Think about it.

There’s really only one answer.

OK, class. Pencils down.

If you said “Pitt,” you get +5. If you said anything else, you get F.

As a fan of the Big East, it’s tough comparing the Panthers to the Blue Devils. Really, it is. Nobody, not even ACC fans, likes Duke. But stepping away from your Big East biases and looking at the comparison objectively, you’d be hard pressed to disagree. Duke and Pitt are eerily similar. Let’s stroll through the last 7 seasons.

Regular season conference championships: Duke 2, Pitt 3.
Conference tourney championship appearances: Duke 5 , Pitt 6.
Conference tourney championships: Duke 4, Pitt 2.
NCAA appearances: Duke 7, Pitt 7.
NCAA 1st round losses: Duke 1, Pitt 1.
NCAA 2nd round losses: Duke 1, Pitt 2.
NCAA Sweet 16 losses: Duke 4, Pitt 4.
NCAA Final Four appearances: Duke 1, Pitt 0.

Do I have a case? Or do I have a case?

Like Duke, Pitt is pretty much always going to be in contention for the regular season title. Like Duke, you might as well pencil in “Pitt” in a mid-March bracket (you don’t need to be Joe Lunardi to know this). Like Duke, Pitt is strong in the regular season and in the conference tournament, but has struggled mightily in the NCAA tournament. And like Duke, Pitt will never get blown out because they’re too good…but they sure will choke.

As my colleagues have said, perhaps Blair is the missing piece that helps them “make the leap.” Young and Fields certainly wouldn’t mind. It’s bad enough that they haven’t reached a Final Four. Now some blogger is calling them the Duke of the Big East?

The truth hurts.

For their sake, I hope they prove me wrong.

Categories: Commentary, Mister D, Pittsburgh
5 Comments »

Pittsburgh has been a powerhouse in the Big East conference. Everybody in the Big East knows them and fears them. No team has been as consistently good (with the exception of perhaps UConn) in the last decade. They’ve been to the NCAAs every year since 2001-2002. We’ve seen some great Pitt players come through the ranks — Sam Young, Aaron Gray, Carl Krauser, Brandin Knight, Chris Taft, Levance Fields, Julius Page, etc.

Yet nobody in America really knows about them. And this is why Pitt fans have a chip on their shoulder.

There are two reasons for their lack of notoreity:

1. Pittsburgh has yet to proceed past the Sweet Sixteen.
2. Pittsburgh has yet to send a player to the pros who has had a successful NBA career.

Every year in the past few years could have been their year. But this year, honestly, should be their year. It was a gigantic step for Pittsburgh to be ranked #1 in the nation this season (first time ever). If they can play as they did against Notre Dame in the second half in their victory last Saturday, the whole nation will find out about them. They have incredible length, speed, and athleticism.

If Sam Young or DeJuan Blair make it big in the pros, that will help them with recruiting. And then Pittsburgh will start getting their share of McDonald’s All-Americans — and that, well…that sounds damn scary.

Categories: Commentary, donald, Pittsburgh
5 Comments »

Leave it up to a UConn fan to worry about something in an otherwise impressive victory — who matches up with Terrence Williams?

I’m not really concerned with the Terrence Williams. I’m more concerned with a hypothetical Terence Williams — a 6’6” shooting guard/forward out of the Jordan/Bryant/Michael Finley mold. Someone who is versatile — can take someone off the dribble, shoot a good face-up jumper, and post-up a smaller player.

If you look at UConn’s roster, they have no player who matches up with Terence Williams. They have in the past — Rashard Anderson, Denham Brown, Ray Allen. But currently, Connecticut only has smalls and bigs.

Tonight’s victory was indeed impressive. But let’s be honest: Terrence Williams made shots he could/should make. That makes me worried.

Categories: Commentary, Connecticut, donald, Louisville
5 Comments »

When the Celtics acquired Ray Allen, UConn’s first legitimate NBA superstar, they figured they knew what they were getting: a perimeter offensive threat, a defensive liability, a guy who was at the tail end of his career.

He surprised everyone (me included) with his defensive competence in last year’s playoffs, and though he slumped early on offense, he ended big. Nevertheless, there were a lot of questions about the Celtics this preseason, mostly having to do with age, and Ray was probably the biggest reason for that: he’s 33, which is about 250 in NBA years.

So the Celtics surprised everyone again with an utterly dominant start to the season. When they came back down to earth, losing 7 of 9 to bracket the new year, the same old questions arose.

Yet they’ve turned things around once again, and, biggest surprise of all, it seems like Ray Allen is the reason. He never seemed as integral a part of the Celtics as Pierce, KG, or even Rondo. But here he is, putting up monster numbers (some of the best of his career) over their most recent 8 game winning streak: 60-89 FG (67%), 26-39 3PT (67%), 18-18 FT (100%), while averaging 20.5 PPG.

It’s easy to dismiss a perimeter shooter who relies on picks rather than his own athleticism to create most of his shots. (18 free throws in 289 minutes is pretty pathetic, it’s true.) But as old age looms, and athleticism declines, it looks more and more like Ray Ray is playing it smart — contrast with Allen Iverson, another Big East alum, just as old, and struggling mightily to match his already-inefficient career stats. Denzel would be proud.

Categories: Commentary, Connecticut, Georgetown, Juice, Nostalgia
2 Comments »

From Connecticut’s victory over Notre Dame earlier tonight, a few questions arise:

1. Was this an impressive UConn victory (its sixth over a ranked opponent — the most in the country), or did they just get lucky because McAlarney couldn’t make anything?
2. Should Gavin Edwards be starting in place of Hasheem Thabeet?
3. What exactly happens when Thabeet goes up for a shot? Why does the ball always inevitably pop out of his hands?
4. Who has the worse looking shot — Luke Harongody or AJ Price?
5. Was College Gameday crazy today at ND because it was a recruiting day for football, or is basketball really that big there?
6. How bitter do the guys over at Black and Green sound?

Answers in sentence form, please. Coach O will do the grading…

Categories: Commentary, Connecticut, donald, Notre Dame
2 Comments »