Sure Philly is only a few hours away, but with a 2 pm (give or take) start, I don’t expect the crowd at MSG to be too large or too partisan.
I know, I want this match-up, if for no other reason than to see if Pitt really has learned anything about defending an inside-out forward like Curtis Sumpter. Whether Pitt really is playing better, or was it just on a little streak fueled by some desperation. It doesn’t mean I’m not worried. It kind of makes me nervous that Pitt is talking about revenge and externalities, while the Wildcats are just talking about it being a tough game.
It appears, Troutman will be matched up on Sumpter once more.
Villanova is the archetypal team that has given Pitt loads of trouble this season. The Wildcats have a stable of outside shooters who can rain 3-pointers down on opponents. Allan Ray made five in the first meeting against Pitt, Mike Nardi and Curtis Sumpter had three apiece. Villanova was one of six Big East opponents to make 10 or more 3-pointers in a game against Pitt. The Wildcats were 12 for 23 from behind the 3-point arc.
“They’re going to shoot 3s and make some,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “They made some tough shots against us. They’re going to shoot them from 25 feet. They have really good range. They had four guys who were shooting well that game. They’re very hard to guard when they have four guys who are shooting well from the perimeter.”
Sumpter, a 6-foot-7, 223-pound junior who can play inside and outside, poses some matchup problems for the Panthers. Troutman guarded him the last time without much success and got in foul trouble.
Troutman, Pitt’s best defender, said he is confident he will have more success this time.
“I just have to guard him better than I did the last game,” Troutman said. “I didn’t see too much tape on him before the first game. I feel like I’ll be better this game. I never really thought he was a hard person to guard until last time. I just feel like I was overplaying possessions and trying to make something happen.”
I’m not wild about Troutman trying to guard him. Troutman is better when he doesn’t have to run all over the floor. When he can stay on one side, or even better, just inside. I’d rather see DeGroat try and shadow him and let Troutman be waiting inside. Kind of how they shut down Dudley with BC.
For this Villanova team, the success is to some degree, simply living up to the expectations. The team is hot. Riding a 7 game winning streak. Last year at the Big East Tournament, Villanova came in as a team that couldn’t finish. Streaky, talented, but self-destructive. Then they upset Seton Hall and things changed and carried over.
Yet it’s not overstating it to say that’s what happened for Villanova 365 days ago at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats went from a group that couldn’t buy a break, couldn’t win a close game, couldn’t steal a victory to a team that figured out how to win and make its own luck.
The Villanova team that heads back to the Garden for a 2 p.m. quarterfinal date with Pittsburgh today is completely revamped from the 2004 edition. Whereas those Wildcats limped to the tournament, having lost seven of eight, these Wildcats storm New York with a run of seven consecutive victories.
Whereas those Wildcats needed two wins to secure a spot in the NIT, these ‘Cats are assured a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
And whereas those Wildcats, as a No. 11 seed, were a longshot at best to make the conference finals, these Wildcats, a No. 4 seed and the No. 19 team in the country, are a bona fide contender for the tournament crown.
“That Seton Hall game, yeah, I think that was the one where we really turned the corner,” guard Randy Foye said. “We knew we could play with anybody and handle anything that people threw at us.”
What changed? Just about everything in those 22 seconds.
Pitt had “the run” in 2001. That carried over and helped change Pitt’s program from a confidence standpoint. Villanova seemed to figure out how to win games. The Big East Tournament can change a team.
Now this Villanova team thinks they can win the Big East.
A couple other articles to note.
Ron Cook now decides to start worrying about the Pitt team for next year — whether Krauser is leaving. The timing is odd. You’d think he’d save this kind of column for later. Maybe break it out in the time period between the end of the BE and the NCAA Tournaments. Running it now just indicates you don’t really care about the games — just storylines. That’s the kind of piece that is speculation and you run as filler.
Speaking of filler, John DeGroat gets his background fleshed out a little more. Not exactly an easy life.
