Expect more than a few replays of Christian Laetnner’s shot to knock off Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament tonight. Along with flashbacks to Bobby Knight winning national championships at Indiana. The Spectrum hosted those.
For Pitt, it will be the second and last time playing at the place. Naturally the Philly players are hyped. They’d be hyped anyways because of going to play before family and friends.
“I always wanted to play on that floor in a real-live game,” said Pitt freshman forward and Chester native Nasir Robinson. “This week I will have a chance.”
The trip also is a homecoming for sophomore guard Brad Wanamaker, a former star at Philadelphia Roman Catholic High who is expecting at least 25 family and friends.
“It’s very exciting,” Wanamaker said, “especially going back to my hometown to play in a historical gym like that.”
This will be the first time Wanamaker steps inside the Spectrum. Robinson, who grew up about 20 miles outside Philadelphia, took part in a basketball camp across the parking lot, at the Wachovia Center, about five years ago.
“It’s a chance to go home and play in front of my family and friends and play on that floor in the last game,” Robinson said. “It’s going to be a good feeling.”
It has been nearly 18 years since Pitt made its only visit to the Spectrum, losing to Villanova, 75-72, on Jan. 30, 1991.
Even though, this is Wanamaker’s second time going home with Pitt, this means more.
“Last year, I was part of the team,” he said. “This year, I’m part of the rotation.”
All nice, Pitt, though, is facing Villanova not the Spectrum. ‘Nova coach Jay Wright is trying to downplay it for his kids — for now.
“I don’t think our players understand, and I’m not talking to them about it until after the game,” Wright, speaking yesterday before practice at the Spectrum, said.
“I really want them to concentrate on Pitt. We really want them to concentrate on 94 by 50 feet; that’s what we talk about. So I haven’t talked to them about it at all. But after the game, I will talk to them about, ‘Hey, you’ll [remember] this for the rest of your lives, with this building hosting all these great games and events.’ “
The perceptions don’t change, even if the personnel does. Pitt is a tough, grinding, defensive, ugly team according to the script.
Big East hoops is hardly a neighborhood for the meek. Most of the time, you put on your gloves knowing it could well go the full 15 rounds.
It’s a grind, physically and between the ears. There’s little choice but to embrace the mud and get filthy.
Perhaps no program personifies that as much as Pittsburgh. It began under the leadership of Ben Howland, and has continued for the past six seasons under his former lead assistant, Jamie Dixon. It seems like every Panthers’ game resembles rugby. They don’t mind a little contact. Or even a bunch. Have you seen DeJuan Blair operate down low?
Anyway, it suits their character. And has served them well.
Sure Pitt has more athleticism, can score more, and shoots better. The core identity remains.
Just as Villanova under Jay Wright is not just guard oriented, but all guards.
The Wildcats, 3-3 in Big East play, have the type of personnel that can pose problems for Pitt. They have tremendous guard play with Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes, who average in double figures and are dangerous outside shooters. Stokes is shooting 45 percent from 3-point range and Reynolds 37 percent.
“The names have changed, but their style of play and what they do are the same,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “They have guards who can take you off the dribble and undersized big guys that play bigger, can score around the basket and can step out. They play very hard. They’re aggressive and they’re well-coached.”
Villanova coach Jay Wright brings another guard, Corey Fisher (9.9 points per game), off the bench.
“They have tough guards,” Robinson said. “Villanova is always known for tough guards.”
But as we know, the reality for ‘Nova is also not quite that simple now that Dante Cunningham has emerged.
Dante Cunningham, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound senior, is outscoring all of the Wildcats’ heralded guards and giving Villanova a rare inside scoring threat.
“They are not so guard-oriented anymore,” Pitt’s Brad Wanamaker said. “They have a big man. We’ve got to worry about not just the outside but the inside as well.”
No. 3 Pitt (18-1, 6-1) will play No. 21 Villanova (15-4, 3-3) at 7 tonight in the final collegiate basketball game at the 41-year-old Spectrum.
Cunningham averaged 7.1 points per game in his first three seasons at Villanova, contributing more with rebounding and smothering defense. This season, he is more aggressive and has nearly doubled his scoring average from last year, up to 16.6 points per game.
“We wanted him to be a little more assertive,” Wright said earlier this season. “We need him to be a go-to guy.”
Not since 6-10 power forward Michael Bradley in 2000-01 — the year before Wright arrived — has a front-court player led the Wildcats in scoring.
For some reason, Antonio Pena is being overlooked as the other emerging inside presence. The sophomore is still raw but is averaging 9 points and over 6 boards in Big East play. He also shoots just under 50%.
Sam Young took home Big East Player of the Week Honors.
Tyrell Biggs’ knee appears to be fine after an X-ray showed nothing. Pitt is also planning ahead for exempt non-con tournaments:
Dixon said yesterday that the Panthers will play in an exempt early season tournament at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Pitt will play in exempt tournaments in the fall and in 2010. The Panthers will play in the Guardians Classic in Kansas City in November and in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden the following year.
Good to know it wasn’t just tutoring with his brother Juan that helped Jermaine Dixon with his shooting.
“I feel comfortable in my shot,” Dixon said following Sunday’s game. “I feel more comfortable with my shot than I did at the beginning of the year.”
Additional work with Pitt’s assistant coaches has helped Dixon make six three-pointers over the past three games.
Working with his brother, no doubt helped, and did something for his mental side. It’s just good when the coaches — you know, coach.
It also helps shooting confidence to know that there is someone who can clean things up.
Pitt ranks eighth among NCAA Division I teams. The Panthers average 15.8 offensive rebounds per game. Only West Virginia (16.0) averages more among Big East Conference teams. Hofstra leads with 16.9 per game.
At Pitt, offensive rebounding always has been a tradition. Whether it was Jerome Lane from those teams in the late 1980s or modern-day players such as Chevon Troutman and Aaron Gray, getting extra possessions from missed shots has been part of Pitt’s formula for success on offense.
“It always has been [important],” coach Jamie Dixon said. “We emphasized it for years. It’s always been a big part of what we do. I think DeJuan has taken it to another level with what he does on the glass.”
But Blair isn’t the only one who is contributing offensive rebounds. Starting power forward Tyrell Biggs has 48 and small forward Sam Young has 38.
They have helped make Pitt a difficult team in which to play. When opponents prepare for Pitt they have to game plan knowing that the Panthers rebound on 40.6 percent of their misses, which is a startling number to comprehend.
They’ll need to do a good job on rebounding tonight. It keeps the pace in control and won’t let Villanova get out in transition and try to speed up the game.
