MUScoop

One of the "knocks" against Pitt is that they've played a soft Big East schedule so far.  Their next two games - on the road - should tell us a little about their team.  As we all know, road wins in the Big East can be hard to come by.  So, how will Pitt fare?

I think they might have a tougher time at WVU than they think.  Will be interesting to see that's for sure!

Course, according to some in the Pitt crowd, playing WVU is a joke.  There definitely seems to be some deep deep deep hatred between the two teams (just go to either team's boards and read through the signatures of frequent posters).

I voted 1-1, although I do think 0-2 is a real possibility. My money is definitely on Villanova tonight, and while Pitt should probably beat WVU, in a rivalry game you just never know. WVU also has not lost a home game yet this season.

Quote from: spiral97 on January 29, 2007, 01:50:17 PM
I think they might have a tougher time at WVU than they think.  Will be interesting to see that's for sure!

Course, according to some in the Pitt crowd, playing WVU is a joke.  There definitely seems to be some deep deep deep hatred between the two teams (just go to either team's boards and read through the signatures of frequent posters).

No one thinks WVU's game will be a "joke" especially down there.  It is always hard fought regardless of how good/bad the teams are.  I hope I am objective enough to seeing deficiencies with our program, but honestly I have not read or heard one pundit knocking Pitt for their "soft" BE schedule.  In fact the way the NBE sets up the unbalanced schedules is based on preseason ranking (they also block out the three H/A based on rivalries, etc.).  Therefore the team ranked the highest preseason typically gets the toughest draw.  How that plays out is different of course based on how well the teams actually play.  I have attached Pitt's schedule.  Perhaps someone can show me where it is "soft".

http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/pitt-m-baskbl-sched.html

Pitt's Big East schedule is not soft.  They double up with us, Georgetown and West Virginia, while they don't have to play ND or Rutgers.  We double up with Pitt, Providence and Louisville, and miss Cincinnati and Saint John's.  If you cancel out our games gainst each other, Georgetown and West Virginia as a pair are a little tougher than Providence and Louisville.  But we miss two of this year's bottom feeders while they only miss one, so our schedule is a bit tougher, IMO, than theirs.  Interesting that our first game in all our home and home series were on the road.

Pitt's second half will be tougher than their first half, though, which is what I think the posters who referred to their schedule as soft were getting at.

Silly to argue that one of these two teams is better than the other.  They have been more consistent than us.  Our best so far has been better than their best, but our worst has been worse than their worst.  Not much to choose between them at this point.  They're ranked higher right now both in the polls and the computers and are in first place, so I guess they can claim to be the best as long as those things hold true.

Quote from: CTWarrior on January 29, 2007, 03:15:38 PM
Pitt's second half will be tougher than their first half, though, which is what I think the posters who referred to their schedule as soft were getting at.

That is really the point. Frankly, they haven't beaten anyone, and the rubber hits the road for them over the next month plus, beginning tonight with a whopping 5 road games left to play.