When the Big East coaches pushed for all 16 teams playing in the Big East Tournament the official reason was that they wanted to make sure all Big East players had a chance to experience the BET. The unstated reason was to help/keep bottom feeding teams from firing their coaches in frustration. Then there are teams like Rutgers where everyone seems to have checked out on the final games. They have little hope. No one is bothering to show up at the RAC. With Rutgers’ butdget woes, no one seems to think they can afford to buy out Fred Hill and hire someone competent.
So media coverage is not there. Instead, a NJ paper does a feature on a NJ native on Pitt.
All you need to know about Ashton Gibbs is contained in one sentence by Pittsburgh men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon.
“He’s probably the hardest-working guy we’ve ever had,” Dixon said last week.
At Pitt, which is known for producing hard-hat overachievers, that’s saying something. After playing a role off the bench for the Panthers last winter, the sophomore guard and Scotch Plains native is widely considered to be the Big East Conference’s most improved player. Rutgers will try to defend him in Saturday’s regular-season finale in the Steel City.
“My father always used to tell me, “The harder you work, the easier it comes,’ ” Gibbs said via phone on Wednesday. “That’s something I’ve taken seriously.”
The Syracuse Post-Standard has a casual media poll of Big East awards. The feeling seems to be it will either be Gibbs or ND’s Tim Abromaitis for Most Improved Player. Abromaitis might get it with his big numbers and the way ND has surged late w/o Harangody. Which reminds me of this silliness from Jay Bilas (Insider subs).
Not better: I am not a big believer that Notre Dame is better without Luke Harangody. I hear those who say the Irish are better off without him, but I just don’t buy it. Have the Irish collectively picked up the slack to overachieve for a time? Yes. Notre Dame is 3-2 without Harangody, but in the long run, it will really miss the big guy.
Here’s why it is silliness. There is no long-run left. The season ends today. Then it is time for tournaments. Time off, chances to rest. Now if this had been halfway through the season, I’d agree. The depth on ND was not significant before Harangody went down. Now, it is about 6.5 deep.
The local papers give Dixon attention and love. Time is the difference in them. Dixon feels so much better now.
It took 30 games into his senior season, but Dixon enters today’s regular-season finale against visiting Rutgers knowing he’s got his groove back. Suddenly, he’s regained the confidence robbed of him by a nagging foot injury.
“All year, I was pretty timid going to the basket because of my foot,” Dixon said. “But in practice, I took on contact and was able to finish — something I’ve been doing all my life.”
…
Rallying from adversity also was big Thursday night. Jermaine Dixon staggered to the bench with a sheepish grin on his face after putting up an air ball that was woefully short of the rim. He laughed at himself, then studied the Friars’ defense from the bench in hopes of finding a remedy for a Pitt offense that struggled mightily for almost every shot.
“You can’t mope, you have to move on to the next play,” Dixon said. “That’s how I am as a player. I missed a few shots, but I didn’t get down on myself. I’ve had 3-for-15 shooting nights, but it doesn’t bother me because you have to worry about the next play.
“I felt like we were taking too many jump shots. When I sat on the bench, I noticed we were swinging the ball around, and they were just sitting there (in a zone). I told Brad (Wannamaker) and Ash (Gibbs) that we needed to attack the basket.”
Early in Big East play, Dixon seemed to be driving to the basket more. Then he got banged up against St. John’s at home — further aggravating an ankle injury that had him missing practices. He missed the USF game and when he came back there was a lot more jump shooting and less attacking.
This was his first time dealing with injury. He didn’t publicly complain, but it bothered him and he still doesn’t feel completely back.
“It was tough at first, sitting out,” Jermaine Dixon said. “I tried not to complain. I had never been injured before in my life. So, it was something I wasn’t used to. It was tough getting back in a rhythm and doing the things I can do. I still don’t feel like I do things as well as I did last year, things like getting in passing lanes, getting easy steals and baskets for my team. I still feel like I’m a step slow.”
The partial loss of his physical gifts has not affected his ability to be a leader, and his teammates identify him as their emotional leader. Jamie Dixon has said “this is Jermaine’s team.”
“I learned a lot from him as far as his leadership skills on and off the court,” sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs said. “He’s been like a real role model to me. It’s something I really cherished and it’s something I’ll continue to take with me.”
Jermaine Dixon will play the final home game of his career at Pitt this afternoon when the Panthers play host to Rutgers in the regular-season finale at the Petersen Events Center. After struggling with discomfort in his foot and other injuries throughout the course of the season, Dixon is playing his best basketball as the postseason approaches.
Those of you going to the game, get there early to celebrate a great guy and Pitt player on senior day.
Another article featuring the three overachieving teams in the Big East.
Liveblog later today.
