So far it’s all been chalk. No shocks. Small struggles, but nothing unusual. Which seems unusual.
Unfortunately I am time-crunched. Link time.
Pitt feeling confident coming into the final BET. At least based on the regular season results, they should be.
No one should know what to expect from this team, though.
Syracuse is feeling their own level of confidence for this game after James Southerland snapped out of his slump against Seton Hall.
The Orange feel like they have more options with Southerland.
“He’s going to help a lot,” sophomore forward Rakeem Christmas said. “We have someone to kick it out to and shoot 3s. We didn’t have that the last time. We’ll have a good 3-point offense this time.”
Southerland might solve some of Syracuse’s offensive issues against Pitt, but rebounding has been the biggest problem. Pitt has outrebounded Syracuse by 14 in each of the past three meetings and by an average of 11 in the past six. Even when Syracuse beat Pitt in 2012 at Syracuse, Pitt won on the rebounding battle, 38-24.
Syracuse hasn’t outrebounded Pitt since Jan. 4, 2007.
But it didn’t matter. Pitt won that game, too. Before Pitt fell at Syracuse last year the Orange’s previous win in the series came in the 2006 Big East tournament championship.
“They’ve been beating us up a lot lately,” Fair said. “We just have to come out and play strong, physical and play the way we did [Wednesday]. If we do that we’ll be fine.”
…
“They have physical guys who can take up space and rebound on the offensive and defensive glass,” Fair said. “We played really good defense in the first game. Our offense wasn’t clicking. I think [today] will be a different story.”
Kind of wish Pitt and Cuse weren’t meeting today. The fun storyline would have been both teams meeting in the Big East Tournament Championship game.
In case you missed it. I doubt it, though, Tray Woodall was All-Big East honorable mention and Steven Adams made the All-Big East Rookie squads.
In other links.
Hey, the NY-NJ Pitt players connection to the BET.
A couple pieces from earlier in the week on Durand Johnson taking advantage of opportunities when they come.
Nice piece on the evolving view of Dante Taylor.
Play hard every minute and good things will happen.
HTP
Syracuse has been down, but still have the horses. Should be a war. Depth won’t matter if we don’t win today.
Woody should be pretty geeked up. Adams and Robinson first Big Time game at MSG. Hopefully not last.
LET”S GO PITT!
(12)Michigan (-14.5) over (182)Penn State
(273)Delaware State (+2.5) over (283)Hampton
“Thrill Score” 76
The team to beat IMO is Georgetown. Many who comment here are too concerned about who Pitt my face on the other side of the BE bracket down the road. I say one game at a time, but if we DO get by Syracuse, then worry about Georgetown FIRST. I don’t care if we did mop the floor with them in the regular season. IMO that is a deficit not an advantage. They want payback! This Georgetown team is peaking at just the right time, similar to Pitt. I’m feeling a win against Georgetown would put us in the drivers seat for taking it all in the BE Tourney.
Slightly insider scoop: I go to school in NYC and ran into JJ Moore at Penn Station on Tuesday. He was very excited about the game and looks to replicate his 21-point performance from last game. He seemed genuinely locked in about it and I’m expecting a big game out of him. You heard it here first…. (or you didn’t)
So you know both Syracuse and Georgetown would LOVE another crack at the Panthers, especially since both defeats were such thumpings.
Then again, putting two beat downs on a team makes it that much sweeter, also.
I guess we are stuck with him in the Pitt game too.
Let’s go PITT!
Whoever Woodall guards will have a size mismatch/advantage. Fair will also have an advantage. Pitt will need to mix in the zone defense to help on those guys.
Southerland will get the four out of the paint. So Adams needs to take advantage of the mismatch he’ll have on Christmas (who stinks).
Even will all the success v. Syracuse, not thrilled to see them today. Boeheim’s teams either flop in post season, or underachieve in conference play and go on post season runs. Hope this year’s disappointing team is not primed for a run. They certainly have the talent.
Why does the city of Cincinnati insist on imposing these hideous black and orange cat stripe uni’s upon us at very opportunity? Thank God the Reds are the Reds and not the Tigers…
ex. If Pitt went back to Pitt script, I wouldn’t be opposed to once a year having a Nike combat uniform or something.
So, suprisingly, I think the ND uniform could have been ok, if they didn’t do the electric green shoes. That ruined it all.
Just being loud, to make it loud, doesn’t make it nice.
I liked Raftery’s comment, something about, “I hope they leave some of these uni’s in their suitcases!”. LOL
Another good example of not being a fuddy duddy, I absolutely love the Pitt gold home uniforms with “Panthers” on the front.
They’re consistent, they look sharp, they look good.
Marketing geniuses?? A lot of them are just like a lot of people called “visionaries”. LOL
Let’s Go Pitt!!!
HTP!!!
Just wait until you see the away jersey.
Just saw Jack R. Anderson and the Pitt Band at the garden. AWESOME. Had to go back to the office but had to say hi to Jack. Nicest guy (and he has the best job) in the world.
