Tyrell Biggs Getting A Look

Things are slow...real slow.

So slow in fact that I've reverted to NBA Summer League games with the wonderful invention that is NBA TV.  Seriously, even if you're not an NBA fan, the quality of broadcasters and analysis is second to none.

Last night, Chris Webber basically went head-to-head with the Minnesota Timberwolves' GM during a broadcast for picking up Darko Milicic.  C-Dub really didn't appreciate being even mildly compared to Darko.  At all.  I've also learned that John Wall can really play and Hasheem Thabeet still can't.

In the nightcap of last night's games, I noticed some fellow by the name of Biggs on the Bulls roster.  A closer look revealed that it was in fact Pitt's very own power forward, Tyrell Biggs.  Tyrell looked oh so fashionable in his cotton tank top with shorts hiked up.  Fortunately for him, he's not the only player that wears those awful practice-type unis.  I can understand if that's what was worn before the games were ever televised, but if the league is spotlighting them on NBA TV (and even selling an online package where you can watch the games on your computer), they might want to outfit their players in apparel that doesn't look like it was from a $.99 bin at Gabriel's.

Just sayin'.

Anyway, I believe Biggs was a late addition to the team.  I didn't see him on their initial roster.  But he was a long-shot to even get a sniff at the team and averaging only 1.5 ppg and 1.5 rpg through two games getting 18 minutes a game likely won't help.  Still, good to see him in a camp.  There are some guys in the summer leagues pushing 30, so it's not too late for him to ever get into the league by any stretch.

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.

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.