WVU vs. Pitt (Big East Baby!)

ExPatriatePen · Post by **ExPatriatePen** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:55 pm

Good game so far.

No surprises yet.

ExPatriatePen · Post by **ExPatriatePen** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:29 pm

31-24 WVU at the half... Gray with 8 points and 8 boards.

If WVU can just maintain focus...

ExPatriatePen · Post by **ExPatriatePen** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:40 pm

Where are all the Pitt fans?

Bet if Pitt makes a comeback you all start posting

Bowser · Post by **Bowser** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:52 pm

I swear, I just started watching the game.

looks pretty even to me.

ExPatriatePen · Post by **ExPatriatePen** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:56 pm

Bowser wrote:
I swear, I just started watching the game.

looks pretty even to me.

Riiiiiiiiiight

It's not even at all since the half... Pitts completely dominating

ExPatriatePen · Post by **ExPatriatePen** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 11:11 pm

Good Good game.

fourtKNOX · Post by **fourtKNOX** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 11:29 pm

ExPatriatePen wrote:
Good Good game.

pitt vs. wvu tonight... ah man i forgot!

was a great game really though... sorry i was away for my computer all night!

Goalie · Post by **Goalie** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 11:33 pm

ExPatriatePen wrote:
Good Good game.

Admittedly I have not seen as much college basketball as I would have liked to this year but I hope for the sake of college basketball that no one believes either of these teams are very good. Unless these teams have another gear they are not showing tonight these are average teams at best.

To be fair Gansey was obviously limited due to injury tonight but something tells me that does not change the 5 men outside the 3 point line offense West Virginia is running. They snuck up on everyone late in the year last year I really do not think that is going to happen again.

It is tough to pick on Pitt because I really think the whole is greater than the sum of the parts in their case this year. Jamie Dixon has probably coached as much out of this team as their was to get this year.

Post by **the wicked child** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 11:39 pm

Awesome. I don't know if Pitt has a shot against Nova, but they've definitely afforeded themselves a MUCH better seed than they were looking at a couple days ago. If they get anything less thana 4 at this point someone should be shot... if they beat Nova, a 3 is realistic... they are the #2 team in the country after all.

Interestingly enough, for all the fuss about the bye, Nova was the oNLY team with a bye to win... so if Pitt were to knock them off tomorrow, it would guarantee a 4 day winner for the first time. That is a big if though.

Still, the first half of Lousiville and 2nd half of the WV game give a bit more hope for the big tourney.

Rocco · Post by **Rocco** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 12:50 am

Goalie wrote:
ExPatriatePen wrote:
Good Good game.
Admittedly I have not seen as much college basketball as I would have liked to this year but I hope for the sake of college basketball that no one believes either of these teams are very good. Unless these teams have another gear they are not showing tonight these are average teams at best.

To be fair Gansey was obviously limited due to injury tonight but something tells me that does not change the 5 men outside the 3 point line offense West Virginia is running. They snuck up on everyone late in the year last year I really do not think that is going to happen again.

It is tough to pick on Pitt because I really think the whole is greater than the sum of the parts in their case this year. Jamie Dixon has probably coached as much out of this team as their was to get this year.

WVU's big advantage is that they're unlike pretty much any team out there, so a team that hasn't seen them before will have a hard time dealing with them. Also, because they shoot so many 3s, it puts a lot of pressure on the other team to be efficient on offense. Those advantages are somewhat negated against Pitt- the Panthers are familiar with that style, and they have a veteran PG in Krauser (even though he's nuts) who can run an offense. On the flipside, WVU's not beating anyone if they're having an off-night shooting. They don't rebound at all, and they aren't good enough on defense to rely on shutting the other team down. That's not a good combination. On the right night, they can beat anyone...but it's hard to see them going 6 games against good competition without a bricklayer's convention one game ending their run. Then again, they could catch fire like last year. Who knows this year- when people are seriously talking about a Texas team with 4 double-digit losses as a #1 seed, it's a strange year.

Pitt's an odd team- they look completely out of control at times with Krauser and Fields running the show, but they're generally effective. They also aren't a complete disaster at the FT line, in sharp contrast to the Knight/Troutman years. They run hot and cold, and are probably a year away from doing anything. As it is, they're good enough on their good days to beat anyone, but who knows if it will be a good or bad day (or half, as the first two games of this tourney have shown). They pretty much go as Krauser goes, which can be dicey. (That being said, it's always nice to have someone who wants the ball at crunch time- just ask UConn, since they're still looking for someone to step up 2 years after Gordon and Okafor left.) Assuming that Fields can fill Krauser's role next year, they'll be scary. As it is, they look like a team that gets to the Sweet 16, plays the #1 or #2 seed tough, but fades out by the end.

ExPatriatePen · Post by **ExPatriatePen** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:42 am

Rocco wrote:

WVU's big advantage is that they're unlike pretty much any team out there, so a team that hasn't seen them before will have a hard time dealing with them. Also, because they shoot so many 3s, it puts a lot of pressure on the other team to be efficient on offense. Those advantages are somewhat negated against Pitt- the Panthers are familiar with that style, and they have a veteran PG in Krauser (even though he's nuts) who can run an offense. On the flipside, WVU's not beating anyone if they're having an off-night shooting. They don't rebound at all, and they aren't good enough on defense to rely on shutting the other team down. That's not a good combination. On the right night, they can beat anyone...but it's hard to see them going 6 games against good competition without a bricklayer's convention one game ending their run. Then again, they could catch fire like last year. Who knows this year- when people are seriously talking about a Texas team with 4 double-digit losses as a #1 seed, it's a strange year.

As much as I hate to admit it, your description is pretty accurate.

I've been compalining all year to other WVU fans that they seem almost afraid to crash the boards. If they were a hockey team we'd be calling them 'soft'. Shame too, I think with a little more defensive emphasis they could have gone back to the elite 8 or even final four with five of their six bets players being Seniors.

Who knows? Like you pointed out Rocco, if they start draining three's like there's no tomorrow... who knows where they might end up?

Next couple of year are going to be tough though. They've recruited well, but Beilein has a bad tendancy of recruits transfering out after their Freshman year, and the WVU 'pipeline' is emptier than PNC park on a week night in September.

Post by **pfim** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 12:03 pm

WVU's big advantage is that they're unlike pretty much any team out there, so a team that hasn't seen them before will have a hard time dealing with them.

Pitt struggled with the 1-3-1 again at times, you just never see that anymore. I realize they played against it twice this season (and struggled then too), but with no prep time before the game last night, it's a very tall order.

Pitt is getting back to playing solid defense. I realize WVU doesn't outrebound anyone, but -19 is pretty bad.

It will be an interesting matchup against Nova, Pitt has 5 guards in their rotation, and now that Mr. 3 Minute A Game Turnover Machine lost his starting job, they'll start with 3 guards at least. Kendall is out again, which is good, because I think he got torched last year when the two teams met, and he wasn't even guarding one of the guards.