For those that still think the screaming, chest-pounding and raw emotions from Dante Taylor are about selfish, me-first attitude; please watch him break down in the post-game while talking about his teammates and Pitt. Taylor wears his emotions on his sleeve. He could never match the expectations, but he has loved being a Pitt Panther and he loves the school and his teammates. If you don’t get that. If your reaction still begins with, “Yeah, but…” Just go away for a few days. This was Senior Day. His moment, and he earned it now and for the 3+ previous years.
We knew this was going to be a rough game for Pitt. With Adams out for the game. Villanova really, really needed the win. Oh, and Karl Hess was lording over the officiating crew.
As much as the lack of Adams’ presence on the floor affected how Villanova was able to attack inside, Talib Zanna had quietly been very effective on the glass. And in OT made everyone aware of his impact on offense. He scored Pitt’s first 7 points in the overtime and looked like the Zanna we saw in December. When the play-calling crew said he was in double-digits in rebounds I was surprised. He had been out there most of the game. Doing the dirty work. It all added up to 19 rebounds along with 14 points — and 9 of those coming in the overtime.
Woodall also had a double-double of his own with 13 points and 11 assists. Not his best shooting day, but you could see the determination to keep Pitt in this game.
Can we just agree that Durand Johnson likes to play Villanova? He nailed all three of his threes. In two games against Nova he has scored 22 points. He has 54 in the other 14 Big East games he’s played this year.
James Robinson has had a miserable stretch — or to simplify — he just hasn’t shot well at all in Big East play. In the final minutes and overtime. The entire narrative shifted. Clutch shooting. Big cojones to take and make those 3s. Especially after visibly passing on some looks earlier in the game. His teammates trust him, and in those moments he trusted himself.
Pitt gutted out a win without the starting center. They got stronger and better as the game went on. Once more, the deep rotation served them well to grind and wear a team down.
They were able to shift defensive styles to stymie the Wildcats. Going from man to zone. Keeping them off-guard. They handled the lack of any flow because of the way the game was officiated, and handled the way the game was called (better than I did).
Pitt is now in a position to take a double-bye in the Big East Tournament (for whatever that is worth) and win 12 games in the Big East this season. With all the questions this team has had coming into the year and during the year, they’ve already beaten most expectations.
Glad for him it worked out so nicely…should give him confidence in the weeks to come.
A blast from the past, where players were happy to get a scholarship and play basketball at a Major University.
The game needs more Taylors and less of the Birch & J.Johnson variety.
If he chooses to play pro Ball somewhere, best of luck & fortune to him.
On the middle of the waistband of our uniform shorts is that little infamous bugger of the beaver/groundhog/mole head that use to adorn our football helmets.
That thing just won’t go away…..sort of like…
the man who brought it into being.
And I have a hunch it’s the same guy who’s keeping that disturbing thing alive. Lurking in the background.
Exciting win, just like the end of the Big East at the Pete should be. I have a lot of respect for coaches who preach quality life alongside of quality play. I hope Chryst and Jamie are at Pitt for a long time. Both are good men, not just good coaches.
Taylor’s first couple of months as a Freshman were tough. He wore his McD’s M on his sleeve so to speak.
But he sure did grow up, didn’t he?
Behind the basket, Pitt bench side, a student had one of those big face posters, this one of an older man.
Who and why? Thanks.
That’s Great!
So isn’t there a lesson here beyond Taylor? Something like, for most of these kids, it takes 3 or 4 years to figure it out and develop as D-1 college players? Sam Young, a Pitt great, was routinely derided on this board as a freshman and sophomore as clueless on defense and tentative on offense. Wanamaker routinely had a deer in the headlights look as a freshman and sophomore. The young Woodall was an out of control PG as a freshman and sophomore. There’s many more. So players like Robinson (who is already very good), Wright and Johnson coming up, we haven’t seen the best they have yet. And they will be very good in the future. Give them some slack.
Robinson comes through with a clutch 3 pointer at the critical time after being cold as ice from behind that line previously. In OT, Zanna lights it up after battling under the boards all game to end with a double-double. And this performance comes out of nowhere since Zanna has been in winter hibernation for the last couple of months. Then put an exclamation point on the OT win with the two seniors linking up for a power dunk to end the game. Come on, if they wrote a movie script like this it would be considered too melodramatic to be believed.
All of this occurs with the big man Adams, injured, sitting on the bench??? Just a signature win for Pitt going into the BE tourney and beyond. This team is peaking at just the right time. Hope that they can keep the magic going for the next few weeks and break into the final four for the first time ever!
Hail to Pitt!
The game can not establish any flow to it whatsoever when the refs are constantly blowing the whistle for ticky tack fouls.
Nova for instance got the benefit of the doubt on just about EVERY offensive charge, while PITT got called for blocking or whatever.
I don’t know where these refs get trained, or who tells them to call things overly “tight”
But it makes for one ugly, and until the end of regulation and the overtime, one boring game.
Also a nice piece on Pitt’s final home game in the BigEast on the Front Page.
Hopefully that link works
The game yesterday was the best one at the Pete this year (despite the stripes trying to get a W for Vill.)
Anyway, Thanks to Woody and Sleepy. May they save the best for last and go out in even bigger fashion in a few weeks!
The reason for my support for Taylor is that I believed as with many atheltes because of circumstance they got a raw deal.
If the coaching staff would have recruited a big man of the limited skills of McGhee, this would not have been difficult, to simply avg. 6 ponts a game and 8 rebs. Taylor may of had the opportunity to play the position he played in high school at 220.lbs,
He would probably not have developed tendeniticous and would of had the chance Zanna did this year to work on a game facing the basket.
My guess is that if he had played the 4 behind off the bench his freshman and sophmore years he would have been much more adavance than Zanna this year. If that is true than with Adams they would have been a difficult match up.
Hindsight and speculation so let’s just thank Dante for sacrificing for the team and apologize for our years of criticism.
When you are deep off a rebound or drive and opposition on your back you take it up they are going at worst a block and send you to the foul line or a clean block from behind. Instead get them in the air jump out from the basket initiate contact on their way down you should get the hoop and perhaps the foul.
I think we all wished he would have turned into that NBA lottery pick but I’ve never questioned his commitment and attitude. Congrats Dante! You just earned a free degree from one of the best universities in the country and you did it with class.
Here are today’s games that could help:
(50)Cinci (+10) over (5)Louisville
(252)Del St (NR) over (262)Morgan St (May be close, Morgan St. is home)
(280)Bethune-Cookman (NR) over (282)Hampton (Hampton should win)
Palm (CBS) now has Pitt(5) in Dayton, playing St. Mary’s(11).
Kenpom #5
ESPN BPI #10
Sagarin #10
I expect the Coaches, AP, and ESPN Power Rankings will move Pitt up 1 to 3 places.
One other note. One so-called analyst said the “toughest out” was Big 10 teams? Other than Michigan State, which Izzo could lead my grandma to a final 4 and she’s been gone for over 20 years, they have no “sure fire” picks for a final 4…. Michigan? Indiana? Ohio Sucks University? I think we have at least one if not two teams in final 4 and don’t be surprised to see Duke and Miami there at the end either. ACC now gets props as us and Syracuse will make that conference that much stronger in the years to come.
Dante and Tray’s last year. Jack Anderson’s last year as Band Director. Last year in the Big East. Would be something, wouldn’t it?
And having said that, how about some more Kudos for JD and his staff teaching our team how to play an effective 2/3 zone. It just killed Nove yesterday and it brings another weapon to the table in the post season.
Love Jack Anderson. Used to sit with his wife and family in old Sec 23 at Pitt Stadium. Nicest folks on the planet and a terrific band director.
I have not said this all year but I actually will miss Pitt not playing until Saturday!
Personally, I get tired of seeing highlight reel dunks from every other team accept Pitt. We have some good athletes on this team. They need to be allowed to use their athleticism more often. They will enjoy the game more and I think it will translate into a much more potent offensive team that could make a run in the Big Dance.
And it would be nice, of course, if Patterson could start playing well.
A great win, though, despite the ref-abetted ugly play throughout much of the game.
That’s why this game was so great, the finale of the Big East at the Pete. The seniors going out in style. The trolls having to disappear , although they will get the last laugh, when we don’t win it all. What a day at the Pete!
Fifty fouls called in this game. It sure seemed like Nova was making theirs and we were missing half of ours. But the stats don’t lie, 18 points each.
Funny how things work out, Adams being out turns out to be a really good thing if Zanna gets his confidence back. Out of nowhere, 6-7 from the line, he has been rebounding well, but 19 is off the charts.
Durand Johnson was instant offense, what a nice weapon to have, he changed the course of the game. He is going to be a great player for Pitt. The kind of swing man we have not had. No hesitation.
Don’t give up on Wright and Ziegler. On this team you never know who will have the hot hand. Patterson has been cold, same with Moore, from now on we need at least 3 guys to get hot every game.
And keep up the ferocious defense and rebounding.
They ALL deserve for the Stars to Align..
They even questioned the no call on Archidiacono’s final drive, which as watching it I was surprised as they were getting those calls all game long. Another example of how close these games really are and how much impact the refs have.
I can’t say enough about how good Archi was yesterday. He was only 6-14 and 6-6 from the line but it seemed better than than that. What a quick release and he really knows how to square up.
Yesterday really hurt Nova’s chances. Well we owed them more than one.
Also, I’d be happy if Trey Ziegler never got on the floor again this season. Why is he playing ahead of Durand Johnson? I know Johnson is playing at the 3, but he could easily move to the 2. THat keeps Patterson on the floor, and gives you a legitimate 3 point threat…
@gc – it was just a bad, inconsistently called game. It is true that the game might have swung if Archidiacono gets that call on the final drive but it might not have needed to swing if Nova wasn’t getting all the calls earlier. There are badly called games that are consistent which are painful to watch but, at least, fair. This was badly called and inconsistent which makes it even tougher on the players and coaches. And the fans. We can take comfort in the fact that our players and coaches were able to overcome the way the game was called.
I thought there were some blocking calls made against Pitt where the defender clearly had esteblished position. There was one in particular that wasn’t even close and was a horrible call. At one point during the 2nd half, I thought every time Villanova drove, the Panthers would get called. I guess that makes it all the better when you can win the way Pitt did, despite the bad calls.
Pitt is now #20 AP, # 22 Coaches Poll and CBSSports.com, # 38 RPI and # 10 BPI.
Love how sloppy Pitt fans are getting over Sleepy. He’s gotten nothing but s@#! on this board for the past 4 years (probably myself included at some point). Don’t get the badmouthing of other Pitt players though. I get the Birch animosity because he left mid year, but so did Johnson and Gilbert and few were heartbroken to see them leave — most of the reaction was “extra scholarship!” and even with Gilbert redshirting he could have been a productive player in time. Senior day is nice because it acknowledges the commitment — it’s not just accomplishment on the court but dedication and commitment to the program (and hopefully the value of the degree). Some players don’t see the value in that, but Taylor is a good example of someone who does. It’s almost like the antithesis to CBB as a minor league for the pros.
Justinian, i cant wait for ACC football but I too will miss BE hoops. Even with Syracuse and Louisville coming with, it just won’t be the same, as the 4 teams I truly love to hate, G’town, UConn, Nova, and our hillbilly friends down I-79 will all be gone. I loved that the BE footprint included the legendary hotbed recruiting areas of the northeast, that many of the schools had urban campuses, that the league was known for grit and guts vs. flash and flair, that the tourney was at MSG. Sure it’ll be easy to detest the Dukies, but beyond them, I think it’ll take a while to build a strong revulsion to the rest if the ACC. Oh well, I guess there’s still the Domers…
Comment by gc 03.04.13 @ 11:01 am
I was just thinking the same thing catching up reading these comments from this morning.
If JR missed that 3 with 33 to go in regulation we prolly lose and the mood on this board would be 180 degrees different.
While it’s nice to think Elite 8 and Final 4, I’d be happy if they get to the Sweet 16 since this team is so so unpredictable. After last year, Sweet 16 would be a pretty good accomplishment since Kiwi Steve hasn’t developed that much on offense and until the big 3’s yesterday, JR had been MIA on offense.
I know we’ve all talked about, we’ll get as far as Adams carries us this season. Actually I think it might be more up to the play of Zanna, Woodie & Patterson. As those 3 have been the 3 main scorers and playmakers of the season.
Anything we get from Sleepy & Adams & JR is just gravy. Like yesterdays 3’s from JR.
“Averaging only seven points in Big East play, Talib Zanna came up big for the Panthers in a win against Villanova. He scored nine of his 14 points in overtime, plus had a career-high 19 rebounds to secure Pitt’s third straight win. “
Funny how you could almost hear the joy in Bollinger’s words when he rejoices about to being out of the Tino zone. In other words you have QBs that can actually create things and don’t have cement shoes with an average arm.
And we enter the USA/ESPN poll at #23.
Back to the AP poll, just how did Oregon leapfrog us from #24 to #19. They ONLY had 1 game the whole weak and beat 3-13 bottom feeder Oregon State.
Guess all these writers, will be getting Nike’s Fed Ex’d to them. Cause that makes no sense at all.
Didn’t you get the directive….you can not mention that name on here anymore. lol
Louisiana Tech was #25 in the AP last week, lost to no-one last week is 16-0 in the WAC and 26-3 overall. Hammered Utah State 84-61 and just clobbered San Jose State 88-61 last week. And somehow the AP dropped them OUT of the poll.
LA Tech is having some bad mojo, as their football team was 9-3, had the highest scoring offense in the Nation and still got no Bowl Bid.
Sort of like Pitt’s 1963 no bowl 9-1 team, exactly 40 years later. The Pittsburgh connection with La. Tech is one, Terry Bradshaw.
Strange but true !
Take the blue pill and you will forget……
Nope I only look at SI, once a year. 🙂
We got, “the Master”, new at Redbox, March 2nd.
Excellent movie for people who love well directed, well acted movies made for adults.
Also filmed in Super Panavision 70 which I love.
Juaquin Phoenix & Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the L.Ron Hubbard character takeoff are just excellent. As is the whole cast.
Very good flick that will keep your interest !
I objectively did not see a major increase in the play of the others that would have attributed a 2 win or loss swing this year to last year.
I think Young can contribute at 4 immediately. He has the body for the position. Robinson will have more confidence in his shot because he will not have to play second fiddle to Tray’s antigues on and off the court. And Adams if unlesahed will be a monster.
I see three potential NBA players. Robinson reminds me of Mike Bibby.
a double bye! JD should be BE coach
of the year. His team starts 2 frosh (one
at point guard), leading scorer averages
less than 12 points per game, does not
have a first team BE player, etc etc. JD
does not get the recognition or players
that the
ESPN darlings such as Boeheim, Calhoun,
or the ego manic Pitino get. JD is pure
‘Burg…..loyal and humble!
The comparison to Mike Bibby is spot on. Robinson simply does not have a pulse.
@JR
You make an excellent case for JD, but the “stooge” from
Marquette will get it.
My early prediction is that Marquette and Michigan don’t get to the sweet 16. Both rely too much on home court advantage.
There isn’t an easy game after day one and any one of 8 teams could win it.
I will miss this tournament.
As a double-bye team, I really hate the idea of facing a team that has just won one or two games while you practice and wait for them. I don’t know the scenario where we get to be a 5 seed, but that is what I’d prefer.
