That NC State team showed up last night. The one loaded with talent. Swift, long guards who can shoot from the perimeter and keep the other team’s guards from getting open looks. A burly frontcourt that can dominate on both ends. Most importantly, their collective head stayed in the game the entire way. You watch them on a night like that and wonder how they are not a top-ten team.
Then you think back to the game against LSU where they didn’t show up for the first half (and a chunk of the second). The BC game. A slew of others, and it boggles the mind. I don’t trust them, but I’m not surprised by anything they do at this point.
Notre Dame made it to the Sweet 16 to keep the ACC perfect in the Tournament so far. Did not expect that.
The Big East is survived by Xavier. Other than Villanova going down last night, this is not totally surprising. Georgetown was a popular upset pick against Eastern Washington, so the fact that they made it to Saturday before losing is a kind of progress… I guess. St. John’s had no chance once it was learned that Chris Obekpa was suspended.
Onto today’s games.
Michigan State-Virginia. It is a game involving Virginia, so of course it will be a low scoring defensive battle. Michigan State can handle the physical play. But UVa is more efficient on offense.
San Diego St.-Duke. Pitt lost rather handily to both teams. SDSU has the size to at least keep Jahlil Okafor somewhat in check. But unless their guards have a hellacious shooting game on the perimeter, Duke has way more offensive options.
Wichita State-Kansas. The intrastate match-up that has been anticipated all week. The Shockers haven’t had a good reason to play the underdog/scrappy team since their Final Four run and perfect regular season last year. But since Kansas refuses to schedule WSU, they can break that card out for this game.
Dayton-Oklahoma. Dayton in Columbus. Has any other 11 seed been given a better home court advantage in Tourney history? The Flyers have been the poster child for all that the Selection Committee gets wrong. Despite everyone thinking they were safely in, the Committee not only underseeded them, but declared them to be a “last four in” team. That meant the play-in game… on their home court. Then they get to go to one of the closest sites to minimize travel burdens. Staying in state and only a few hours from home. Errors compounding on errors.
I’d say Oklahoma has too much depth, talent, and is more rested than Dayton. But Dayton keeps defying all logic.
Iowa-Gonzaga. Iowa played one of their best games of the season against Davidson. Just don’t see them following that up with anything but a loss.
Oregon-Wisconsin. Dana Altman is having a good time in Omaha. Reminding a small but loud subset of Creighton fans who were complaining of him not winning enough, just how good a coach he is. Good times end tonight.
Hoopies-Maryland. Go Terps.
Northern Iowa-Louisville. 9:40 Eastern start time on a Sunday night? Well, at least it is on the West Coast.
Bleeping luck of the draw and match-ups in the Tourney. Hard to pick against Louisville. ACC solidarity be damned, I’m pulling for the Panthers.
This actually may help me twice. As a Wiz fan, Thibs to DC is a real possibility too if Holberg makes the jump. Two birds with one stone.
Make the leap Hoiberg!
UConn won the tourney last year with the following scores:
Regional Final
60-54 over Michigan St.
National Semi-Final
63-53 over Florida
National Final
60-54 over Kentucky
Butler also went to two NC games playing slogball.
As far as WVU is concerned, say what you want about Huggins, but he seems to be able to consistently get the kids to buy into his system. We don’t seem to be having that success as of late.
I still don’t say “fire Dixon” – even though I’ve been (often unfairly) highly critical of him. His shortcoming have become obvious, however, and if he doesn’t address them he is likely finished here long-term. I don’t even think he will WANT to be here if things stay the way they are. I wouldn’t worry about the contract, either. How many of us would want to go to a job where the boss told us:
“Look, we hate you. You’re staff hates you. The entire company hates you, and the investors (fans) have lost all faith in you. But… you can continue to stick around and suck, burry your long term career and reputation, as long as you don’t violate company policy… but as soon as your contract is up, we’re going to shoot you so fast it will make the ‘mob’ look lethargic…”
No one wants to be in that situation – when the time comes, I still say that JD may ultimately be the one that walks away. Typically, the “let them fire me!!!” mentality doesn’t work out well for those that adopt it 🙂
And yes, Izzo is ‘The Man’. I’ve said it for years. Underrated in many respects. One of the true “great” coaches in the game today.
Comment by Barvo 03.22.15 @ 2:26 pm
When Butler beat Pitt..the game was in the 70’s.
Pat Narduzzi ?@CoachDuzzPittFB Pittsburgh, PA
PITT IS IT! #H2P
Comment by Jackagain 03.22.15 @ 1:46 pm
Agree Jack…..also proves that outworking teams during the regular season works in the regular season as teams with better athletes sometimes don’t play at 100% during all the regular season games. Now in the post-season, all the teams are giving it their all, playing at 100%. They aren’t coasting. More Talented kids playing just as hard wins over less talented kids playing hard.
And that is(or was) Pitt’s mantra just like UVA’s is.
You have to start getting some of them, since others will follow. But you have to get the first one.
After being #2 just about all year, UVA fails to even get to the Sweet 16. That is so Pitt.
The ACC on the other hand has bottom feeders that can jump up and bite you in the a_ _ especially on their home court.
My point is that Jamie certainly knew this and protested about leaving the Big Eat were he was able to build a record he could never have accomplished in the ACC. Times could be tough for us in the future getting back to the big-dance.
Which suggests, as many of us thought at the time, Duke was just ‘toying’ with Pitt.
You posted that previously and I utterly destroyed that observation, by showing you the record number of teams the BigEast put into the NCAA tourney, year after year.
The BigEast was ‘head & shoulders’ above the ACC in the 2000’s.
In 09 and 011, the BE broke all kinds of records in the NCAA. In 09, they had 6 in Sweet 16, and 4 in E8, and one BE team beat another (Pitt) to get into F4.
Maryland won and then was barely heard from again, Wake folded even more than Pitt many times, NC St pretty much did nothing, Clemson was always a quick out, Miami, GT and FSU, Uva and VT was rarely in the field.
The reason the ACC reached out for Syracuse and UConn (originally) and then Pitt was for the quality of their basketball teams …. surely, it wasn’t for football for Christ’ sake!!
No that was some hoops…. LOL
You say the BigEast ONLY had 4 or 5 good teams and in your words…..”the remander weak sisters that you could pump up your record with 2 wins a year.”
2012-2013 (Pitt’s last) NCAA Tournament: 8 selected
2011-2012 NCAA Tournament: 9
2010-2011 NCAA Tournament: 11
2009-2010 NCAA Tournament: 8
2008-2009 NCAA Tournament: 7
2007-2008 NCAA Tournament: 8
2006-2007 NCAA Tournament: 6
2005-2006 NCAA Tournament: 8
2004-2005 NCAA Tournament: 6
2003-2004 NCAA Tournament: 6
Do you see anywhere in there 4 or 5 teams ???
Over 10 years the BigEast avg’d 7.7 teams per yer or almost 8 teams per year selected to the Dance.
Much more than the ACC. Got it !
Finally, the momentum is building on the recruiting train. I see a Nittany Lion tied down to the tracks ahead. Ignore the breaks. Full steam ahead. The battle for PA has begun.
Built Ford tough! H2P!
Wanted to ask, did anyone else think the refs really let them play in the ND game? Looked like the old Big East refs to me.
Guard play has been exceptional throughout, our team looks like the JV team next to most of these teams. Shooting has been awesome. Ball movement and power games as well.
Didn’t think I would watch much, but it has been very entertaining.
Another very good coach out there….Greg Marshall.
Doing more with less !
Classic Good vs Evil in many ppl’s eyes….Duke vs Kentucky.
How does a guy get a waiver to go from Houston to Oklahoma?
So in that context of good vs evil.
I don’t see it that way personally. But then again I’m not the segment of the pop, they’re trying to appeal to.
Throw in a future AD to be named later.
You are correct sir Tex, Evil begets Evil.
🙁 We’ll lose the opportunity to bring him back, in case plans A & B fail :
Plan A = Sean Miller
Plan B – Archie Miller
Of all freakin places. Westwood to Southbumf*ck
I believe Huggy Bear won’t let them come up….since Pitt won’t schedule them.
Looks like our program is being effected more than their’s with the boycott of the Hoopies.
Starkville. Miss…graveyard for ex Pitt coaches who enjoyed great success at Pitt.
Xavier in Sweet 16 again. (5 Sweet 16’s since ’08)
WVCC in Sweet 16. (3rd time since ’08, 5th time since ’05, 1 Final Four)
Ohio Fake was NCAA team again (2 Final 4’s since ’07, 5 Sweet 16’s since ’07)
Dayton was NCAA team again
Maryland was NCAA team.
Cincinnati was NCAA team again.
Better start camping on some of these recruits for 2015.
It is clear that some of these programs seriously upped their programs since Pitt’s resurgence in ’01.
We better start answering that…..real soon !!!
Maryland has the worst ball handlers in D-1 basketball and once Melo Trimble was both thugged(by WVU) and clubbed(by team mate) out of the game, it was OVER. Wells played like he must have had money on WVU. WVU was Maryland’s worst possible match-up. Had Pitt played them this year, it would have been ugly.
Other point is that for me, the college game is great. I couldn’t care less if Pitt plays slog ball or high-octane offense. I just want to see better recruiting and first getting back to the big dance every year, and then getting our shots at the second weekend most years.
PSU fan-ANNOYING
H2P!!
I went to the games in Columbus this weekend. Several of the teams picked up the intensity a couple of notches from the regular season performances, particularly on defense. Also, the refereeing was very inconsistent. I would not want to be a ref. These players hit you first and then go for the ball. Makes it difficult, I am sure.
Before giving coach of the year award to Huggins, realize that they have been terrible for several years now and are just making it back, with a mish mash of players. They do play old time Pitt defense. Their guards defensive desire is key to their success. Their kids won’t come to Pittsburgh to play because they bus them to OSU to scrimmage…alot.
Let’s go Pitt Women!
in the tournament.
They’re fun to watch and play the game of
basketball in an enjoyable way.
It has been a pleasure to watch most of
these games.
a team scores, it’s the way they play.
Just because a team may only score in the
50’s or 60’s doesn’t make it slogball.
Slogball is a way of life for some teams.
It’s how they go about things.
It’s a lifestyle choice.
And……it’s a very unappealing style to the
basketball viewers eye.
If your team does it and you win, you look
by it.
When you lose, it goes from unappealing to
horrid and wretched to watch.
Look at the past few champions- UConn (Napier/Walker), Duke (Scheyer/Smith). Heck, would Butler have beat us without Sheldon Mack? Nova without Reynolds? Marquette without Wade?
Dixon has to get elite levels guards if he ever wants to even sniff a title.
Previous Pitt teams (pre 2011) outworked other teams in the regular season, and that was their maximum effort. They had no ‘higher gear’ to shift into come NCAA tournament time. The ONLY reason we got to the Elite 8 in 2008-2009 season, was that team ALSO had 2 extremely talented players AND played hard. But all of that can be negated in a tight game by one or two wrong coaching moves. Which is what happened in that game and the Butler game.
All games were close, even the 10 point win agaist E. Tennessee St. Dixon is yet to beat a higher seeded team in the tournament. Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen either.
