Every week, a new series of tests. Barely a week ago Pitt was completing its first challenge of playing a bunch of games in a short period. Now, Pitt is in the midst of its next challenge of playing the upper tier teams over a week and a half (Marquette, UConn, G-town and WVU).
Really, I want to know who the genius was that decided Pitt should play on Tuesday and then wait to play again until Super Bowl Sunday — with a noon start? I mean some will barely have time to sober up before it starts all over again. That is just a fouled up process. I’m too old to drink all the way through. Given all the pre-game, preliminaries, extra commercial breaks and everything else, I’d be out cold by the end of the first quarter. Sorry, I digressed.
One of the goals right now for Pitt is to finish in the top 4 of the Big East Conference and earn a first round bye at the Big East Tournament.
“It definitely is important,” Krauser said. “No one wants to play four nights in a row in the tough Big East. It’s almost like playing in the NBA when you’re playing against good teams night in and night out. It would be nice to have fresh legs for those games.”
Pitt’s victory against Marquette Saturday afternoon was important because it gave the Panthers some separation in the standings. Marquette (15-6, 5-3) is in sixth place, 1 1/2 games behind the Panthers. Georgetown (14-4, 5-2) is in fifth place, a half-game behind Pitt, Connecticut and Villanova.
The cushion could come in handy because things are about to get much tougher. After playing their first seven Big East games against teams with a combined 18-32 record in conference play, the Panthers are about to enter the most difficult stretch of the season the next 10 days.
After Connecticut, Pitt plays at Georgetown and then plays host to West Virginia. Those three teams are a combined 17-4 in the Big East.
“This is an important stretch for us,” Krauser said. “All these games coming up are important. Our character will come out, how we play together. It will bring out the best in us.”
Pitt’s excellent season and continued consistent excellence over the last few years has some wondering how there could be such doubts about Pitt coming into the season. Also an Aaron Gray anectdote after his freshman season.
The morning after Pittsburgh lost to Oklahoma State in the Round of 16 of the 2004 N.C.A.A. tournament, the team took a bus back to the Petersen Events Center and the players scattered across campus.
But as Barry Rohrssen, an assistant at the time, returned to his office, he noticed the freshman Aaron Gray leaving the locker room and heading to the weight room in workout clothes.
Rohrssen, now Pittsburgh’s associate head coach, said he asked Gray what he was doing and Gray told him, “Next season starts now.”
It also helped that Gray spent that summer playing a lot of NBA and kids from Temple. It is a reminder that Gray was not an overnight change or that he suddenly had a light go off. He’s been working and developing his entire time at Pitt. He’s been maturing and developing in all aspects — skill sets, competition, strength and conditioning and diet. He’s a big center, and it takes time.
Against UConn, a big night will be needed by Gray and the other guys inside. Especially rebounding — limiting theirs and giving Pitt more second chance opportunities.
“UConn prides itself on rebounding, too, so it should be a battle down low,” Dixon said.
Pitt will be armed with the 7-foot Gray (10.9 rpg.), 6-9 Levon Kendall (6.0) and 6-6 Sam Young (4.2). Connecticut will counter with 6-10 Josh Boone (7.0), 6-11 Hilton Armstrong (6.5) and 6-9 Rudy Gay (6.2).
Though Pitt’s Gray leads the Big East in rebounding, he’s not a one-man team on the boards for the Panthers. Kendall and Young, a freshman, give the team a combined weapon at power forward.
The combined statistics of Gray, Kendall and Young compare favorably at this point in the season to those of last year’s big men, Chris Taft and Chevon Troutman.
Taft, last year’s starting center, was averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game through the period. Power forward Troutman was at 14.3 and 8.2, respectively.
This year, Gray is averaging 13.1 points to go with his rebounding average of 10.9. Kendall and Young are combining to average 15.7 points and 10.2 rebounds at the power forward spot.
Pitt is 0-12 against teams ranked #1, with 2 of them being to UConn.
Unsurprisingly, USA Today lists the Tuesday game as one to watch (think ESPN isn’t wishing it was showing this game?).
That UConn is good is no shock. That they are ranked #1 right now is hardly a stunner. What makes them more dangerous this year, to me, is their increased depth. And I shudder to think what they’d have been like if Bynum hadn’t gone straight to the NBA.
You have Hilton Armstrong playing very well. Rudy Gay is a tremendous talent, and Jeff Adrien provides the real toughness. Josh Boone showing signs of coming out of his somewhat disappointing season. Denham Brown is now playing better. Marcus Williams seems to have picked-up from last year as the best pure PG in the Big East. Ed Nelson, Marcus Johnson and Craig Austrie are part of the bench.
The Huskies play tough defense but are a much faster tempo team than Pitt. Coach Jim Calhoun has continually stressed that he wants the team to have at least 75 shot attempts per game. Pitt is going to have to resist the urge to try and run with UConn.
UConn game notes are here.
