pitt was the #2 team in the country.
The game returned a lot of attention to Blair in the context of Pitt making a statement.
The Pittsburgh players termed their game against Georgetown a statement game, a chance to disprove those who believed the Panthers’ No. 3 ranking was built on nothing more concrete than a cloud of underachieving opponents.
The Hoyas were the perfect foil. Just five days earlier, they went into Connecticut and stomped the second-ranked Huskies. Now they were gunning for No. 3 in a building where they hadn’t lost since January 2007, a stretch of 29 consecutive games.
The Panthers got their statement, a 70-54 victory that now stands as John Thompson III’s worst home loss since the first game of his Georgetown career.
Blair provided the exclamation point. The sophomore almost single-handedly outrebounded the Hoyas, pulling down 17 boards to Georgetown’s 21, and chipped in 20 points to cement the double-double.
“Of course that inspires me,” Blair said of the lovefest that encompasses Thabeet and Monroe but never him. “I always have to show people more. It’s been that way my whole life, so I don’t really care about what people say about them. I’d rather just prove what I’m all about.”
…
“We know people were saying, ‘Yeah but who did Pitt play?'” Blair said.
When the Panthers gathered in the huddle, they actually said “statement game.”
“Yeah I heard that,” Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon said. “We didn’t bring a banner or anything along to practice but I heard them say that. We’re getting better. To me, that’s our statement.”
Of course, that also means welcoming having the target on the backs. Pitt is at the top of the Big East food chain at the moment.
After months of playing second-fiddle to Big East powers UConn and Louisville, the Panthers weren’t ready to let the Hoyas become the new talk of the town after their surprising defeat of the Huskies on Monday. Instead, Blair and his frontcourt partner and roommate Tyrell Biggs dominated the game inside, leaving the Hoyas struggling for any chance at the boards. The two combined for 34 points in the paint while Blair pulled down a Hoya-heartbreaking 18 boards.
“That’s my roommate. We’re best friends,” Blair said after deferring some of the credit to Biggs. “We’re trying to be the best frontcourt in the nation.”
And as big of a statement game for Pitt as this win was, it was also a coming out party for Blair. The sophomore said he had been concentrating on proving that along with his team being the best, he, in fact, was the premiere center in the Big East — not Uconn’s Hasheem Thabeet or Monroe, whom he had played with at the Amare Stoudemaire Skills Camp in June.
At the end of the game, it was very clearly heard the contingent of Pitt fans in the Verizon Center. In the comments, the size was put as significant. The Hoya fans were aware of it as well.
(11:54 am) There are a whole lot of Pittsburgh fans here. A bunch scattered in the lower bowl, and then practically all of the upper deck. So far, they’re louder than the Hoya fans.
…
(1:52 pm) Summers gets his season high today with those free throws. Hoyas are still down by 18, though, and the Pitt fans are getting a bit obnoxious.
Only “a bit?”
8 day layoff and then 2 home games against lower tier BE teams, then it starts hitting the fan. But,as coach says, we have to keep improving. I thought their passing as a team was far and away the best I’ve seen all year.
UConn and G-Town, to a lesser extent, is more a collecion of big talent but not necessarily a team. Pitt is somewhat the opposite
I’m not saying the talent levels don’t fluctuate, or one team isn’t better than another. The characteristics are just so constant, the bruising physical nature of the team was just the same before any of the current players were even recruited.
I think having that identity helps every aspect of the program, from recruiting to national recognition to wins. Say what you want about its play in the NCAA Tournament, the Panthers have found a system that works, they are sticking with it and improving upon it every year. I love it.
The Pitt football team is sticking with its system too…, but, well that’s like with a broken down car.
I think Summers should’ve received the lone technical (but what they said to each other may have been the deal breaker).
You gotta love Fields’ feistiness. How about the steal from, and foul by, Summers late in the game?
His hubris sets the tone. Hail to Pitt!
Coach Dixon is allowing them to play “open” bball with quick early shots and not making them work the full shot clock on every possesion. I have never seen him green light this kind of shooting …ever.
On Blair’s smile:
“I’ve got good teeth,†Blair, a sophomore, said. “Why not show them off?â€
On Blair’s trimming down this season:
“The one thing is,†Wanamaker said, “we make sure he does still eat.â€
When will the press start asking DW if he plans to fire Cavanaugh?
hail2pitt – don’t tempt them to restrict tickets sales to fans from the Burgh. A few years ago the owner of the Caps (Leonsis) blocked sales for a playoff game to phone numbers from the 412 area code. Not sure why the league didn’t do something.
They’re a young team, but they play with so much confidence. I definitely don’t think anyone wants to run into them in the tourney.
Hang on here, Eagles!
RealTimeRPI rankings (SOS)
Pitt 1 (3)
UNC 8 (82)
I know Hansborough is already beloved by the refs, but is he really not capable of travelling? He does so about every second time he gets the ball. Including, and I have DVR evidence to back me up here, taking 5 steps (including shuffling his feet) before dunking and no one saying anything about it. Unreal.
Cele-brate good Obama come on….(Please tell me someone saw that South Park)
And guess what? We’d beat ’em! They’re soooo skinny.
Tremendous reference. I actually just punched my boss while waiving my Obama sign at a South Oakland bonfire.
This is unbelievable. Even though it’s still way to early to be celebrating, just to be #1 in the polls is big for stuff like recruiting. Barring a loss similar to the one UNC had against a VERY good team next Sunday against St. Johns, we should hold the ranking for two weeks. That’s a big deal and well deserved…this isn’t one of those years where you could say we ‘fell’ into the spot like some teams do…they truly deserve it.
Congrats!
I would like to remind you of the biological concept of symbiosis.
How bad ass will it be at our recruiting weekend this week when the NUMBER ONE Pittsburgh Panthers take on St. John’s? Time for the Zoo to show these jokers some love and blow the roof off of the Pete!
We’re #1 baby!!!!
And it might stay that way for awhile.
Pitt was ranked as high as #2 in the 06-07 for 3 weeks in late November to early December.
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However, that Summers kid from G-Town may have been the best player on the court yesterday. I don’t know what year he is – but he has ice water in his veins.
Regarding the PITT fans in attendance. I was up in the upper deck surrounded by the “Zoo” and other PITT fans and can say that we did make a lot of noise. I was really impressed by how civil everyone was though.
Honestly, if that G-Town fan thought the PITT fans were ‘obnoxious” then he has the thinnest skin ever.
P/S: PITT girls are better looking than G-Town girls.