I’m a bit out of it today. Or a bit more than usual. Kids getting sick in the past week, and now it’s my turn. So, as I turn to my secret stash of black market pre-change in the composition Ny-Quill, I’m going to do the link stuff on the quick and lazy.
Yeah, Pitt lost in the final minutes to UConn in case you forgot.
UConn Coach Calhoun saw this game as old-time Big East basketball.
The Huskies’ fifth consecutive victory was a blue-collar effort that reminded Calhoun of the Big East in the 1980s.
“If you look at the tape,” Calhoun said, “it would be in black-and-white.”
That was a big theme in the Connecticut coverage. That and A.J. Price’s play.
“Every time we felt like we were about to go up on them, he (Price) would make a big play for them, whether it was a pass, or a shot, or a three,” said Pittsburgh forward Sam Young (18 points). “He played his butt off today and my hat’s off to him.”
Price has played well the entire season, but has absolutely sparkled during UConn’s five-game winning streak, particularly since guards Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins were suspended three games ago. Wiggins returned Saturday, Dyson will be out until the end of February.
Not only does Price lead the Huskies in scoring (14.6) and assists (6.0), but against ranked opponents, he is averaging 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. The Huskies, who should be in the Top 25 themselves come Monday afternoon, are 3-3 against ranked teams.
DeJuan Blair can’t wait for Levance Fields to get back.
“We played tough. We played a good game,” he said. “We just ended up with a loss. We fought hard. They just came at the end and did an excellent job of executing plays and going to the hoop and finding shots.
“But I did good. My team did good. We just got the loss. We just have to bounce back, and we’re going to be good once Levance Fields comes back. We’re going to be good.”
“Once Levance comes back, we should be way, way better. With our guards at their right spots, we will be a much better team.”
Blair, especially, benefits from Fields being there. Fields is still the best passer and the guy who penetrates and dishes cleanly. That’s needed for Blair at this point. He is still a freshman and isn’t going to be as good with his position and really being open for passes — or the other guards aren’t good enough at passing to make it to him.
Missing Fields was a story today. There’s some frustration by the team.
Young reiterated that the up-and-down play in the first month of league play is unacceptable no matter the circumstances.
“No, we’re not OK,” Young said. “I’m not saying it couldn’t be worse, but we’re not going to settle. I know we know we can do better than this. We are waiting for Levance to get back. But I’m not going to say we’re OK.”
Blair isn’t thrilled either.
“No, I’m not OK with (being 5-4),” Blair said. “Heck no, because we keep bouncing back and forth. We win, lose, win, lose. I don’t like that. You know me. Where I came from, I was a winner. I try my hardest to fight … so I’m trying to get a winning streak going on. Getting a couple game-winning streaks going. That will put our confidence up, and once Levance comes back, we will just be way, way better.”
The good news, is there is no finger pointing. The frustration makes sense. Everyone feels it.
All that said, I think that the kind of fight and effort that they have been putting forth exceeds what reasonable expectations of their performance should be considering the injuries, experience of players, and lack of bench. It impresses me that this team expects so much when they could just quit. It sucks that they have lost these games. But I honestly see this as them staying in games that they shouldn’t be in as opposed to blowing games where they are the superior team. Athletically, they are superior. But between the 4 freshman and no point guard, I don’t think they are a superior team in the Big East.
They won’t quit. They won’t settle for failure. And they have inspired us to expect a lot. That seems to be Jamie Dixon basketball. And as heartbreaking as it can be to watch right now, I love these guys for hanging in there. In a few weeks, the tides are going to turn, and some consistency is going to show up at point guard. I can’t wait.