Pitt Redshirt Diaries : Connecticut

Pitt 37, Syracuse 10 - Good, Bad and Ugly

Paul Zeise — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:32:00 GMT

Welcome back folks to the Pitt football blog -- I missed last week of blogging because I was battling a very nasty flu bug (if you notice, I wrote very little for the paper as well). But now we're back, healthy (almost) and ready for the stretch run...(read more)

Halfway Home - UConn 7, Pitt 3

Paul Zeise — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:19:00 GMT

Remember that list of Pitt’s ten worst losses since 2002 I compiled in the Redshirt Diaries a few weeks ago? Well, if the Panthers lose this game it will certainly crack the top ten, perhaps even the top five. Why? Missed opportunities and poor...(read more)

Some preseason Big East scheduling thoughts

Paul Zeise — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:44:00 GMT

A lot of people ask me what the Big East has to do to gain respect and why haven't people given the conference props for winning in BCS bowl games. The answer to both questions are simple -- win regular season games against real opponents and don't...(read more)

Zeise's preseason thoughts on Big East and Pitt

Paul Zeise — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:46:00 GMT

Welcome back to college football season. The Panthers begin tomorrow with training camp so here are some thoughts, observations and analysis from Paul Zeise, the Post-Gazette's Pitt football reporter.

First, let's clear up some things.....

1.) The idea that Pitt "turned down" a series with Michigan is laughable. The Cliff Notes version is this -- Pitt needed a home-and-home in back-to-back years to replace a Clemson series (Clemson asked out of the contract and Pitt gave in) which was scheduled for 2010-11. Michigan needed a game next year -- the two talked and worked something out for next season but it was clear that they couldn't work out the return trip to Pitt in 2011. When it became clear that Michigan (which agreed to a return trip but not until 2014 or so) couldn't make a return trip in 2011 - the talks died. It wasn't either sides fault, it happens all the time -- teams try to schedule games but sometimes the dates and/or logistics just don't work out. Pitt then turned its focus towards a home-and-home with California (the Pac-10 team) as an opening day ESPN game and it appeared as if that was going to work out but at the last minute Cal. pulled out for whatever reason. Next up was Utah and as you all know, that's how it all came about. Pitt can be criticized for a lot of things and most of them are probably valid -- but the idea that they were ducking Michigan or looking for an easier opponent is silly, particularly when they ended up with an opponent who (a) BEAT Michigan at Michigan last year and (b) has won two BCS bowls in the last five years.

2.) A lot of people have asked me about how Pitt came to be the favorites in the Big East. It is simple -- 24 guys voted and four different teams got first-place votes so it wasn't exactly a unanimous endorsement of Pitt. The difference between the Panthers in this poll and say Cincinnati is simple (who was voted third) -- they both got the same amount of first place votes, Pitt got more seconds and thirds and Cinncy got more fourths and fifths. In other words, this is a year when nobody really has any idea who is going to emerge so everyone who voted took some shots in the dark.

3.) I think it is rather clear to me that five teams - Rutgers, USF, West Virginia, Pitt and Cincinnati -- all could win the Big East, one team is a long shot (and by long shot I mean, extremely long shot), Connecticut, and two teams have absolutely no shot, Louisville and Syracuse.

So here is my easy take on the Big East (in nor particular order among the top five.........

South Florida

They will win the conference because: They have an experienced quarterback in Matt Grothe who makes a lot of plays on his own talents, they have a great defense and they have plenty of speed on both sides of the ball.

They will not win the conference because: They have a lot of holes to fill on the offensive line and they are one of the most undisciplined teams on the planet and often lose games because they take silly penalties and make bad decisions on the field. And as great as Grothe is at times, his decision-making is poor and as a result he seems to keep both teams - the Bulls and their opponents -- in every game.

Pitt

They will win the conference because: They are an experienced and veteran team with a lot of depth, particularly on the defensive line and they should have their best offensive line in a long time. They are also loaded on defense and at the skill positions and should be able to attack teams in a variety of ways.

They will not win the conference because: Did you see the Sun Bowl? And now that offense is going to have the same quarterbacks but be without LeSean McCoy? And generally it is not a good thing to be breaking in new kickers and long snappers when a major part of your overall team philosophy is to win the kicking and field position game.

West Virginia

They will win the conference because: The Mountaineers have an experienced and deep defense which should be much improved over last year's unit (though last year's defense was pretty good). They also have an experienced quarterback and tailbacks and that makes that read-option offense dangerous.

They will not win the conference because: They have some rebuilding to do along the offensive line and while Jarrett Brown is indeed experienced and savy, he isn't Pat White and he doesn't have the ability to break games open with a 75-yard run. And like Pitt, the Mountaineers are breaking in a new kicker, which could be troublesome given the number of close games they play.

Cincinnati

They will win the conference because: This should be the most explosive offense in the league and it features the league's best quarterback in Tony Pike. The Bearcats might struggle some on defense, but college football is an offensive game and no team is more equipped to win a shootout than they are. The Bearcats also are extremely well-coached and disciplined and that is worth a few wins per season as well.

They will not win the conference because: I don't care who you are -- replacing ten starters on one side of the ball is very difficult to overcome. Cincinnati lost ten starters on defense and that will prove to be its downfall. And of course, the Big East didn't do Cincinnati any favors as they must go on the road and play at Rutgers in their opener on Labor Day which means they likely start 0-1 in the conference and that could be tough to overcome.

Rutgers

They will win the conference because: Rutgers should have a great offensive line, a great defensive and a great running game. The Scarlet Knights aren't very fun too watch, they won't be very interesting, but they will grind and grind and grind with their running game and know how to win games 17-14 because they are so discipline.

They will not win the conference because: The Scarlet Knights revival at the end of last season was fueled by an explosive offensive featuring a quarterback and two receivers who are all in the NFL now. In other words, the passing game won't scare anyone and thus the Scarlet Knights won't be able to score enough points in some games to win despite a good defense.

Connecticut

They will win the conference because: Well they won't win the conference, but if they were it would be because some of the other teams knocked each other off and the Huskies won in some kind of a tie-breaker. The defense should be good enough to keep Connecticut in most games and I think Randy Edsall (few coaches in the country get as much out of less than Edsall does annually) will outcoach at least one or two of his opponents coaches and that's worth a few wins but will it be enough, not likely.

They will not win the conference because: There have been very few Pitt opponents over the past two seasons who had worse quarterback play than the Panthers - Connecticut is one of them. And now the quarterbacks must do it without the ability to hand the ball to bruising tailback Donald Brown 30 times a game. This could be a very tough offense to watch.

Louisville

They will win the conference because: They won't and I can't come up with a scenario in which they would. I love the people who work in this athletic department, it is a first-class operation but let's just say from what I can tell, basketball media day can't get here quick enough.

They will not win the conference because: They do have an excellent tailback and Steve Kragthorpe has done a good job of cleaning up some of the bad element that had tainted this roster but this is clearly a team in rebuilding mode. The foundation seems to be solid but it is still a year or two away.

Syracuse

They will not win the conference because: Speaking of rebuilding projects, Greg Robinson left this program in shambles. I met new coach Doug Marrone at Big East media day this year and my first impression is that he is an impressive guy. He has enthusiasm and he seems to have a really good plan and he has revived interest in this program. But let's be serious here - this is a big, big rebuilding job and will require some patience from the fans and fan base.

4.) Some quick observations from Pitt media day today and some general thoughts about the team.

A) A lot of teams talk about working hard in the offseason, this team at least passes the look test in that department. When guys like Joe Thomas and Pat Bostick look like they are chiseled, you know it has been a great offseason. This team looks pretty trim and strong and that's a good thing because this is a team that wants to play blue-collar football.

B) There were legitimate questions about Jonathan Baldwin's maturity and work ethic coming into last season. This quote about him should put that to rest "He is the hardest worker on this team this summer, bar none," quarterback Bill Stull said to me during the media session today. "I think I am a hard worker, but Jonathan was in at 5 in the morning watching film for two hours by the time we got here at 7 to do 7-v-7 drills and whatnot. And he harrassed all of us quarterbacks every day to find someone to throw to him. He really is motivated, he wants to get better, it really, really matters to him. He's got a different look in his eye."

C) Aaron Berry has seemingly put his immaturity behind him and is ready to be the leader of the secondary. Generally Berry has been the happy-go-lucky, loud guy at these kinds of events but today he was quiet, he was reserved and he was focused. He told me it is his time to step up and be the guy.

I've got to run now but keep checking back for more updates an observations throughout camp and don't forget to check in with my daily Pitt football Q&A which will be up and running tomorrow.

Detroit or bust for Panthers

Paul Zeise — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:19:00 GMT

Yep, it really is that simple.

Pitt needs to get to the Final Four this season because (1) the Panthers have the talent to do it (2) they have the experience to do it and (3) now we know they have the bracket to do it.

In fact, I think point three in this case is the most important one as there is no question that the Panthers have an unbelievably favorable draw to get to the Final Four. And I keep hearing about the second round game -- Oklahoma State or Tennesee -- and it is laughable as both of those teams are seeded where they are for a very good reason -- they are both mediocre and or extremely flawed in one way or another.

Then to get to the Elite Eight, we're talking about beating Xavier or a Florida State team who they already beat......

And as No. 2 seeds go, is there a better matchup for Pitt than soft-as-a-pillow, not very athletic and not very strong in the paint Duke? I think DeJuan Blair already has six rebounds in that game and it hasn't started........

There is really no reason Pitt shouldn't make it to the Final Four this year and I agree with those who say if they don't it is a failure on some level, especially considering the talent which is graduating off of this squad.

That being said, here are some of my other very random thoughts about the field of 65.....

1.) Big East coaches and fans swear that basketball was invented in that conference and that it is the greatest basketball conference going. Unfortunately the numbers don't even come close to supporting all of the bravado coming from Big East apologists. Consider -- In the last 20 years -- the ACC has sent 20 teams to the Final Four (or 1/4th of the final four teams in that time), the Big Ten has sent 14 teams to the Final Four and the SEC has sent 12. The almight Big East? How about SIX. That's not a misprint -- in the last 20 years twice as many SEC teams have made it to the Final Four than Big East teams.

Those numbers don't lie -- and perhaps suggest that critics of the Big East who have the audacity to say that the physical, whistle-less style of play in that conference hurts the teams come tournament time are probably more right than they are wrong.....Just sayin'

2.) West Virginia has a tough first round game -- Dayton -- but if the Mountaineers survive, a trip to the Elite Eight is not out of the question as they match up well with Kansas and Michigan State.

3.) There is something that makes me smile about the fact that Arizona State and Minnesota are in the field and North Carolina State and Kentucky are not. The delusional fans of both the Wolfpack and Wildcats ran good and successful coaches out of town and now they are getting what they deserved.

4.) There always seems to be a No. 12 seed which upsets a No. 5 and this year I'd say South No. 5 Illinois and Midwest No. 5 Utah are the teams in that category most ripe for an upset.

5.) The Big Ten is always so easy to pick on -- and the delusional arrogance of many Big Ten fans makes it fun as well -- but Purdue might be the most underrated team in the field and frankly, if I had to pick a non-top four seed who is capable of getting to the Final Four it might be the Boilermakers. They defend, they rebound and they are healthy now. They also have the most vulnerable No. 1 seed and least tested No. 2 seed standing in their way.

6.) An unknown who could make some noise is North Dakota State, the No. 14 seed in the Midwest. The Bison are tough, they have some big guys who can play and they are balanced and play great defense. They also get Kansas, which has been inconsistent.

7.) As I predicted, the debate between Connecticut and Memphis for a No. 1 seed was silly because the two will have an opportunity to prove it if they both make it to the Regional Finals as they would then play each other for the right to get to the Final Four.

8.) There are a lot of teams who are capable of either losing in the first round or getting all the way to the Elite Eight. Among them are Tennessee, Texas, MIssissippi State, Florida State, Arizona, Wake Forest, Ohio State. UCLA and LSU. All of them have plenty of talent and all of them have been very inconsistent or have at least one fatal flaw which will likely prohibit them from playing to their potential.

9.) The more I look at Pitt's bracket, the more I think the Panthers will not only get to the Final Four, they will get there without breaking a sweat....

10.) The Big Ten and SEC could both be eliminated before the Sweet 16. The ACC and Big East are both capable of getting three teams to the Final Four.

And finally, like I wrote in my pre-backet ramblings....

11.) Pitt fans have to love the fact that, at least in a very small way, the Panthers contributed to Penn State being left out of the field because the Nittany Lions are the ones who ended the series (for a variety of mostly ridiculous rationalizations) and well, the biggest argument against Penn State getting into the field was a lousy non-conference schedule which led to a low RPI and Strength of Schedule ranking.....

Pitt-Connecticut, the hottest ticket in town

Ray Fittipaldo — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:01:00 GMT

It’s a rough economy out there, but that apparently isn’t stopping fans from paying top price for tomorrow’s showdown between No. 3 Pitt and No. 1 Connecticut at the Petersen Events Center.

The average selling price of a ticket to tomorrow’s game on stubhub.com is $163 and the company is completely sold out of tickets. It is the highest-grossing Pitt home game in the company’s history.

An interesting sidenote, the Feb. 16 game in Hartford against Connecticut was the highest-grossing Connecticut home game in the company’s history, but the average price to that game was only $81, about half of what tickets were going for tomorrow’s game.

I wonder if the people who paid more than $250 for a ticket will think it's worth it if DeJuan Blair picks up two early fouls and spends the rest of the first half onthe bench.

Can Pitt join an elite group?

Ray Fittipaldo — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:35:00 GMT

NEWARK, N.J. – I posed the question in my chat on Thursday about whether a team had ever beaten the same No. 1 team twice in the same season. Much to my surprise it has happened six times.

Pitt will have a chance to become the seventh team if, as expected, Connecticut is elevated to No. 1 again on Monday. The Panthers play host to the Huskies Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale at the Petersen Events Center.

The last time it happened was 1998 when North Carolina beat No. 1 Duke twice, a little more than a month apart. On two other occasions, a team beat a No. 1 team twice, but it wasn’t the same team.

Here is the complete list of teams that have beaten two No. 1s in the same season:

Feb. 5, 1998, No. 2 North Carolina beat Duke 97-73

March 8, 1998, No. 4 North Carolina beat Duke 83-68

Jan, 12, 1994, No. 17 Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 89-69

Feb. 3, 1994, unranked Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 96-89

Jan. 10, 1993, No. 10 Georgia Tech beat Duke 80-79

March 14, 1993, unranked Georgia Tech beat North Carolina 77-75

Jan. 20, 1990, No. 4 Missouri beat Kansas 95-87

Feb. 13, 1990, No. 2 Missouri beat Kansas 77-71

Feb. 25, 1990, No. 10 Oklahoma beat Missouri 107-90

Feb. 27, 1990, No. 5 Oklahoma beat Kansas 100-78

Dec. 10, 1965, No. 6 Duke beat UCLA 82-66

Dec. 11, 1965, No. 6 Duke beat UCLA 94-75

Jan. 8, 1955, unranked Georgia Tech beat Kentucky 59-58

Jan. 31, 1955, unranked Georgia Tech beat Kentucky 65-59

March 18, 1950, unranked CCNY beat Bradley 69-61

March 28, 1950, unranked CCNY beat Bradley 71-68

Thanks for the assist from AP basketball writer Jim O’Connell, who is covering the game against Seton Hall tonight and was kind enough to look up the information for me.

Pitt vs. Connecticut: The matchups

Ray Fittipaldo — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:42:00 GMT

PITT VS. CONNECTICUT

Seven hours until tip-off…Here is a look at the one-on-one matchups for the big clash between No. 1 Connecticut and No. 4 Pitt.

Point guard – Levance Fields vs. A.J. Price: Give the checkmark to Fields, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late. Fields has 56 assists and only six turnovers in the past five games, all Pitt wins. A.J. Price is having a nice season as well, but Fields is playing one notch above at this point.

Shooting guard – Jermaine Dixon and Brad Wanamaker vs. Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker: Give the checkmark to the Austrie and Walker, who are taking the place of injured starter Jerome Dyson. They have the edge because of the explosiveness that Walker brings to the table. He has the ability to be a game changer with his quickness to the hoop.

Small forward – Sam Young vs. Stanley Robinson: Give the checkmark to Young, who is Pitt’s leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. After a rough stretch, Young has played two really solid games in a row against West Virginia and Cincinnati, and the Panthers will need him to play the same way this evening against Robinson, who is a better defender than a scorer.

Power forward – Tyrell Biggs vs. Jeff Adrien: Give the checkmark to Adrien, who is averaging a double-double on the season. Biggs’ play has tailed off lately. The Panthers will need Biggs to step up and have a big game against Adrien, who is as strong as a bull inside.

Center – DeJuan Blair vs. Hasheem Thabeet: Give the checkmark to Thabeet. Connecticut’s 7-foot 3 shot blocker is a menacing presence in the lane. Blair is a crafty player who will use his width to carve out some space underneath the basket. If the officials don’t blow their whistles both players should have good games. But Thabeet’s defensive presence gives him a slight edge over Blair.

Bench play – Give the checkmark to Pitt, which has Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown and Ashton Gibbs as top reserves. Each player brings something different to the table. Wanamaker can penetrate and shoot 3-pointers, Gibbs is one of the top 3-point shooters in the league and Brown is excellent in transition and on the defensive end. Connecticut simply is not as deep and was weakened when Dyson went out.

Coaching – Give the checkmark to Calhoun. Dixon has guided Pitt to the most Big East wins in the past five seasons, but Calhoun is 5-3 in head-to-head matchups. Plus, Calhoun has two national championships to his name while Pitt has not made it past the Sweet 16.

Intangibles – Push. Connecticut rarely loses at home, but the Huskies are playing only their second game without Dyson. There is going to be a learning curve in the next few weeks. The Panthers are hungry to take control of the Big East, but they have lost 10 of their past 11 on the road to ranked teams.

Week 15 predictions

Ray Fittipaldo — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:07:00 GMT

Last week: 3-3; Season: 44-30

Pitt vs. Connecticut: I’m 1-4 in games when I pick against Pitt this season, a fact that one dedicated Panthers fan keeps reminding me about. The only time I was right was when I picked the Panthers to get beat at Cincinnati. Why stop now that the regular season is wrapping up? Bill Stull takes a knee at the Connecticut 1-yard line as time expires and the Huskies win, 27-21.

South Florida at West Virginia: Things have not gone as planned in Morgantown this season. It’s been a disappointing end for the seniors who experienced so much success early in their careers. The seniors will be fired up to play well in their home send-off, and they’ll be victorious against a South Florida team that has lost four of its past six. WVU will win, 24- 23.

Army vs. Navy: Navy has dominated this series of late, winning the past six games by an average margin of 28 points per game. It doesn’t look like it will get any better for the Cadets, who bring an uninspiring 3-8 record into the game. Among the teams that beat Army this season: New Hampshire, Temple and Louisiana Tech. Ouch. Navy wins in a romp, 42-7.

Ball State vs. Buffalo: Two first-time participants in the MAC championship game. The Cardinals are undefeated and going for an historic season. The Bulls are looking to go to their first bowl game since moving to Division I-A in 1999. Ball State will remain among the few uneaten teams, 35-17.

Boston College vs. Virginia Tech: After a regular season of competitive games produced parity (or was it mediocrity?) in the ACC, it comes down to the Eagles and Hokies for the championship. Funny how those former Big East teams keep winning ACC championships, huh? Boston College beat Virginia 28-23 in Chestnut Hill early in the year. I’ll take the Hokies to win the rematch, 23-20.

Alabama vs. Florida: Quick, name Alabama’s biggest win of the year. Still thinking? How about the opening victory over Clemson? OK, how about the win at Georgia? Now how about Florida’s best win? That would also be a victory at Georgia, the same Bulldogs teams that lost their season finale to Georgia Tech. All the more reason we should have a playoff. I’m not convinced that either team is worthy of playing in a national title game. But one has to go, so I’ll take the Gators because of Tim Tebow, 30-21.

Oklahoma vs. Missouri: The Paper Tigers have been getting ripped week in their big games down the stretch. They allowed 40 points to Kansas last week, 56 to Texas and 28 to Oklahoma State. Now they face the highest scoring team of all in the Big 12. The Sooners will march into the BCS title game, 63-21.

USC at UCLA: You can tune in for the retro look of the Trojans and Bruins both wearing their home colors for this game. After the opening introductions, you might want to switch the channel. USC beats its cross-town rival with ease, 42-20.