You know, if Pitt had lost the game, I suspect they would have quietly raised this banner sometime around 11 pm with no one to see it. Pitt Script has video of it being raised.
27-4 overall record. 15-3 in the Big East. Pitt is getting a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The swoon by Texas. Purdue losing to Iowa. BYU and their honor code. All helped to make it a near lock. The worst Pitt is, is the third #1 seed. The only one that seems in dispute is whether Notre Dame or Duke (or UNC?) get the fourth #1 seed.
I haven’t been too worried for the last week or so. At least not in terms of records. About the only nagging concern I had was that Pitt might be bumped off the #1 seed line because of the issues of trying to seed the 10-11 Big East teams in the NCAA Tournament to avoid any second (formerly called 1st) round match-ups between Big East teams. I do expect that will be an issue for some of the teams. A bit of seed issues as they try to fit things well.
I was lucky enough to be at the game on Saturday. Once again, big thanks to Jeff in CPa. for inviting me. Great seats, about 5 rows behind the Zoo. A chance to have a couple beers in the Club area before hand. And then I got to meet Bryan of Pitt Script along with his family down at Hemingway’s afterwards.
I posted some of the photos I took while at the game on Twitter this morning. Here are some more. Not game photos, but some of the activities that you may not have been able to see while watching on TV.
Brad Wanamaker and his son introduced on Senior Day
Nick Rivers doing what he does best before the game.
The Charlie Sheen tie-ins keep coming
Coach Dixon acknowledges the Zoo after post-game interview with Bill Raftery
Players gathered quickly after the final whistle to celebrate and have their pictures taken
Missed the shot, but the players were doing their best to mess up Coach Dixon's hair.
Getting the Big East Trophy from the Big Eat Commish
And of course the group photo with the Trophy
Don't ask me how or why, but Woodall ended up walking around with the Big East Trophy for a few minutes as everyone dispersed
But eventually it was given to the Big East Trophy was given to the seniors for a photo op.
well done boys, well fucking done!
i think the only way we arent a 1 seed is if Duke and ND win their respective tournaments, then i could see us being slotted as the first 2 in the same bracket as Duke…..
A great moment to be at! Let’s go for a sweep in the fall!
I don’t know. Maybe you are right. Brad has a twin brother who was there (with almost the entire Wanamaker clan), so his nephew would still be a ‘Lil Wanamaker
I would like to see Pitt get to play (and beat) some of the teams we lost to during the regular season. I really want to play SJU again, though there’s no guarantees SJU will get to the semis; I’d like to make it to the finals to play ND…I think we could beat them a second time.
My concern still, going forward, is these terrible first 20 minutes we keep having. This can’t continue if Pitt is going to make a deep run in the tourney. Pitt is wonderful coming out of time outs with set plays. Wonder if Dixon could loosely script the first 3-4 possessions? Sounds silly, and it would have to be a loose script, but just the first 2 or 3 possessions that occur after a made shot or turnover, etc. where the play is started on an inbound play or a non-fast break situation off a rebound ,etc.
Just feel like if they can get a basket or two those first few possessions, it will smooth the way for a more productive first half.
The time goes so fast. I retired from coaching about 6 years ago but have been working with a very talented HS Jr. this year who cannot believe the season is over. It seems like just yesterday Brown was helping us to beat GT in the BE finals with 8 straight points off the bench.
Don’t know about all of you, but yelled a lot in the 1st half of this game. Really tired of the slow starts and wanted Pitt to put this one away.
So proud of this team…a long way to go.
I promise you read it, you’ll learn something new!!
-Josh
I could understand why Pederson wouldn’t want to do after the game…I think it was 2005 when they decided to honor the Seniors after the game for some reason..Pitt lost and almost everyone left.
It was nice to see so many people were at the Pete early on Sat….the place just about filled when they honored the Seniors…So many times in years past the place would be half filled or even less when they would hold the ceremony…I think that says a little about how after 10 years of winning the Pitt fans are true college basketball fans.
Pretenders- Dick “Duke ,baaaaby!” Vitale – in love with his own voice, and too many ‘diaper dandies’. ‘prime time players’, ‘bald dome index’ comments
Digger Phelps – consistently predicts the home team will be the winner — unless the visiting team is Notre Dame
Doug Gotlieb – no need to explain
Contenders- Bobby Knight – provides insightful analysis and talks about the game that is actually on
Jay Bilas – is capable of discerning the difference between a team with a star player and a strong program. Can focus on the action on the court rather than compelling story lines
He clearly wasn’t himself in the last game. His shooting was way off, sore wrist would make sense.
Wow, do you now not play him if not 100% in BE tourney? I would rest the guy. We shall see.
That could also effect the # 1 seed. GD
Let’s hope he’s a fast healer.
P.S. Excellent photos Chas.
A couple of guys that I just like, are “Send it home Jerome” Bill Raferty and Seth Greenberg.
Doug Gotlieb has a cocky attitude which comes off as phony and he ends up looking like a Tool.
Digger who cares.
Dick Vitale has romantic feelings for Coach K and his DEVO inspired hair. He was over 7 to 8 years ago and it considered annoying to all but blue devil fans.
Jay Bilas Blue devil at heart but TRIES to remain objective. Can go off on long tangents during blow outs.
super decent dude…..
Duke gets dinged by a down year in the ACC, while ND had a soft non-conf. Both teams will be highly seeded, but they’re not taking our #1
Try to look at the case for Pitt vs. Duke and ND objectively for a moment. (Again assuming they win their conference tournaments, and we do not.)
If ND wins the BE tourney, they would have won 14 of their last 15. They’d have the same number of losses as Pitt. Plus a win at Pitt and maybe another in the BE title game. And their non-conference wasn’t shabby, with wins over Wisconsin, Georgia, and Gonzaga. So in a head-to-head comparison, if they win the BE tourney, I think they’d have to be ahead of us.
Turning to Duke, they’d have fewer losses than us if they win the ACC, and if we fail to win the BE. They’d have possibly two wins over UNC. Plus they’d have non-conference wins over Butler, Michigan State, Marquette, and Kansas State. Yes, the ACC is weaker than the BE. But not so much weaker that the defending national champion, with that strong of a resume, would be seeded lower than Pitt.
Anyway, I’m sure it will come to nothing, since I don’t see all that happening. Just saying I feel strongly that we’re not a “lock” just yet.
On the color man debate-
Vitale – Pretty bad, but at least he’s excitable. Terrible at analysis, and the catchphrases are stupid, but Dickie V during a big run by a team (especially Duke) is classic stuff.
Bob Knight – Not great, is almost an idiot savant at times in his commentary. He’ll call teams the wrong name, misremember details, bash a player for something minor, but then ol Robert Montgomery Knight will drop a bucket of knowledge about a specific defense/offense strategy or why a play worked or didn’t work. Since he’s new he doesn’t grate me as much as he could.
Bilas – I previously hated him, but has the best things to say hands down. I got over his oblong shaped head quicker than I thought
Raftery – The best color commentator on the planet : Reason #43 – “Onions!” = they guy has got balls.
Digger – Disgusting. I want to stab him with his highlighter.
Gottlieb – I liked him, but he’s strutting around a little too much. When he’s not talking about Pitt he’s bearable but when he is … HAAAATTEERR!
For something relevant, fine, here goes: I think Pitt actually has a fantastic chance in the Big East Tournament this year. Last year, we played a WVU team that had already beaten us twice, and fell a little short on the opening day. Now, we’ll either face a shorthanded Georgetown team, a UConn team playing their 3rd game in 3 days, or DePaul (ha!). Luckily, because St. John’s happened to lose to Seton Hall in their last week, our semifinal matchup would either come against the Johnnies in their 3rd game in a row, or a Syracuse team coming off a tough win against St. John’s on their “home court.” Finally, that would pit us with a rematch against either Notre Dame or Louisville in an arena that would be hugely pro-Pitt. BE regular season, BET champs, and NCAA champs? Here’s where the road starts…HAIL TO PITT!!
I will say though that Pitt has an excellent chance of beating ND, should they meet again in the BE Championship. I think Pitt will be ready for whatever kind of slow-down offense ND might play, though we will be in trouble if Hansborough lights us up with early threes.
HTP
