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February 21, 2010

LiveBlog: Nova-Pitt

Filed under: Basketball,liveblog — Chas @ 10:08 am

Noon on CBS (where available) and it appears that CBS is streaming the game.

Big game. Pitt is in a position to move closer to a top-4 finish in the Big East and a double-bye in the Big East Tournament. Not to mention this kind of win puts Pitt in a better position to claim a #4 or even #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova needs this to stay paced with Syracuse at the top of the Big East and set themselves for a #1 seed.

As usual, if you need to you can break the live blog out from the site if you Click Here.

Otherwise, it is right below.





Pitt a 2 point underdog in Vegas. Like our chances today….go get em Panthers!

Comment by Dan 72 02.21.10 @ 10:19 am

This game is very hard to watch…I mean I have gotten spoiled over the past 2 seasons with Blair/Fields/Young…they are offensively challenged to say the least…

Comment by Jeremy 02.21.10 @ 1:28 pm

Brown needs to come in the game looking to shoot more…that is what a 6th man is supposed to do…he needs to shoot more…so does Wannamaker…Gibbs is a one trick pony, he does not rebound and he does not pass well…he needs to work on those in the off-season

Comment by Jeremy 02.21.10 @ 1:34 pm

Sweet revenge!!!

Hail to PITT!

Comment by TampaT 02.21.10 @ 2:29 pm

Great win by the Panthers–they had their share of luck during the game, but I believe you often “make your own” luck…the Panthers hustled, and did what they had to do to win.

Barring a complete meltdown, the Panthers should be no less that a NCAA 5-seed.

Comment by Lou 02.21.10 @ 2:32 pm

made it a little too hard than necessary … but then again, who am I to citicize this team! Even with the Gibbs’ missed free throws near the end, Pitt was 26 – 34 from the line.

They did what they had to …. and this week was highlighted by two great defesnive efforts.

Comment by wbb 02.21.10 @ 2:33 pm

Continually amazed at this team – to shoot 35% against the #3 team in the country (coming off a loss no less) and still be in control of the game pretty much the whole way is unbelievable. We may have gotten some calls, and Brad was (let’s be honest) horrible today, but somehow it doesn’t matter – someone else steps up. I don’t know if we are consistent enough up and down the lineup to make a deep, deep run in March, but I think we are now a lock for a 4-6 seed and with a strong finish (maybe 3-1 and a win or two in the BET) we could get up to a #3 seed. Maybe the Sweet 16 is there for the taking. No way in heck I thought we would get near that at the beginning of the year. Congrats again Coach Dixon and staff – a tremendous job.

One last thing – why did CBS not show a replay of Gilbert’s dunk? I only saw it when it happened – it looked like his head was at the rim. Boy, if he could gain consistency.

Comment by Mac 02.21.10 @ 2:33 pm

That late dunk by Brown was the kind of dunk I always see other teams making on Sports Center and think to myself, “I wish Pitt had some players like that!”

Comment by Lou 02.21.10 @ 2:35 pm

So is this team better than last year’s???

To this point, I would rather go into battle with this team’s guard play and defense.

Comment by Dan 72 02.21.10 @ 2:35 pm

huge win!! this team continues to impress…

Comment by schoey 02.21.10 @ 2:35 pm

The last bracket I saw had us playing Kansas in the Swett Sixteen…hey, it could happen!

Comment by Lou 02.21.10 @ 2:36 pm

Dan I look at this team–even with all their success–and I think–wow, last year’s team would run rings around them. Defense was better last year, and Blair can’t be replaced.

To be fair, I think they style of play is different. No arguments though, it’s working for Jamie Dixon.

Comment by Lou 02.21.10 @ 2:38 pm

This team’s heart is a beautiful thing. It speak’s to Coach Dixon’s ability to lead. Well done, gentlemen!

Comment by Shawn 02.21.10 @ 2:38 pm

If they don’t have a melt down a number 4 seed is very possible.

Comment by The Oakland Jew 02.21.10 @ 2:39 pm

I agree, Dan 72. Only thing missing is a consistent go-to guy like Young was last year. We get too stagnant on offense for too long a time. Sam would always seem to take over when that happened. Brown could be that guy which is why his every other game performances are so frustrating and mind boggling.

Comment by TampaT 02.21.10 @ 2:42 pm

Sorry, Lou, but no way last years team was better defensively. The stopper last year, Dixon, is still on this team. Blair was great, no doubt there, but he was a foul machine where McGhee is just simply a wall. Last years team simply beat people with talent and experience. This team’s talent will show with more experience. Mark my words.

Comment by TampaT 02.21.10 @ 2:52 pm

I hope you’re right, Tampa!

Comment by Lou 02.21.10 @ 2:59 pm

TampaT, couldn’t agree with you more .. in fact, last year’s team was really not that good defensively compared to most of the teams this past decade

Comment by wbb 02.21.10 @ 3:01 pm

As much as I love this team and the way they’re playing, I’d take last year’s team over this year’s. The last few games they’ve played fantastic defense, but there’s no way Dominic James drops 30 on last year’s team, and no way WVU crushes us on the glass like they did in Morgantown.

When they’re at their best, these kids can play with anybody. But last year’s team didn’t have the letdowns this team occasionally does. To be expected with a team this young, but all the same,

Comment by 85 02.21.10 @ 3:37 pm

Lou, far off on the defense comment. McGhee is a far better defender than Blair. (Blair= lots of gambles, lots of fouls, some steals, 0 shot blocking ability, offensive and rebounding monster though!) Dixon has another year under his belt. Sam Young played hard on D about 20% of the time, and anyone is an improvement over Fields on defense. Last years team was a far more offensively talented team than this (individually).

85…Dominic James would drop 30 on last year’s team because the same players would be guarding him. And…last year didn’t have letdowns? Are you forgetting the Providence debacle????

I’m not saying that this is a better team than last year, because I don’t believe that at this point (they do have more room to grow though I believe). But DEFENSIVELY, this is a much improved team. This team can win by getting stops and shutting people down, last years team got an occasional stop, but was so efficient on offense.

Comment by OntarioLett'sGoPitt 02.21.10 @ 4:08 pm

85: Like I said, last years team had experience. Next year, this team has experience. And remember, Dominique Jones dropped 30 on us without Dixon and Dixon had not been practicing withe the team before the first WVU game. He’s makes this team tougher, as he often did last year too.

P.S. I LOVED last years team. I think this one can be as good or better next year. This year is all gravy IMO.

Comment by TampaT 02.21.10 @ 4:17 pm

Maybe you guys are right…last year’s team was so efficient on offense–at least my memory tells me so–and Blair was great with rebounds, both offensive and defensive. Perhaps that did mask the fact that when Blair was out with foul trouble, Pitt struggled defensively. (which I believe, is when they’d put Dixon in the game)

Comment by Lou 02.21.10 @ 4:44 pm

Dixon is a SG and Blair was a C, I’m not following? Dixon was also a starter. Pitt wasn’t a great defensive team with Blair in the game, he wasn’t able to challenge many shots and often gave up easy baskets trying to stay out of foul trouble or by taking chances on steals.

I loved watching the kid though, he was a stud and even though he wasn’t a defensive force, more than made up for it with his boarding and offense.

Comment by OntarioLett'sGoPitt 02.21.10 @ 5:02 pm

OLGP: I think you’re selling DeJuan a little short on his defense last year. What he did and Gary does defensively is a little apples and oranges. Gary being bigger is obviously the better shot blocker, but Blair’s rebounding had such a huge defensive impact. Second chances against Pitt were nil. I look at the way WVU annihilated us on the offensive boards at Morgantown. No chance that happens last year. Plus, the rest of the front line with Sam and Biggs was just bigger all the way across. We don’t have that now.

I think Fields was much more of a liability with the way he handled quick guards. They’re better in that regard this year, I’ll give you that.

And yeah, Providence last year was a terrible game. But last year’s team lost five games. The consistency is getting there defensively, but you still don’t know exactly what you’re gonna get from these guys every night.

Comment by 85 02.21.10 @ 5:31 pm

Blair is obviously irreplaceable because of all the second chance shots he generated.

But agreed with OLGP, this team is much tougher defensively and it demonstrated by how they held ‘Nova to 23 or whatever in the first half, not to mention the job the did on Reynolds. He only had 2 first half points and then we gave him some breaks at the end, but great job by the defense.

Last year’s team was special and were legitimate contenders for a national championship…that being said, this year’s team has been a pleasure to watch.

Comment by TJ 02.21.10 @ 6:09 pm

No doubt Blair was a force rebounding which I agree. And no doubt he erased 2nd chances for the other team. I’m not selling the guy short at all. He was a stud. But not a stud defender. Nobody feared feeding their post with him, and it was a pleasure for other teams to have him hedge screens (because he’d foul). I’m talking purely, man for man, what type of defenders people are on and off the ball (not rebounding) and there is absolutely no question this team is far better than last year in that regard. Including McGhee. Rebounding wise, last years team was far ahead, and mainly because of the big fella.

Comment by OntarioLett'sGoPitt 02.21.10 @ 8:11 pm

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