More Respect

Pitt got some much deserved respect when the polls came out this afternoon as they were moved up to #9 in the AP Poll and #11 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. They're in a spot that no one could have really predicted after the Wofford game and Indiana loss. And how on earth does North Carolina or UCONN with six losses stay in the top 25? Please.

More rankings as Gary Parrish over at CBSSportsline.com bumps Pitt up to eighth. Gary also had time to mention Nasir Robinson's career day.

The players, of course, are doing their best to not buy into the hype.

Joe Lunardi also did right by Pitt as he moved the team up to a rising #2 seed. As much as North Carolina and UCONN have underachieved, I'd still hate to face either as a #6 seed in the first round.

And just as it's a surprise to many to see the team ranked so high, it's also been surprising to see Ashton Gibbs develop the way he has - at least so quickly. Obviously with the depature of a huge chunk of the offense there are more opportunities, but I didn't expect this kind of leap in production. I figured as a three-point shooter with more shots, he could get up to maybe around 10 per game. But he's exceeded those expectations - and then some. For Gibbs, its all about confidence.

Anyway, reverting back to Saturday one final time, Jermaine Dixon has a theory on why Pitt didn't see the press as much as it typically does from Louisville:

"I can see why (Pitino) didn't press and decided to stay in the matchup zone. But I was surprised they didn't press us because they had a lot of success with it last year. I think they felt they could press Levance because they wanted to wear him down because we ran a lot of our sets through him."

I don't know how much sense that makes. I would think there are more sets for Gibbs to get open as he's a more potent scorer than Levance was. But for whatever reason, there was certainly less pressing going on than normal.

Meanwhile, Ron Cook of the PG is probably correct in this assertion about Gary McGhee:

McGhee is hardly a star, but Pitt would not be 15-2 and knocking on the door of the top 10 without him. He had the difficult challenge this season of taking over in the post for All-American DeJuan Blair, who, you might have heard, is showing off his game quite nicely in the NBA. He hasn't backed down from it, giving Pitt a big body and a better-than-expected physical presence inside as a defender and rebounder.

Also, Jermaine Dixon is also still working out his game after the injury.

In other news, Pitt missed out on Andy Katz's team of the week and lost to...Virginia? Virginia beats Georgia Tech and Miami at home while Pitt beats UCONN on the road and Louisville at home. He also dissed Pitt a bit by not even declaring Pitt/Georgetown as a 'place to be', instead opting for games the same day such as Temple/Xavier and *gag* Utep/Memphis. Seriously? I think I just threw up in my mouth.

Georgetown up next.

A Meaningful Scrimmage?

Normally, I'd say scrimmages are meaningless. But the blue-gold basketball game held yesterday might actually have some importance for Pitt, at least in terms of getting a feel for how players perform against real competition. Sure, they're getting plenty of that in practice, but to be on the court with actual fans in attendance had to be at least a little different.

Personally, I'd like to see March Madness back as it was briefly here in the late 90s. If top programs like North Carolina and Kentucky can do it, then we should be as well. Period.

I digress.

On this night, anyway, newcomer Chase Adams looked like the star, scoring 21 and was surprisingly accurate from 3-point range - at least for someone who was touted as a defensive player. Despite the output, though, he still sees himself as being a defense-first type of guy, which is good for Pitt:

"I definitely view myself more as a defensive player, but as of late I've been shooting pretty well," Adams said. "I've been more comfortable shooting the ball, and coach has been telling me when I have the open shot to take the open shot. I've been trying to establish myself as an offensive player as well."

In Adams, Pitt may have a real leader after the mass exodus of talent:

Long before he transferred to Pitt from a 938-student college in Louisiana, Chase Adams played for one of the top high school teams in the nation.

His Mount Saint Joseph (Md.) team had won a state-record 38 games in a row but lost to traditional power DeMatha (Md.) in the final game of the season.

The team finished ranked No. 8 in the USA Today, but Adams was inconsolable.

"He doesn't like to lose," Mount Saint Joseph coach Pat Clatchey said. "After the game, he was just like after any other time we lost. He wasn't happy."

Said Adams, "I've got a strong competitive nature, and it makes me want to win at all costs. I didn't have any intentions of losing tonight."

Not even wanting to lose in an exhibition game? A game that was so much of an exhibition that some players changed teams in the middle of the game? Sick - I like it.

Make no mistake - I don't think Pitt will be a run and gun offense. They never have been in this recent run of success and without Blair/Fields/Young, may need to be more of a defensive team than ever in order to compete. But with Adams, Gibbs, Wanamaker, Dixon, and Woodall, this team could put up more three-pointers than normal and look to score more outside than they have in the past.

One revelation that came out of the game was that Dante Taylor will play center. Call me crazy, but I think there's virtually no chance he leaves after this year for the NBA. He'd have to have a heck of a year to be considered a lock for a first-round pick. True, Pitt will need to rely heavily on underclassmen this year, but with so many guys getting minutes this year, I think he will have a hard time putting up the type of dominant numbers he would need to in order to be considered for a top pick.

No, I don't base this on the fact that he struggled in this game and had only seven shots. Just keep this in mind - Pitt has always had a tough time letting any one guy take over. Sam Young was really the only person in recent memory who could...and he had to wait until he was a junior. Streaky Carl Krauser and Chris Taft couldn't despite having maybe the most overall talent on their respective teams. A seven-foot Aaron Gray couldn't even average 15.0 ppg despite being several inches taller than many of his opponents guarding him.

Not to say that Pitt SHOULD let one player dominate on offense...and truth be told, Young may have been the closest they've had as a go-to-guy, so you can't fault the coaches in my opinion. But it will be extremely difficult for a true freshman to come in and put up the type of numbers at Pitt to warrant being a lock for a first-round pick. Pitt hasn't had a 20 point scorer and no underclassman has been able to score 16.0 ppg in this recent run of greatness. If Taylor is unable to put up dominant numbers on a team with perceivably no real stars, then I think NBA GMs would have a hard time justifying him as a first-round lock. Yes he's young and yes the potential is there, but I don't know if that's enough, seeing he wasn't a consensus top 10 or even top 15 incoming freshman nationally.

Back to the game - Ray Fittipaldo of the PG who had a live blog running for the game, has a good look at some of the stats showing just how much Pitt's departures will be missed.

The official box score shows plenty of guys had good nights including Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs totaling 36 points. I'm extremely curious to see how the rotation will end up.

And this is a little old, but Gilbert Brown is still apparently on schedule to come back at his earliest possible return date, December 20th.

Blair and Fields Get Their Deals Miles Apart

Good news for both DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields as both signed contracts.

Blair gets his guaranteed deal as a 2nd round draft pick with the Spurs.

Blair, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound forward who turned professional after his sophomore season with the Panthers only to fall into the second round of the NBA draft, signed his first professional contract yesterday with the San Antonio Spurs.

Terms of the deal were not immediately known, but according to a source familiar with the negotiations, Blair signed a four-year contract worth almost $4 million dollars. Three of those years are guaranteed with guaranteed money approaching $3 million.

Also, here's a video press conference with the San Antonio media.

Good for him. Despite all of the feelings about thinking he may have been better served staying, he's worked his butt off to get to this point. Here's hoping for a good career as well as some early playing time for him.

Meanwhile, Fields gets his own deal, but in Russia:

Before the dust had settled from a disappointing experience with the Orlando Magic's NBA summer league team, Levance Fields already was seeking another chance to return to the court.

It didn't take long for the former Pitt point guard to get an assist from a Russian Super League team.

Fields, who last season helped Pitt to its first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance, has signed a multiyear contract with Sparta St. Petersburg, said his agent, Keith Glass.

The deal includes an opt-out clause to leave for the NBA if he gets an offer. Glad to see him land somewhere after a somewhat disappointing Summer League.

All-Big East Selections

Congrats to DeJuan Blair and Sam Young for making the All-Big East First Team. Pitt was the only team to have more than one player on the first team.

Also, congrats to Levance Fields who made the third team. I can see how he didn't make the first team, which also included Terrence Williams (Louisville), Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN), Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), and Jerel McNeal (Marquette). But looking at the names on the second team, you've got to think that he should have been there.

And as a side note, I was fairly surprised to see the current poll results on the Big East home page showing Terrence Williams of Louisville getting 50% of fans' votes for the Player of the Year (NOTE: You'll need to enter a pick to see the most current results).

Twice As Nice

Pitt held off a fairly late run by #1 ranked UConn to win 70-60 on Senior Day. For the second time this year, Pitt really looked like the better team. Super Sam Young was really the player responsible for this win, scoring 31 - nearly half of Pitt's points.

I was there in person and two things really stood out to me:

1. Big East games are VERY difficult for referees to call. I knew this before, but it really seemed evident today. It seemed like the refs wanted to let them play, but they also had to call some 'touch' fouls - apparently to reign the players in to make sure it didn't get too far out of hand.

2. For some reason, it seemed like the players weren't getting the ball to Blair enough. I'd be curious to know how many touches in the paint he got. Part of it was Thabeet's more aggressive play on defense, but several times, he was just ignored.

The only slight downer was that Tyrell Biggs went scoreless in his final home game. That was only the second time this year where he was held without a point. Kind of a bummer when you realize how far he came during his time at Pitt. He's really turned into a solid player.

In other news, Levance Fields' injury may have been more serious than people knew. You almost start to wonder if that was the reason for his 4-14 shooting.

It was also nice to get a glimpse of the new Brandin Knight banner that was hoisted when his jersey number was retired.

Locking Up A Number One Seed?

After the big win against Marquette last night, it seems everyone's talking about a #1 seed being locked up.

With last night's 90-75 victory against Marquette, the Panthers are all but assured of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

Maybe it's just me, but I'd say it's a bit of a reach to say it's locked up. Does Pitt deserve one regardless of what it does against UCONN and in the Big East Tournament? I think so. But with the history of seeding, I wouldn't call it a guarantee. If Pitt would happen to get blown out on Saturday then lose badly in their first Big East game, strong performances by UNC, Memphis, UCONN, and Oklahoma could be enough to knock Pitt out.

Not to mention teams could all end up with fewer losses than Pitt. Again, it's going to be hard for Pitt not to get a #1 seed. But I don't know if it's the lock everyone seems to think it is.

On the injury front, Levance is listed as questionable for the big game Saturday. Personally, I think he'll have to be practically dead not to play. But I'd be all for him sitting this one out. It's a big game, but not that important in the grand scheme of things. I'd rather see him sit out, then come back for the Big East Tournament in a tune up.

Levance's Legacy

Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette had a solid article about Levance Fields and the PG position as a whole for Pitt basketball over the last few years. He also says something I firmly believe in - Brandin Knight jump-started this latest Pitt basketball era and should have his number retired:

They should hang Brandin Knight's No. 20 jersey in the Petersen Events Center rafters. This Golden Era of Pitt basketball? It started with him. He was the first to buy what new coach Ben Howland was selling. A team-first philosophy. Hard-nosed man-to-man defense. A mental and physical toughness. Knight bought all of it. The rest is ...

Well, you know.

Does he have the numbers that many players who have their jerseys retired do? Probably not. But he was the reason Pitt turned into a national contender virtually overnight. Now that the run has continued for nearly ten years, it's time to recognize him - in my humble opinion.

I think Pitt will really miss him next year. The starting PG will in all likelihood be one of (or a combination of) the following:

- Travon Woodall: Redshirt freshman who got very little experience this year.
- Ashton Gibbs: More of a shooting guard than a point guard - if he assumes the duties, his scoring opportunities will probably take a hit.
- Brad Wanamaker: More comfortable with the ball and the 'veteran' of the three. However, like Gibbs, more of a shooting guard.

Whoever gets the nod for 2009-10 is likely warming the spot for PG of the future, Isiah Epps, who after verbally committing to Pitt, said that he was told he would start as a freshman.

Pitt has been fortunate with great point guards, but the spot will probably take a minor hit next year.

No Chance of a Letdown

The men's team battled right from the tip, allowing virtually no chance for a letdown, winning 80-61 at home against DePaul. Pitt never trailed in the game and DeJuan Blair again played the role of star with 20 points and 18 rebounds. His two-game total of 41 rebounds set a new school record.

Buried in the ESPN article was this gem:

"We won the opportunity to play Pitt twice," Wainwright said. "It's like two straight meals that my wife cooks. It looks good at the beginning, but it's difficult swallowing."

It was also nice to see Larry Fitzgerald back on campus. Also, not lost on all of the media was the fact that Matija Poscic had Hasheem Thabeet on his mind at the beginning of the game.

Dar Tucker was Mr. Everything for DePaul, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

With losses by UNC, Oklahoma, and UCONN this week, Pitt should regain the #1 spot in the polls again. Coming up are two potentially-dangerous games on the road against Providence and Seton Hall. I don't expect them to lose both, but one wouldn't be out of the question.

A few under the radar items: Sam Young (16), Tyrell Biggs (13), and Jermaine Dixon (11) all reached double figures. Levance Fields continued his unbelievable play with six assists/zero turnovers. Freshman Ashton Gibbs has now gone scoreless in the past three games, playing 29 minutes over that stretch. Fortunately, they haven't missed him.

Two More Wins

Pitt won both its games this week, its 4th and 5th wins in a row, against West Virginia and Cincinnati. While Pitt was certainly considered the favorite in both, each game presented its own challenges. The games with WVU are always tough and they hung around for a while, but foul trouble was a huge issue for them as Pitt won 70-59.

Pitt got off to a hot start before Cincinnati got to within five after a fairly sluggish beginning to the half for the Panthers. Eventually, their hot shooting never really stopped and the team tied a school-record shooing 67.4% from the field, winning comfortably 85-69. A late miss on a three-pointer by Brad Wanamaker stopped the team from breaking the record.

Not lost on the local scene was the outstanding play of Levance Fields. Coach Dixon obviously realizes that Fields is playing out of his mind:

"The numbers are mind-boggling," Dixon said. "It was an unbelievable performance. He's doing it game after game down the stretch. I don't know who is playing better than him as a point guard. You can't play any better than his numbers."

Fields has at least 7 assists in his last five games and double-digit assists in three of his past five. His assist to TO ratio over that span? 9.3 / 1. Um, that's pretty good. The play has now made him the NCAA leader in A/T ratio. He may not play in the NBA, but he's one of the best college point guards in a while. Is he better than Brandin Knight? I'm not sure. But Pitt has been fortunate to have so many good point guards over the past few years, including Carl Krauser.

Blair Has A Career Day

DeJuan Blair had 32 points and 14 rebounds (9 offensive) as Pitt routed DePaul in Chicago 92-69.

Pitt had another sluggish start, but really left no doubt after going on a 13-0 run to close the half. What can you say - DePaul is just one of those not-so-good teams that has yet to win a game in conference. There didn't seem to be much in doubt for me...not even when Pitt got behind by 5 or 6 in the first half and really didn't seem to be playing very hard.

Fields got his assist/turnover ratio back on track with a career-high 16 assists and only one turnover. He also scored 13 and Young chipped in with 10.

Next up for Pitt are home dates this week with West Virginia and Cincinnati. Pitt should move up to #4 in both polls tomorrow and losses by UNC (who plays at Duke) and Oklahoma (not likely as they only play Baylor and Texas Tech) could set up a potential 1 Vs. 2 matchup.

Villanova Pulls Away Late

Pitt dropped its second game of the year, losing 67-57 at the Spectrum. I remember going there as a kid for a few of 76ers games, seeing Bird/McHale/Parish there once when Barkley was still a 76er then on two other occasions to see Shaq and the Magic and also Zo/Larry Johnson and the Hornets.

After Pitt went ahead by five at halftime, they looked like they should win. But turnovers (17) and foul trouble for Blair spelled doom. Three-point shooting was another factor as the team shot only 3-16 and Pitt won the rebound margin, but only by four.

I don't know - in the beginning of the year, I picked Pitt to lose either the WVU or Nova road game. But it's always hard to see them lose. Blair had a modest 7 points/8 rebounds and while Young led the Panthers with 14, he only shot 6-15.

This really might be the best blueprint to beat Pitt - make Young take tough shots and get Blair into foul trouble. Fields is great, but most nights, he isn't going to be able to pick up the scoring slack that much.

A bright spot was a strong game from local kid Brad Wanamaker. He came right in and asserted himself, shooting 6-7 and scoring 13 points in only 22 minutes.

Pitt Pulls Away Late at WVU

Pitt pulled away late to win 79-67 at West Virginia on Sunday.

Like the Louisville game, Pitt started to pull away in the 2nd half. Unlike that game, however, they kept making shots down the stretch and were able to win the game.

WVU just didn't have a great shooting game - hitting only 41% of their shots and 26% of three-pointers. Young led Pitt with 22 points and really was the difference in the game. The team was struggling when he picked up his third foul less than 10 seconds into the 2nd half and had to come out. After Dixon put him back in with about 16 minutes to go, the team started getting on track.

I don't always make a habit of saying that one player makes a huge difference for Pitt as they have a lot that can step up. But the team really seemed to gel so much better with him in the lineup. Blair had another big game with 16/11.

Fields has generally been playing well. However, it seemed he's been turning the ball over quite a bit lately. When I looked at the stats from the past three games, including this one, it confirmed that - he's had 13 turnovers. It took him EIGHT games into the season to get that many. His assist to turnover ratio the past three games has been less than 1.5/1.0. In the seven previous games, it was at greater than 5.0/1.0 - quite a difference.

Let's hope he can handle the ball a little better.

The First Loss is Never a Pleasant One

And, down goes Pitt: 69-63 at Louisville.

This one was kind of a shocker - at least to me. Going in, I thought it would be a battle. But after Pitt hung with Louisville in the first half even with Blair and Young missing considerable time due to foul trouble, I figured they'd pull it out. When they went up by ten with more than half of the second half done, I thought it was in the bag. But Louisville kept scrapping away and found a way to win.

The press really seemed to kill Pitt. Some may think it's a blueprint for other teams to follow, but I don't know how many teams can press as well as Louisville does.

I'm a little disappointed - not because I thought they could go undefeated, because the conference is just too tough. But because it almost seems as if they let up a little after they pulled ahead in the 2nd half. When Pitt goes out and punches someone in the mouth late in the game, they don't usually have to worry about teams punching back...they usually just die.

You have to hand it to Louisville - their press worked extremely well in the first half and even when it wasn't effective in the 2nd half as players started fouling, it still kept the pressure on the Panthers.

The story for this one was the two things that will kill any team - turnovers (20 - 6 of which were Fields') and poor shooting (under 35%). Yuck. While Young is getting a lot of blame, which he should, for a 6-20 shooting performance, the turnovers just killed Pitt.

The secondary story for me is the tale of two players - Brad Wanamaker and Jermaine Dixon. Wanamaker really seems to have turned the corner this year, but he simply was overmatched. The press seemed to really get to him and while he did okay, he never was able to get into a rhythm offensively, scoring only 2 points (both free throws) in 19 minutes. It seemed he was too hurried just handling the ball that he never got a chance to focus offensively.

Dixon on the other hand has looked amazing these last two games. I'm hesitant to say that it's all credited two Juan Dixon and that post-game shooting session they had together that's mentioned a lot - I don't know if one session like that could bring about such a change. But I will say that the confidence he's getting is only making him better. He's shooting more and shooting better. He had a high of 19 points for Pitt and shot 3-4 from three-point range.

At any rate, Pitt doesn't have much time to get organized with a game on Monday against top 10 Syracuse. At least it's at home.

Regarding the rankings, I think they'll probably drop to #5-#6, but we'll see.