[Rosiak's Blog] Game 30: Pittsburgh

[ToddRosiakSays]

Game 30: Pittsburgh


Mar. 3, 2009 2:43 p.m.  




The next stop on 'The Gauntlet' for the Marquette Golden Eagles will be Pittsburgh, where they take on the No. 3-ranked Panthers (26-3, 13-3 Big East) at the Petersen Events Center at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Anyone remember what happened the last time MU played there, on Jan. 21, 2007?

Of course, the Golden Eagles got two huge free throws from Dominic James with less than a second left on the clock to send the game into OT. They ultimately escaped with a 77-74 victory.

MU was 1-1 against Pittsburgh last season. With point guard Levance Fields playing his first game since suffering a broken foot, the Panthers were trounced, 72-54, at the Bradley Center last Feb. 15 before extracting revenge in the form of a 68-61 victory in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York.

One thing that stands out about both games as far as MU is concerned is the way it was able to hold down 6-foot-7, 265-pound forward DeJuan Blair. In the two games, Blair battled foul trouble en route to averaging just 4.0 points and 4.0 rebounds -- obviously a huge boon for MU.

The Golden Eagles can only hope for a repeat this time around. Blair is one of the frontrunners for Big East player of the year, averaging 15.6 points on 59.7% shooting and 12.7 rebounds, and he's left a wake of battered big men -- UConn's 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet included -- in his considerable wake.

Joining Blair in causing game-planning headaches for coach Buzz Williams and his staff is Sam Young, a 6-6, 220-pound wing who caused MU fits last season by averaging 20.0 points per game.

He's at a team-high 18.4 this year to go along with 5.9 rebounds and 38 three-pointers. It's Young's ability to score both inside and outside, off the bounce and on the glass, that makes him such a tough matchup -- especially for MU, which will likely throw Wesley Matthews at him and hope he can keep him mostly on the perimeter.

Fields is back as well, and he's playing as efficiently as ever, averaging 10.7 points and 7.4 assists.

None of the rest of Pittsburgh's lineup jumps right out like these three players, but the Panthers still have a capable supporting cast.

Guards Jermaine Dixon, Brad Wanamaker, Ashton Gibbs and Gilbert Brown all bring varying degrees of offense, defense and shot-making ability. Dixon's probably been the most impressive, with Gibbs right behind him.

There's not much frontcourt depth behind Blair and Young, which is another reason to try and get Blair into foul trouble once again. Senior Tyrell Biggs is a steady hand alongside those two, but doesn't provide much in the way of offense.

Behind Blair, Pittsburgh boasts a ridiculous plus-10.9 differential on the glass. The Panthers also shoot a high percentage (48.2%) from the floor and are solid from three-point range (35.5%) as well.

You can find their statistics here.

A victory tonight would earn MU the fourth seeding in the Big East Tournament, and the double-bye that comes along with it. Villanova, with whom MU is fighting for that spot, currently owns the tiebreaker if the two teams finish with the same record because the Wildcats have already beaten the Panthers.

A Providence victory at Villanova on Thursday would also earn MU the fourth seeding.

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http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/40663282.html

[dwaderoy2004]

i don't think that's right, about james free throws that is.  I thought he hit those free throws with like 3 seconds left IN overtime, and not to send it into overtime. 

also, a nova loss doesn't clinch it for MU if Mu loses both remaining games.

[The Man in Gold]

James won the game in OT.  MU got hosed by some pretty strange officiating at the end of regulation to let the Panthers even get to overtime.