The 82-70 score would make one think that Notre Dame was in control in this game. Many people who watched will note that this is not the case. Pitt led for the majority of the contest; the margin was 51-40 at one point. Yet the missed opportunities and ridiculous shooting by the Irish guards quickly turned that lead into a slight deficit. After Notre Dame hit 4 threes in from the seven minute mark to the four minute mark, it appeared the game might be over to the casual fan.

It was.

This game, much like many other losses this season, involved a major run by the opposing team that was never answered by Pitt. At first, I thought this may be a coincidence. After tonight, I am convinced that the problem is a lack of intensity. I think it is very appropriate to question the focus and, as ashamed as I am to say it, effort of this basketball team. One run by the opposition, and Pitt seems to fold.

Enough for one night. I am going to try to forget about this one and look to the Penguins’ win to cheer me up.

Losses: @ Notre Dame, @ Syracuse, Louisville

Notre Dame and Louisville are simply better than the Panthers right now. I think it would be foolish to expect a win at the Joyce Center tomorrow, where ND hasn’t lost in 30 odd games. Louisville is peaking, and they are deeper and probably more talented than anyone in the conference. Assuming Pitt at least gives ND a game, I would expect the Pete to be rocking for that game. The home advantage will be the only thing stopping the Cardinals from a blowout win. I know we will lose either at ‘Cuse or at WVU. Judging from the Mountaineers performance against Villanova this evening, I would say Syracuse scares me more.

Wins: Cincinnati, @ WVU, Depaul

I would hope Pitt can beat Cincy at home, using the crowd to prevent a run like they one they allowed on the road against the Bearcats. WVU is always tough to beat, but I honestly believe they are not a good basketball team. Depaul is probably only slightly less dangerous than all of these teams. Still, the Pete is always a big help for the Panthers.

One last note– watch for the effort tomorrow from Pitt. If ND is getting anywhere near the number of layups and open shots Marquette did, then us fans better start worrying. The defensive intensity from the opening tip will be an excellent gauge of how serious the Panthers are about winning tomorrow.

Pitt played a very solid game this afternoon, knocking off the Seton Hall Pirates, 84-70 at the Pete. Led by Sam Young’s 28 points, the Panthers shot well and assisted on 22 of their 28 field goals. The first half was close throughout, and the Pirates’ Brian Laing was dominant at times, scoring fifteen points, most of which came in the last five minutes of the opening stanza. Yet the halftime score of 33-30 was encouraging in that the combined scoring total of Pitt’s guards was a meager 5 points. It was evident that would change, and the Panthers came out strong in the first 10 minutes of the second half, opening up leads as great as 13. With 3:41 to play, Pitt led by 17 points. The next 2 minutes were a bit stressful, as sloppy ball-handling and free throw shooting cut that margin to 8. Ronald Ramon hit an important 3 to insure the lead with about 1:20 to go, and the game went final at 84-70.

This was a very encouraging sign that Pitt can survive until Levance Fields’ return. While the convincing win at South Florida was impressive, I was a bit skeptical that the Panthers would consistently shoot as well as they did that game (53% FGs, 11 of 20 from the three point line). Today at least partially proved that performance was no fluke. Pitt went 8 of 16 on 3-point attempts and shot 49% overall. As I said before, Benjamin and Ramon did most of their damage after halftime, and each made big shots whenever the team needed them. I also was skeptical that the Panthers could consistently keep a low turnover count with Fields out. USF and Seton Hall both employed presses, albeit not often enough in my opinion, and yet Pitt only had a combined total of 23 turnovers in those games, just one more than the 22 they suffered in the Villanova loss. I realize that Pitt has not beaten tremendous teams the past two games, but both are capable of beating good teams (SHU nearly knocked off Marquette and has beaten Virginia, while USF defeated Florida State and destroyed Rutgers).

The real story of today’s game was the dominance of Sam Young and Dejuan Blair. They combined for 48 points and 22 rebounds, and the two were consistently the focal point of the team’s offense. Young has really blossomed into a tremendous scorer. He is so long with his strides that many bigger defenders cannot stop him from driving to the hoop, and at 6′6″ he can (and loves to) shoot over smaller players. I think the sky is the limit for Sam–presently, he scores in bunches, and then disappears for long stretches of the game. If he could sustain his excellent play consistently, Young could be a premier player in the nation. Blair is similar in that his potential is just as unlimited as Young’s. He has plenty of room for improvement, especially in help defense and decision-making offensively. Yet after this fine-tuning, I believe the Young-Blair duo will be one of if not the strongest frontcourt in the nation. They may be a bit undersized, but both are tremendously long, athletic, and skilled.

Pitt faces Georgetown at home Monday. I would not expect a victory, but I sure am hoping for one. The Hoyas this year are a lot like last year’s team–a somewhat slow start that displayed chinks in their armor segued into a well-polished Final Four-quality squad. At this stage, they may be beatable. I will briefly preview this game tomorrow.

The first half was about as ugly as could be for Pitt fans.  The only thing that kept them in the game was the fact that Duke also had some trouble scoring.  The Panthers could not make a long range shot to save their lives, and went into the half down 34-22.  For how bad things seemed to have gone, being down 12 was not so bad.  Jamie Dixon and the rest of the staff made some great adjustments in the locker room.  The most significant of which was the change in their man-to-man defense.  Given that the size matchups were pretty much the same for many positions on the floor, the Panthers switched off of picks rather than driving through the screens.  Duke looked a little flustered by this change, and made some costly turnovers, one of which was a shot clock violation.  Sam Young once again somehow made some very tough shots along the baseline and in the lane.  Levance Fields came away with some big buckets in the transition game, and DeJuan Blair proved that he can hang with the elite by turning in a 15 point, 20 rebound game.  The only downside for Blair was that he made just 7 of 15 free throws.

Once down 31-15 late in the 1st half, Pitt rallied back by some nice runs in the 2nd half, and finally took the lead after a 12-0 run with the clock winding down.  The Dukies went over six and a half minutes without a field goal in that stretch.  Field goals went back and forth in the final two minutes with Kyle Singler’s 3 tying the game with just over a minute in regulation.  A baseline jumper by Young put Pitt ahead by a deuce, but Gerald Henderson tied it again with a tough turn-around shot with about 56 ticks left to go.  On the ensuing Pitt possession, Fields found a wide open Mike Cook in the corner, who missed a long 2.  Duke held for the last shot, which was missed by Henderson.  Singler nearly had his put-back go down, but it rimmed out to send the game to OT.  Both were great looks for Duke that they were unable to capitalize on.

The most significant play early in OT happened with just about a minute gone by as Mike Cook’s knee buckled as he drove to the basket and was called for a travel.  Anyone who saw the look on Cook’s face on the ground knew that it wasn’t just a leg cramp or a simple sprain.  I don’t want to jump the gun on this, but Cook may likely be out for the year, because it looked like a torn ACL or MCL in the knee.  He was on crutches after the game, and Dixon didn’t sound too optimistic when talking about it.  The Panthers continued to rally but were dealt another blow when DeJuan Blair fouled out with just over a minute to go.  The Panthers, down one, were forced to foul Singler with about 25 seconds left.  Singler made just the 2nd of the 2 shots to make it 64-62.  Dixon called for the “five” play which spread the court to allow Levance Fields to do his thing.  He could have penetrated and tried to pass, but his defender bit on a fake and Fields popped behind the line and drained a go-ahead three.  It was the kind of shot every kid dreams of.  With about 4.7 seconds to go, Duke could have gotten a better shot than they did, a long running 3 and last second shot off the rebound, which didn’t go in for Duke.

• Dixon called it the “most bittersweet night” in his coaching career, obviously referring to the great win but the loss of Mike Cook, possibly for quite some time.
• DeJuan Blair is becoming a household name throughout the country.  He is proving that 6′7″ does not matter, for his huges wing span and great strength really make up for it.
• It was an awful night for both teams from 3-land: Duke was 4-19 and Pitt was 3-19, but the last of those three was the biggest one.
• With Cook out, the depth will really be tested.  We will likely see larger roles for Keith Benjamin and Brad Wanamaker and could even see minutes from Cassin Diggs as well.  It remains to be seen…
• Field finished with 21, Young with 17, and Blair with 15.  Singler and Henderson each had 17 for the Blue Devils
• The Panthers receive a well-deserved break until Dec. 29 when they put their undefeated record on the line against a very tough team in Dayton.

Gerald Henderson/DeMarcus Nelson vs. Ronald Ramon/Mike Cook:

It will be interesting to see who guards who amongst these four. Both Henderson and Nelson are a bit too big (6′4 each) for Ramon to guard comfortably, but Cook should be able to take care of at least one of them. Henderson is probably the more dangerous player, but he is streaky and can be taken out of the game. Nelson will likely get his points no matter who guards him because he scores in multiple ways. He frightens me a bit less in that I doubt he will go off like Henderson can and score in bunches. Offensively, both Ramon and Cook will have their hands full. Nelson defends very well, and he may harrass Ramon or Cook all game. Henderson is also a capable defender. Either way, I think Cook can get into the paint against anyone. If he comes to play, look for the Panthers to put up a lot of points.

 Edge: Slightly Duke

Kyle Singler/Duke’s Other Forwards and Centers vs. Sam Young/Dejuan Blair/Tyrell Biggs:

I hate to disrespect Duke’s big men by including them in the “other” category. I just do not know much about them. Brian Zoubek, the Blue Devils’ 7 foot center, is the only player I have seen extensively. He is skilled, and he may give Blair some fits. But if Dejuan plays his best, he will dominate whoever Coach K matches him up with–on either end of the court. Hopefully, Blair will not be too amped to play in the Garden for the first time. Don’t forget, he is only 18. It would be foolish to think this big game will be easy for a freshman. As for Singler and Young, I really think Sam can shut down the young player for the same reason I worry about Blair struggling. This is one of Singler’s first big games, and Young has been there before. Also, Sam is much more athletic. As long as he doesn’t allow Singler to hit from outside early, I think Young will outscore the talented forward. Also, Biggs should provide some positive energy to help offset Duke’s depth at the forward position.

Edge: Slightly Pitt

Greg Paulus/Other Duke Guards vs. Levance Fields/Other Pitt Guards:

Jon Scheyer will make some shots, as will Paulus. If Keith Benjamin and Gilbert Brown can knock down a few threes, Scheyer’s impact will be negligible. The ultimate key to the game, in my opinion, is Fields. He has more ability than Paulus and he is playing in his hometown. Fields can dominate this contest if he plays to his capabilities. Keep your fingers crossed that his shot is falling Thursday.

Edge: Pitt

Style Matchup:

Duke is going to overplay everything on defense. The Panthers dealt with that moderately well in Washington, but the Blue Devils are more talented than the Huskies. The guard play must be excellent to limit turnovers against Duke. Also, the drive-happy Panthers must be aware of charges. Duke takes charges constantly, and given their aforementioned respect, the officials will give them the benefit of the doubt more often than not. Both teams will want to run, and I am afraid Duke may be a bit more used to it than the Panthers.

Edge: Duke

The Pick: Pitt 79, Duke 74

I still don’t have a feel as to who will take this one. The Panthers have looked good at times, but how good are Oklahoma State and Washington? Their records indicate that they are not great teams, so it is impossible to say if Pitt is the real deal or not. On the other hand, Duke is the real deal. They defeated a solid Illinois team, a good Wisconsin team, and an excellent Marquette team. For now, I will sheepishly say that Pitt will be 11-0 Friday morning.

Dejuan Blair turned in another excellent performance with 20 points and 10 rebounds, leading a team that saw all its starters finish with double figures in scoring. Ronald Ramon added 10 points, Mike Cook and Sam Young 15 each, and Levance Fields 17. Reserves Keith Benjamin, Gilbert Brown, and Tyrell Biggs combined for only 8 points, but all played well defensively and made good decisions on the offensive end.

Much like he was in Washington, Blair was the big story in this one. He battled on the glass all game, and he executed a few pretty post moves. Most importantly, the Oakland native blocked 5 shots and continued to show remarkable improvement defensively. Blair is using his large frame better and better each game– at times he looks like a man amongst boys. Fields also played well, knocking down a big three after Oklahoma State cut what was an 18 point lead to 7 midway through the second half. Ramon, despite a few bad turnovers, played an good all-around game. He got to numerous loose balls, hit a couple of threes, and posted 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Now comes the big showdown– Duke on Thursday at the Garden. I am extremely excited for the exposure the program will receive, but am also a bit nervous about the ability of the Blue Devils. I think this is a tough Duke team, and later in the week I will analyze the matchups. For now, I am content to see a perfect 10-0 record.

A stronger 2nd half on the defensive end as well as some clutch scoring, mainly from Levance Fields (who led the way with 20 points), put the Panthers in control of the game. Leading by four with under thirty seconds to go, the lead was cut to one with 6.8 seconds by a 3 pointer from - guess who - Ryan Appleby. Fields was fouled on the ensuing inbound, and missed the first of a one and one opportunity. Justin Dentmon’s runner in the lane appeared to give the Huskies the upset win, until further review. The ball was still in his hand for about 0.2 seconds after the buzzer went off, giving Pitt a 75-74 victory.

This game was huge in that it was a great test that will certainly benefit this team later on. When you can go into a building where a team has won 31 straight non conference games - and win, you take it with pride. It also will count as a quality win when it is seeding time in March.

I can’t say enough about how much I like DeJuan Blair’s game. I cannot see him as a downgrade at all to Aaron Gray. He was matched up against a tough forward in Jon Brockman today, and he held his own on both ends of the floor. Levance Fields really was the star, though, today with his game-high 20. Blair added 16 and Mike Cook and Sam Young also had 14.

The Panthers are off (for finals week) until Saturday when they will host the Oklahoma State Cowboys. They were also 4-3 coming into their game against East Tennessee State today, but were victorious against Washington 96-71 last weekend. Though it is at home, this game will be another tough test.

Duquesne did not display its ability early in the game. The Dukes spotted us a 14-0 lead, and at one point the score was 23-6. Yet using their trademark up-tempo, pressing style, the boys from The Bluff cut the lead to five at halftime. The second half was even better. The teams exchanged baskets for much of the period, with the Panthers once extending their lead to 9. Yet the Dukes came back and took it to the final minutes. With a little more than 90 seconds remaining, Sam Young hit a three from the corner to give some breathing room. Kieron Achara countered by powering in a bucket plus a foul, but he missed the free throw that would have made the Panthers’ lead only one. The next possession, Levance Fields deftly dribbled into the lane off a Young screen and tossed in a floater from 8 feet. A stop on the next possession put the ball in Fields’ hands yet again, and he coolly sunk two foul shots to increase the margin to 6. After a ridiculously easy Dukes’ alley-oop made it 70-66, Tyrell Biggs was fouled with 25 seconds to go. He missed both, but Young outfought Achara and another Duke to the rebound. A few more free throws and a defensive stop later, the game was over.

Duquesne never led. That being said, it was a very, very tight game. If Young had missed the 3 from the corner, which was a questionable shot, I honestly believe we would have had a tough time winning. Still, I am not disappointed. The Dukes are good! Shawn James is a legitimate player–those that say he can play in the NBA are correct in my eyes. Also, Ron Everhart really seems to know what he is doing. I really look forward to these games with him at the helm. I think this is a program on the up, and I see no reason to hate them like our other rivals. A competitive Pitt-Duquesne rivalry creates a good basketball atmosphere in the area, something the program can benefit from. In tonight’s game, we didn’t play very well. Also, the officiating was questionable. Coach Jamie Dixon got a technical–he and the team never seem to get the respect deserved of them. But all in all, I think we should happy to get a W in this one.

The Dukes last beat the Panthers in 2000, in a 71-70 game at the then Civic (Mellon) Arena. The last time the Dukes beat the Panthers at the Palumbo Center was back in 1988.

To get the latest on Duquesne, check out the Dukes Court (even though the author took a shot at Levance Fields in comparing Fields and Kojo Mensah in today’s post). It’s a pretty good blog, though, overall. Speaking of Mensah, he leads the Dukes in scoring, averaging 16.4 PPG. It’s no secret that Ron Everhart likes to run, as his bunch has scored over 85 points in five of their first seven games.

Even though they are coming off of their first loss of the season against Drake, this is a team filled with confidence. They believe they can match up with the Panthers. I expect it to be a great game, which I, unfortunately, will not get to see (thanks to the game being only on ESPNU). My radio will be tuned in to Bill Hillgrove and Dick Groat, though.

As I have said before, this is the first real test for Pitt. Hopefully we’ll see them respond well.