12:00 pm.

Raycom affiliates and ACCDN.

Get excited for this broadcast folks. This is a full-on Raycom production. No ESPN affiliation for this one. We could have a real throwback in terms of production values and missed camera shots. I didn’t fully realize the extent until I started looking around for the links. For the older folks, we are talking legendary Jefferson-Pilot possibilities.

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12:30 pm

Various RSNs, or WatchESPN.

Taking the day off from the press box, in fact by the time this posts I should be in Pittsburgh. Instead I join the common folk in the stands. My son is coming along today so I get to be a fan (along with being dad). We’ve been looking forward to this. He wants to see the game, but he’s already been asking about a post-game trip to Aiello’s for pizza. Not sure about that, as I may have to insist on at least one more trip to Uncle Sam’s in Oakland. Might wrap it around swinging up to the Pete since he desperately wants to see the Lego Script Pitt.

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8pm, ABC

To go from 90+ degrees for a good portion of the week to 50s-60s with rain expected today. That’s something.

I suppose the rain might, um, dampen the eagerness for some to get to the stadium to tailgate early. Potentially making the expected traffic snarls a little less immediate. Who knows, maybe the Pirates will be rained out. Of course, knowing ALCO they would still keep people from the lots until 5pm and have the Pittsburgh Police enforce the no tailgating between 1:30 and 5 rule.

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3:30 pm, ACC Network Extra/ESPN3.com

Today’s the day.

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7pm, ESPNU.

Oh, good. Bonzie Colson will finally return to the Irish line-up tonight. Always nice to have a warm-up game when returning from injury.

This is the final regular season game for Pitt. 0-ACC regular season looks solid. Oh, and in ACC Tournament it looks like Pitt will face ND or Syracuse.

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4pm

ESPNU

During the ESPN College Basketball Game Day, they asked whether Pitt would break 45 points against Virginia today.

Have to be honest, I thought they had the line a little high. Perhaps it was so they could all go under, but if I was trying to gauge the O/U line, 40 seems like the sweet spot. 1 point per minute of game. Not too low to be absurd, but with Pitt’s offense, Virginia’s defense and both sides’ slow tempo; just enough to make you unsure.

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9pm (goddammit), multiple RSNs.

In what many are calling Pitt’s last, best chance for a wi– No. Sorry. Can’t do it. Tried to type it, but it wouldn’t happen.

Let’s see. Pitt is really slow offensively. Yep.

Ron Cook is feeling downright ghoulish, then sort of feels bad about it, but not really.

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6pm, ESPNU.

You know things are bad, when the Pitt quick notes, includes this.

Pitt has dropped 14 consecutive games, the longest streak in program history. The Panthers have dropped 18 consecutive regular season league contests.

Those are notes from Pitt. The part where they try and spin as positive as possible. Yet, there is no hiding from this reality.

A little unintentional fun from the ACC schedule makers. The last time Pitt won a regular season ACC game was exactly a year ago, against the same team they face today. That’s right, Pitt whipped up on FSU 80-66 on February 18, 2017.

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Unfortunately, we all know what will.

7pm. ESPN News, if you dare.

Here is what is at stake.

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8pm

As if this were a nooner on the ACC network affiliates. Or  when reality kicks in elsewhere and it is ACC Digital Network Extra/WatchESPN.

The storyline if there was any drama to this game would be Cam Johnson  facing off against his former team.

Meh.

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7pm

Various RSNs and ACCDN Extra/WatchESPN.

I kind of would prefer it, but there is a game tonight. So…

Miami has a big injury in the form of Bruce Brown.

The sophomore leads the team in minutes played, and ranks second on the team in scoring (11.4 points per game) and leads the team in rebounds, steals and assists.

Brown is out 6 weeks, after suffering an injury to his left foot in practice. Miami should still have more then enough to handle Pitt, unfortunately.

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4pm

ACC Network Affiliates and ACCDN/WatchESPN.

Retro uni day for Pitt basketball. Honoring past greats from the 80s. All wonderful. All nostalgic. Pay no attention to that 5-13 record versus the Orange in the 80s.

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9 pm.

Various RSNs and ACCDN/WatchESPN.

This week has sucked the life out of me, and it is only Wednesday. Oh, and it’s a 9pm game of seeing if Pitt can break 60 in an ACC game (baby steps, right?)

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4pm

ACC Network Affiliates or ACCDN/WatchESPN.

I went to the dentist on Tuesday, after a couple years. Not good, I know. No cavities or major issues, though. As I’m getting scraped down, however, the dentist tells me that my molars look rather worn down. She asks if I grind my teeth when I sleep or in general. No. I don’t. Never been an issue as far as I’ve known.

After a trip to the dentist, naturally you are more aware of everything involving your teeth and mouth for at least a day. As I was watching the Pitt-Syracuse game that same night, guess what I realized I was doing? Yep. Pitt basketball the last couple of years has had me in the most literal sense, grinding my teeth. One more thing to blame on Scott Barnes.

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2pm.

ACC Network Affiliates (if lucky) or ACCNetwork Extra/WatchESPN.

As you know by now, Ryan Luther is out for the season. Pitt seems confident that he will be given a medical hardship waiver for an additional year, as the NCAA seems to have gotten a little more relaxed over the years (still bitterly seething over the rejection of Mike Cook’s waiver).

“It hurts not to be out on the court and in practice with my teammates,” Luther said in a statement. “We have a good young core of players that I believe are going to continue to improve each day.

“I was hopeful that the latest MRI would show solid improvement in the foot, but it was pretty clear that it has not responded well enough to return to action without the threat of it becoming a stress fracture like last season.

“I am going to apply for a medical hardship and hope to remain at the University of Pittsburgh for another season. I love my coaches and teammates and believe in what we are building. This university and the city of Pittsburgh are home to me. I am anxious to get healthy and look forward to doing something special here next season.”

Said Stallings: “Ryan’s injury has not responded as well as we had hoped, and our medical team has recommended shutting him down for the remainder of the season. I know Ryan is frustrated with the injuries to the foot the past two years, but everyone involved agrees that it is in his best interest to rest the foot and allow it adequate time to make a complete recovery.”

It makes sense for the program as far as this year to next. It also makes what was already a tough, transition season filled with losses all the worse.

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