Definitely seems like Pitt will be going it without Aaron Gray tomorrow.
“If I had to guess going by what I saw [yesterday] I don’t think he’ll be ready to go on Saturday,” Dixon said after Pitt’s workout. “I’ve been wrong before. We’ll just have to see. In the next 48 hours there might some recovery there, but going by what he did today I would say there wouldn’t be a good chance.”
Gray, averaging 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds a game, did some light work on the side as Pitt went through practice. The main problem is the ankle is not responding well to treatment. Gray has dealt with turned ankles in the past, but this injury seems more serious.
“It’s swollen, very discolored and it doesn’t look good,” Dixon said. “I’ll put it in layman’s terms. You wouldn’t want to walk on it if it was yours.”
Let’s just say, I’m not feeling good about Pitt’s chances against Georgetown without him. It really weakens Pitt defensively in two positions. Obviously at Center where Kendall will have to slide over and play, but also with Sam Young sliding in to start at Power Forward and going against Jeff Green (who absolutely terrifies me).
Georgetown’s offense is absolutely the worst kind of offense for Young to face. They run set plays with backdoor cuts and great movement without the ball. Young struggles to maintain his concentration on defense. He drifts out of position and gets impatient. I can see him being exploited for those tendencies badly. Young has all the abilities and tools to be the better player than Kendall defensively — even undersized at PF — but he hasn’t shown the mental for a full game (which, by the way, probably has as much to do with anything else as to why Young has not gotten the minutes everyone things he should get).
HoyaSaxa.com has an excellent preview for the game.
A game that was supposed to be all about deciding the Big East regular season, now has a different meaning for me. It’s now about seeing what the team does and plays knowing that Gray cannot be the main guy — at best. They have to pick up the effort on both sides. I was encouraged by the rebounding effort against Seton Hall after the slow start, but there needs to be more on the defensive side. Keeping the guards outside, and stopping Green and others from driving. Pitt is suddenly very depth deprived inside with only Kendall and Young with Biggs to spell them both. That means, staying out of foul trouble for the forwards will be essential, hence while Hibbert could be enough of a problem, if players are getting drives to the basket you know there will be some fouling inside. Something Pitt can’t afford.
Joe Starkey’s column is all about saying, “you people didn’t appreciate Gray enough, but now maybe you’ll understand.” I sort of understand, but I think that some of the nitpicking and complaints about some of what Gray has and hasn’t done this year has been justified. I haven’t heard anyone claim the team would have been better without him. Just that they expected more.
The complaints I never got were things about how he hasn’t improved or regressed from last year. When he’s in the game, he changes things for both sides. And other than with rebounding, there isn’t much standing around by the team waiting for him to do something.
I really hope my $55 isn’t going to be a total waste.
As I predicted before Gray injury, 1-2 over the next three games..you said (suprisingly, 3-0).
Just take off the blue and gold goggles once in awhile.
Hopefully Rex is right and the team will play focussed, and harder. The skeptic in me says I will believe it when I see it but in times past they have done just that.
This year’s team has been an enigma to me. I know they have good players but they do not play good for 40 minutes, let alone for a half. They will have to play good for most if not all of this game to win.
We will have to take care of the ball, and have decent outside shooting–but I still think that we can win this game. Rebounding will be key.
And if we don’t win the BE, so what? I would rather have a healthy, rested Gray for the BE and NCAA tournaments.
With Gray, I say they are a 50-50 shot to win or lose on the road. Without Him the percentage goes is lower. As for home, I say with him playing against WVU they win.
I just wish I could have full confidnece in them bringing their “A” game everytime but alas as the season has unfolded it has not happened.
I am a fan but I am not a fantatic. My hopes for this team are not based on projected play but play itself. I have been hoping this team would jell as in past seasons. That hope with the media predictions of them being good has led me to higher expectations for this year’s team.
My expectations have been lowered by their play this year. But like I said this team is an enigma to me. While I expect them not to win all of the next 3 games, they could surprise and win them all. But I am not holding my breath.
