No, not really. Pitt is already in Hartford, and the snow isn’t supposed to hit the area until 3pm at the earliest (and BTW, it’s still snowing here in Cleveland). The only one not making the trip (other than Yuri Demetris) was radio play-by-play guy Bill Hillgrove. He also calls Steelers games and didn’t want to risk not being able to get back for the game.
UConn is being real smart about how to deal with empty seats from fans who may not be able to make it because of the snow. After all, this is a big game, and UConn wants the place packed and rocking for the home team. They want ticket holders who either don’t plan to come or don’t think they will make it to let the school know so the tickets can be donated to students.
Fans with tickets to the contest who are unable to attend are ENCOURAGED TO DONATE UNUSED TICKETS FOR USE BY UCONN STUDENTS WHO CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE TICKETS TO THIS GAME. This ticket donation can be accomplished in several ways.
1.) Bring your tickets to the UConn women’s basketball game at the Hartford Civic Center and turn them in at any of three locations…
2.) Send an email message to ATHTICKETS@UCONN.EDU. Make the subject heading “Pitt Tickets” and be sure to include your name and ticket locations.
3.) Call the UConn Athletic Ticket Office beginning at 9 a.m. at 1-877-AT-UCONN with your name and ticket locations.
Note: To maximize the number of UConn Students that we can accommodate, fans donating tickets are asked to contact UConn Athletics by 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Students have been waiting out for tickets and to be there for ESPN’s College GameDay since Thursday. You have to admire and respect the way the school does its best to help encourage and reward the students’ zeal. Additionally, in a rather simple but cool gesture, UConn Coach Calhoun and several players stopped to talk to the students after Friday’s practice. The only way this game will be cancelled would be if the state highways were ordered closed. That happened back in 1996 with a game scheduled between UConn and Villanova.
The headlines leading up to the game are all about the frontlines and which side will outmuscle the other:
If Pitt can hold its own against Connecticut’s front line, the Panthers might have an advantage on the perimeter. Sophomore Marcus Williams, who replaced Taliek Brown at point guard, will be forced to guard Carl Krauser, Pitt’s top scorer. And if Taft and Troutman have success inside and force Connecticut’s guards to sag to the lane, Pitt’s 3-point shooters will have open looks.
“We’re going to start with our bigs and let them dictate our game,” freshman guard Ronald Ramon said. “They’ll have to help out with [Troutman] and Chris and that helps out the guard play.”
But when the chips are down, look for both coaches to utilize their strengths. That means a lot of inside touches and a lot of physical play. In other words, it’s going to be an old-fashioned Big East brawl.
Whichever front line plays best likely comes out on top.
And both sides think they have the best to offer.
The inimitable Dick Vitale called the Connecticut frontline the best in college basketball the other day.
Pitt sophomore center Chris Taft respectfully disagreed.
“Of course you’re always going to say that you’re team is No. 1 and that their team is No. 2,” Taft said. “They have great players, and we have great players. … It really doesn’t matter who’s No. 1 and who’s No. 2, it matters who wins the game.”
As No. 21 Pitt (12-3, 2-2 Big East) enters its 9 p.m. nationally televised showdown at No. 16 Connecticut (11-3, 3-1) tonight at Gampel Pavilion, Taft has softened his stance on the greatness of the Pitt frontline.
After all, he had this to say in the preseason: “We’re better than Connecticut, we’re better than whoever you want to put in front of us,” he said then. “I say we have the best frontline in the country.”
Lots of quotes from Dick Vitale in the article, so you may not have the stomach for it. Up in Storrs, Forward Charlie Villanueva feels he has something to prove.
The Huskies had the better of this annual welding contest last season but Villanueva had little to do with the outcome. He scored three points in UConn’s victory in Hartford, was shut out in a loss at Pittsburgh and was injured and did not play in the Huskies’ victory in the Big East tournament final.
“It’s been a whole year,” Villanueva said. “I have been thinking about this for a while. I always wanted a shot at them again and this is the chance to prove myself.”
…
With Chris Taft (6 feet 10), Chevy Troutman (6-7, 240) and Mark McCarroll (6-10), Pittsburgh is the first team UConn will play this season that is nearly equal in stature.And it doesn’t end with the starters.
The Panthers can go to Aaron Gray, a 7-foot, 275-pound center and Levon Kendall, a 6-9 forward, to counter Hilton Armstrong and Ed Nelson.
Taft and Troutman have been nearly as productive as Boone and Villanueva. The Pittsburgh duo is averaging 27.2 points and 15 rebounds but their impact can’t be reduced to numbers.
Taft is one of the league’s best shot-blockers and Troutman remains a crafty, physical interior defender.
“Pittsburgh is so tough on the inside,” Boone said. “They are always a very tough, very physical defensive team and they try to get up in you on defense and hit the boards and box you out.”
Both teams are being way too willing to pat the other on the back leading up to the game. Is there anything to get things going?
“The Syracuse rivalry is our best rivalry,” Calhoun said. “I know everyone in Pittsburgh gets upset when I say that, but I say that because over the last 14 years the two of us have won something like 11 (Big East) championships between the two of us. We’ve won three national championships between the two programs and have had a ton of pros between the programs.”
But Calhoun did acknowledge there is more bad blood between the Huskies and Panthers than the Orange.
“These teams have gone at each other a little bit,” Calhoun said. “When we face Syracuse that doesn’t seem to be there. We shake hands before and after the game and everyone tries to win, but the Pittsburgh games seem to have a different twinge to them because of the physicality of the game.”
No, not really anything too inflammatory.
Guard play, though, will still matter. It will be Carl Krauser against Marcus Williams. Williams doesn’t turn the ball over near as much as Krauser (who is these days) but is prone to foul troubles. As for shooting guards. Well if Denham Brown and or Rashard Anderson snap out of their scoring drought, Pitt has no chance. Opposite, Pitt does need some outside shooting to fall from Graves and Ramon. Pitt doesn’t take nearly as many shots as UConn (or just about anyone) so they need to have a higher field goal percentage. Not to mention outrebounding to limit opportunities of the other and create second chances for Pitt.
Here are the basic scouting reports.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
DESPERATION: Pitt has slowly backed itself into a corner. A loss tonight would drop the Panthers to 2-3 in the league with a difficult schedule ahead. Might desperation lift Pittsburgh to victory?
“There’s a chance,” UConn guard Marcus Williams said. “But I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
DISCIPLINE: The Huskies need Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva and Williams on the floor for the majority of the game. Each will need to avoid careless fouls while not backing down from Pittsburgh’s muscle.
CROWD: The Panthers haven’t been to Gampel Pavilion since they began to run with the league’s elite. Weather permitting, or if the ticket exchange works well, it should be an electric atmosphere.
Pitt responded well to a hostile crowd against Rutgers, but that was against Rutgers. Will Pitt respond well to a hostile crowd with a more talented foe?
Final note, an actual ‘Burgh columnist is ripped away from covering the Steelers to write about Pitt. Smizik goes after Carl Krauser. Actually, he essentially blames Krauser for everything wrong with the team right now. I’m not willing to go that far.
Krauser is playing poorly, and it is hurting the team. Plain and simple, though, there are problems everywhere. Taft has been playing lazy and only in spurts. Troutman hasn’t been playing smart and often finds himself out of position for rebounding and getting called for fouls. Graves has shot poorly since Big East play began — 7 for 23, and hasn’t provided much defense. Ramon has been the lone exception at playing to or exceeding expectations in Big East play. Other than that, the bench has been negligible.
Does Krauser need to play better? More under control? Lower the turnovers? Yes to all. As far as getting the players the ball, Krauser is 3rd in the BE in assists/game. Considering he is a shooting point guard, that is actually pretty good. Coach Dixon and the staff need to do a better job of keeping him under control, but the fact is he is the best defender on the perimeter Pitt has to have him out there. Graves has had trouble bringing the ball up court, when pressured.
Lets Go Pitt!
