MBB: (4) Pittsburgh 76, (1) Connecticut 68

[A-Tex Devil]

THe ESPN guy just said that UConn leads the nation in least fouls called against. They also lead the nation in blocks, right? This amazes me. I know Thabeet has a height advantage combined with athleticism unparalleled in college basketball, but it seems awfully incongruous that a team that so aggressively blocks shots like Uconn does year in and year out gets so few foul calls.

[Faison1]

That guy is frickin' awesome. A couple things come to mind watching the Pitt-UConn game:

1. It's a very high grade of basketball, and I hope to see one of these two teams take on UNC, because I think it would be a great game.

2. DeJuan Blair reminds me of Elton. I'm sure it's been written elsewhere on the boards, but man, they seem to have similar games. It would be sweeeet if DeJuan played for Duke.

3. I miss Elton Brand. The guy was a badass. Watching DeJuan play, while openly and verbally taking on UConn's strength in Thabeet makes me miss the '99 Duke team. Being able to say pre-game that you are going to take on the opposing team's strength...then go out an do it when the other team knows it's coming....that is just plain awesome.

Anyway, I'm just really impressed with Blair.....enough so that I was compelled to start a thread about him. I'm glad we got to see him up close last year, and wish him all the best of luck this year. He's playing a beautiful brand (pardon the pun) of basketball.

[FireOgilvie]

Midway through the 2nd half against the most "powerful force" or whatever Calhoun called Thabeet, Blair has 19 points, 21 rebounds.

Oh, and he just got hit in the eye. Hopefully he's okay.

[FerryFor50]

Love Blair.

hate Big East basketball. Do the refs in the big east even know what a foul is?

[devildownunder]

THe ESPN guy just said that UConn leads the nation in least fouls called against. They also lead the nation in blocks, right? This amazes me. I know Thabeet has a height advantage combined with athleticism unparalleled in college basketball, but it seems awfully incongruous that a team that so aggressively blocks shots like Uconn does year in and year out gets so few foul calls.

Well, considering most of the blocks come from Thabeet, and considering his rep at this point, the program's rep and the allowance for physical play in the Big East, it's not that shocking to me.

[FerryFor50]

THe ESPN guy just said that UConn leads the nation in least fouls called against. They also lead the nation in blocks, right? This amazes me. I know Thabeet has a height advantage combined with athleticism unparalleled in college basketball, but it seems awfully incongruous that a team that so aggressively blocks shots like Uconn does year in and year out gets so few foul calls.

They play in the Big East. Fouls do not exist in that alternate reality.

[FireOgilvie]

I've watched about 10 UConn games this year and you never know what you are going to get with Thabeet... he has 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 fouls today, but last game he had 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 blocks. His whole season has been like that. He's really tall and has really long arms so he can block shots... that's about it. He reminds me of Manute Bol. His size changes the game, but as far as scoring and other skills go, he's pretty raw.

[FerryFor50]

I've watched about 10 UConn games this year and you never know what you are going to get with Thabeet... he has 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 fouls today, but last game he had 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 blocks. His whole season has been like that. He's really tall and has really long arms so he can block shots... that's about it. He reminds me of Manute Bol. His size changes the game, but as far as scoring and other skills go, he's pretty raw.

Reminds me more of Sam Dalembert. Will probably be about as good in the NBA, too.

[RelativeWays]

That Levance Fields 3 pointer just then gave me a bad case of deja vu. This time is Ucon so its okay.

[FerryFor50]

That Levance Fields 3 pointer just then gave me a bad case of deja vu. This time is Ucon so its okay.

Yea, I dunno why they left him so open. All he does is hit big 3s. Reminds me of Khalid El-Amin or Mateen Cleaves. Chunky PG who hits clutch shots...

[arydolphin]

That block by Blair on Thabeet with under a minute to go was AMAZING, just ripped the ball out of Thabeet's hands when he was going up with the ball.

Blair goes 20-20 against Thabeet, what a great performance by him. I know it's only one game, but I'd take Pitt over UConn at this point, I just think that Pitt has more heart and has more ability to pull out a close game.

[FerryFor50]

That block by Blair on Thabeet with under a minute to go was AMAZING, just ripped the ball out of Thabeet's hands when he was going up with the ball.

Blair goes 20-20 against Thabeet, what a great performance by him. I know it's only one game, but I'd take Pitt over UConn at this point, I just think that Pitt has more heart and has more ability to pull out a close game.

That and UConn had a pretty big injury hit them recently.

[OldSchool]

I've watched about 10 UConn games this year and you never know what you are going to get with Thabeet...

Tonight Thabeet's poor performance was entirely attributable to Blair. Blair muscled him around like Arnold Schwarzenegger dealing with a 98-pound weakling.

Would love to see Blair vs. Blake Griffin. Also would be interesting to see Blair vs Hansborough. I think Blair gets the best of Hansbrough, not sure about Griffin.

[Faison1]

Maybe it's just my bias, but I think both those teams would beat Carolina. Oklahoma, not so much, but Pitt or UConn, yes. They both seem pretty tough.

I'd definitely take DeJuan Blair over Handbag, and Sam Young over Danny Green. Fields and Lawson would be interesting, but maybe I'd give UNC the edge there.

After all the trash Thabeet's talked about PsychoT, I'd love to see that matchup too. Guard play for UConn might be an issue going forward.

[darkblue2769]

The injury to Dyson really changes the entire makeup of the Big East. Until UConn lost him, I felt they were the clear best team in the conference. Now, that spot looks like it belongs to Pitt, but it leaves things wide open, at least for the top few teams in the conference. The already crazy conference just got crazier....

Plus, I foresee some big problems for UConn in their upcoming games.... not that I have a problem with that.

[roywhite]

Tonight Thabeet's poor performance was entirely attributable to Blair. Blair muscled him around like Arnold Schwarzenegger dealing with a 98-pound weakling.


The play in the 1st half where Blair caught Thabeet's arm and gave him a judo flip over Blair's body and onto the court is not something you see too often on a basketball court. :) Thabeet may have been a little wary after that.

[dukemsu]

Am I the only one who was entertained by:

1. Calhoun completely losing his mind on Thabeet's fourth foul. Not the best call, but Calhoun reacted like a five year old. Hightower did him a huge favor by not giving him a T he was basically begging for.

2. UConn getting the worst of a game so physical it bordered on football, particularly in the 8 minute to 4 minute left segment of the second half. Thankfully, people began making actual basketball plays in the decisive minutes.

3. I also had to laugh when the play by play guy complained that the refs weren't letting them play. If the refs had called all the contact, there would have been no players by halftime. I also don't remember announcers openly moaning about Shel picking up cheap fouls like they did for Thabeet. He's big and he's good defensively, sure, but that doesn't mean you can't call fouls on the guy.

Impressed with both teams' determination and guts. Both will be very tough outs in March and/or April. Not sure if it was just because who they were playing, but I was surprised by UConn's weakness on the glass. I'm sure some of that was due to Thabeet's seat on the bench for large stretches.

dukemsu

[BlueintheFace]

If any team faces Carolina for a championship besides us, I hope it is Pitt

[SMO]

If any team faces Carolina for a championship besides us, I hope it is Pitt

I thought before the season started that this was Pitt's year.

If it's not Duke or Capel at Oklahoma, I hope I'm right. Actually, anyone except UNC would be OK. Or UConn. Now I'm rambling...I'm calling Pitt all the way barring any big injuries.

[trinity92]

THe ESPN guy just said that UConn leads the nation in least fouls called against. They also lead the nation in blocks, right? This amazes me. I know Thabeet has a height advantage combined with athleticism unparalleled in college basketball, but it seems awfully incongruous that a team that so aggressively blocks shots like Uconn does year in and year out gets so few foul calls.

The way UCONN does it is they cover guys penetrating the lane, but refuse to foul them on the way in, knowing Thabeet is waiting at the hoop. I really wish we'd use Zoubek that way-- in the last couple games, I saw Nolan foul a penetrating guard in the paint when Z was waiting to help. In order to use Z well, I think we (gulp) need to pull a page from Calhoun's playbook. Let's funnel guards into Big Z, play them honest but stop trying to pick their pockets or try to draw a charge, and remember we have a 7+ footer behind us to back us up.

It was interesting watching Conn and Pitt, who we seem to agree are among the "elite" teams in the country this year, suffer miscues, turnovers and such that aren't that different from those we see from our Blue Devils. When two good teams are mixing it up, it's going to look ugly sometimes. While I'm not saying we're on their level, at least right now, it should put in perspective the recent travails of our team. Even the teams we think can win it all can look stupid from time to time.

BTW, Blair seemed like a great kid in his post-game interview. Very humble for a guy who had a 20-20 night against the #1 team on the road.

Go Duke!

[HDB]

That Levance Fields 3 pointer just then gave me a bad case of deja vu. This time is Ucon so its okay.

Yes, we played Pitt down to the wire last season. I'm an optimist, but have a tough time seeing how we could give them a run right now. Just too tough.

[captmojo]

That block by Blair on Thabeet with under a minute to go was AMAZING, just ripped the ball out of Thabeet's hands when he was going up with the ball.

...and the AMAZING 50 ft outlet assist for a lay-up


I thought before the season started that this was Pitt's year.

I'm calling Pitt all the way barring any big injuries.

I can't see a team winning it all at less than 75% at the line.

[OldSchool]

Calhoun completely losing his mind on Thabeet's fourth foul. Not the best call, but Calhoun reacted like a five year old.


I am completely sick and tired of basketball players throwing a temper tantrum like a 2-year old when they are called for what are obvious fouls.

On one play, LeVance Fields flew across the lane and gave a cross-body block on a UConn player that would make a hockey player proud. Then when he was whistled for a foul, he sat on the floor, yelled and made a face as if it he were completely put upon - just like a small child would.

Another instance was Sam Young's 5th foul, an obvious foul, but he has to yell and moan about it as if it were some great injustice.

And I'm just picking out two random instances, anyone can pick their own examples.

Are these players so coddled and stroked by virtue of being celebrated athletes at each level (Jr High, High School, College) that many of them are about as emotionally mature as a toddler?

[weezie]

And I'm just picking out two random instances, anyone can pick their own examples.


How 'bout coach Floyd's tantrum at the end of the ASU-USC game last night? Whoooeee! At that point I guess he knew he was cooked after some "interesting" calls but his meltdown was hilarious. Shades of vintage Knight.

[dukelifer]

...and the AMAZING 50 ft outlet assist for a lay-up



I can't see a team winning it all at less than 75% at the line.
Phillies, Steelers, Panthers. Could be

[kexman]

I was looking forward to this game more than any other this year. Not only #1 versus #4, but also Thabeet versus Blair. You do not get to see many great individual match-ups in college anymore. Blair was a beast and totally dominant!!! Super impressive. A great game to watch.

A few thoughts:

1) What do the top 4 teams have in common...a post presence although you can argue that Thabeet is not an offensive presence
UConn: Thabeet
Oklahoma: Griffin
UNC: Hansborough
Pitt: Blair

As a basketball fan I wouldn't mind seeing a round robin tournament between these teams

2) Blair was a huge Duke fan and apparently really wanted to come to Duke...we didn't give him the time of day. Granted, Rivals.com only had him listed as the 59th best player and at 6'7'' maybe not "tall enough" to play the post. However, he lit us up last year and looked awesome tonight. I have no idea about all the other things like academics, etc., but we could certainly use him in the post!

3) Rankings are meaningless. I was looking up Blair's rankings and these were from the same year:
#57 Jeff Teague, #59 Blair, #23 Blake Griffith
Of course they are not completely meaningless: Top 6- Beasley, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Kyle Singler, Kevin Love

It was fun to go back and look at the rankings for the last few years and see the top 20 players that have not made an impact and the lower rated players that have starred.

[dukejunkie]

One thing about the game that really amused me was the Take Down by Blair. Could you imagine (not that it even could happen) if Singler grabbed Hansbrough by the arm and completely flipped him over on to the ground?

In the ESPN post game interview of Blair the announcer didn't even mention that play. I really like Blair's game and he seems like a nice kid. However, that move was borderline criminal.

Pittsburgh take down- after thought. Duke does the same thing- hear about it for years with definite suspension.

[A-Tex Devil]

I was looking forward to this game more than any other this year. Not only #1 versus #4, but also Thabeet versus Blair. You do not get to see many great individual match-ups in college anymore. Blair was a beast and totally dominant!!! Super impressive. A great game to watch.

A few thoughts:

1) What do the top 4 teams have in common...a post presence although you can argue that Thabeet is not an offensive presence
UConn: Thabeet
Oklahoma: Griffin
UNC: Hansborough
Pitt: Blair

As a basketball fan I wouldn't mind seeing a round robin tournament between these teams

2) Blair was a huge Duke fan and apparently really wanted to come to Duke...we didn't give him the time of day. Granted, Rivals.com only had him listed as the 59th best player and at 6'7'' maybe not "tall enough" to play the post. However, he lit us up last year and looked awesome tonight. I have no idea about all the other things like academics, etc., but we could certainly use him in the post!

3) Rankings are meaningless. I was looking up Blair's rankings and these were from the same year:
#57 Jeff Teague, #59 Blair, #23 Blake Griffith
Of course they are not completely meaningless: Top 6- Beasley, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Kyle Singler, Kevin Love

It was fun to go back and look at the rankings for the last few years and see the top 20 players that have not made an impact and the lower rated players that have starred.

I have a man crush on Blair. He's the type of player that would pretty much fill in a bunch of voids on our team. Let's face it, we haven't scored an effective (meaning at least 3rd team all ACC) low post player since Shelden Williams. That's 2002 folks. I know we've lost a lot of those recruiting battles (Patterson, et al), but its reality. Brand, Boozer, Shelden.... ??? Explains a lot I think. Shooting 3s only gets you so far.

Blair may be Tractor Traylor v 2.0, but he's a great college player.

[OldSchool]

How 'bout coach Floyd's tantrum at the end of the ASU-USC game last night? Whoooeee! At that point I guess he knew he was cooked after some "interesting" calls but his meltdown was hilarious. Shades of vintage Knight.


From ESPN: Floyd was given two technical fouls and ejected with 47.9 seconds remaining for arguing an offensive foul called against Hackett with ASU leading 57-51. He walked all the way across the floor to confront official Randy McCall, before being escorted off the floor by security guards....

"We cannot discuss those things," Floyd said when asked about the call. "We don't have freedom of speech as coaches. Maybe Obama will change that rule, and we can talk."

Man, what a drama queen!

[Billy Dat]

It was a fun game to watch - it really felt like Pitt dominated yet UConn could have won. AJ Price had a big game that no one was really talking about because of Blair and Young's solid play and Fields' late heroics (after a very average first 35 minutes).

I think Carolina would really give either teams problems with their scoring. Neither Pitt nor UConn put up a lot of points and they'd have to play some amazing defense to hang with the Heels. Looking at both teams tonight, the tend to give up a lot of open looks from 3 and a hot team could make them pay. But, you can be sure that Psycho T would be black and blue after either match-up. I wouldn't want to go toe to toe with Blair, and I think UConn's Jeff Adrien is the scariest front court player in America. That dude is one TOUGH mother.

[calltheobvious]

...and the AMAZING 50 ft outlet assist for a lay-up



I can't see a team winning it all at less than 75% at the line.

Seventy-five percent for a college team is amazing. Ken Pomeroy may have been the guy, but a really interesting article was written last year in response to all of the Memphis talk, in which the author argued that free throw percentage is one of the most overvalued statistics around. The crux was beautifully simple: if a team shoots 20 free throws, there's only a two-point difference between 65%, which people judge as poor, and 75%, which people judge as outstanding.



Team FT percentages:

2008 Kansas: 70.2
2007 Florida: 69.0
2006 Florida: 74.4
2005 UNC: 72.5
2004 UConn: 62.3
2003 Syracuse: 69.4

[shadowfax336]

I grew up as a Pitt fan, so I'm ridiculously excited watching all of this. I think Duke still has a chance to turn things around and be a factor, and they are my #1 team. But Pitt is 1A, and I really feel as good about them as I ever have right now. They have all the pieces, including the best PF, SF, and PG in the Big East. They beat UConn tonight even with their top 3 reserves going 0-13 from the floor (which is very unusual and a sign of UConn's D) This team has the stars, has the toughness, and has the coaching to go all the way.

[brevity]

I'd definitely take DeJuan Blair over Handbag, and Sam Young over Danny Green. Fields and Lawson would be interesting, but maybe I'd give UNC the edge there.

It's time we re-evaluate the somewhat misguided consensus that UNC has the nation's best starting 5. (They are certainly up there, no doubt, but I protest the assumption that their starters are so much better than anyone else's.)

I think Pitt needs to be considered, and so does Connecticut, with and now without Jerome Dyson. Maybe Louisville. Away from the Eastern Seaboard, Michigan State and Gonzaga come to mind.

[TwoDukeTattoos]

Perhaps Elton Brand? Scary team with that guy on their roster.

[captmojo]

Seventy-five percent for a college team is amazing. Ken Pomeroy may have been the guy, but a really interesting article was written last year in response to all of the Memphis talk, in which the author argued that free throw percentage is one of the most overvalued statistics around. The crux was beautifully simple: if a team shoots 20 free throws, there's only a two-point difference between 65%, which people judge as poor, and 75%, which people judge as outstanding.



Team FT percentages:

2008 Kansas: 70.2
2007 Florida: 69.0
2006 Florida: 74.4
2005 UNC: 72.5
2004 UConn: 62.3
2003 Syracuse: 69.4

Accepted. I really just don't like to see my team leaving points off the scoreboard from the line. There also exists the denial of another chance after a missed front end one-and-one. These stats aren't revealed above, are they?

[allenmurray]

Are these players so coddled and stroked by virtue of being celebrated athletes at each level (Jr High, High School, College) that many of them are about as emotionally mature as a toddler?

Not always (Blair last night for example, also some buy named Battier) but frequently.

[SMO]

One thing about the game that really amused me was the Take Down by Blair. Could you imagine (not that it even could happen) if Singler grabbed Hansbrough by the arm and completely flipped him over on to the ground?

In the ESPN post game interview of Blair the announcer didn't even mention that play. I really like Blair's game and he seems like a nice kid. However, that move was borderline criminal.

Pittsburgh take down- after thought. Duke does the same thing- hear about it for years with definite suspension.

That play reminded me of Blair's headlock takedown of Singler last year. He got called for an intentional as I recall. Kid's got an edge, but seems to have a good attitude. I'm pulling for Pitt if they're not in Duke's bracket come March.

[FerryFor50]

I am completely sick and tired of basketball players throwing a temper tantrum like a 2-year old when they are called for what are obvious fouls.

On one play, LeVance Fields flew across the lane and gave a cross-body block on a UConn player that would make a hockey player proud. Then when he was whistled for a foul, he sat on the floor, yelled and made a face as if it he were completely put upon - just like a small child would.

Another instance was Sam Young's 5th foul, an obvious foul, but he has to yell and moan about it as if it were some great injustice.

And I'm just picking out two random instances, anyone can pick their own examples.

Are these players so coddled and stroked by virtue of being celebrated athletes at each level (Jr High, High School, College) that many of them are about as emotionally mature as a toddler?

I dunno man... last night, those fouls weren't so obvious. The officiating was erratic at best, so players were justified to be frustrated with a call. It's very likely that on the same play, they got hacked or tackled. The Fields play, for instance... he got pushed into the player he "cross body blocked" by a UConn player. That's why he was incredulous about the foul called on him.

Not only does poor officiating affect the game and players in terms of outcome, but it's also dangerous to let it get that physical.

[calltheobvious]

Accepted. I really just don't like to see my team leaving points off the scoreboard from the line. There also exists the denial of another chance after a missed front end one-and-one. These stats aren't revealed above, are they?

It's a valid point, but since the era of the double-bonus it's not going to have more than a marginal impact, for a couple of reasons.

1) The most one-and-one opportunities a team can have in a game is six.
2) That number is rarely going to be meaningful because

a) A team might not even reach the double-bonus in both halves
b) A team will sometimes be fouled in the act of shooting on the magic team foul numbers of 7, 8, and 9, thus rendering the foul count irrelevant
c) A player is no more or less likely to make the first in a 1-and-1 situation than he would be if it were a two-shot foul.

Let's put a, b, and c together. Assume a team that shoots 67% from the line does indeed reach the double-bonus in both halves, but that three of the six 'fouls of interest' come in the act of shooting, so the one-and-one onlys come into play three times. On average that team will convert two of the three front-ends, meaning that only once was an actual free-throw opportunity left unrealized. That would only cost that team 2/3 of a point.

Of course if that team is playing a team that shoots a few percentage points higher from the line, the average differential could add up to a bucket or so. But the interesting effect demonstrated here is that we don't often talk about the free throw shooting of teams that aren't pretty good in the first place. And we never say that "free throw shooting could cost that team a title" if that team isn't otherwise really, really good. In other words, if a team is good enough to be in championship discussion in the first place, FT% is one of the last places we should look for difference-making stats.

There are all sorts of small improvements a team could make that would have a far greater marginal impact than improving free throwing, like, say,Duke improving 3-pt shooting by just 2 percentage points, or reducing turnovers/game by one. It's just that missed free throws are so much more obvious since they occur during a stoppage that gives us more time to think about, and thus remember them.

[UConnJack]

THe ESPN guy just said that UConn leads the nation in least fouls called against. They also lead the nation in blocks, right? This amazes me. I know Thabeet has a height advantage combined with athleticism unparalleled in college basketball, but it seems awfully incongruous that a team that so aggressively blocks shots like Uconn does year in and year out gets so few foul calls.

As trinity92 mentioned, the UConn guards don't foul much because, while they are quick and able to keep in front of their man, they don't resort to fouling when beat because they know they have Thabeet in the middle.

As for the fouling on blocks, there are a few reasons UConn doesn't foul much. First, Thabeet is just plain a good shotblocker with good timing and patience. He usually stays on his feet, doesn't go for a lot of fakes, and doesn't jump into the shooter. The fact that he has only played for 6 years means he doesn’t have the bad shotblocking habits and has given coaches the ability to teach him how to correctly block shots. Second, a lot of UConn's blocks come from the second defender from the weakside, whether its Thabeet or someone else, so they rarely make contact with the shooter. Third, Adrien, Robinson, and Edwards are also tall with long wingspans and/or hops so they don't need to jump into the shooter for the block. And finally, UConn has had natural and patient shotblockers in Okafor and Thabeet for the past several years now, and nothing can teach the other players how to effectively block shots as much as can watching one every day and playing them in practice.

[calltheobvious]

As trinity92 mentioned, the UConn guards don't foul much because, while they are quick and able to keep in front of their man, they don't resort to fouling when beat because they know they have Thabeet in the middle.

As for the fouling on blocks, there are a few reasons UConn doesn't foul much. First, Thabeet is just plain a good shotblocker with good timing and patience. He usually stays on his feet, doesn't go for a lot of fakes, and doesn't jump into the shooter. The fact that he has only played for 6 years means he doesn’t have the bad shotblocking habits and has given coaches the ability to teach him how to block shots. Second, a lot of UConn's blocks come from the second defender from the weakside, whether its Thabeet or someone else, so they rarely make contact with the shooter. Third, Adrien, Robinson, and Edwards are also tall with long wingspans and/or hops so they don't need to jump into the shooter for the block. And finally, UConn has had natural and patient shotblockers in Okafor and Thabeet for the past several years now, and nothing can teach the other players how to effectively block shots as much as can watching one every day and playing them in practice.

Hey, pal, don't come around here with your "evidence," and your "reasoned arguments," expecting us to believe that UConn's lack of fouls can be explained by anything other than an NCAA-wide conspiracy.;)

In all seriousness, you're absolutely right. There truly is nothing to see here. Also, Duke is the only team that gets all the calls.

[Chard]

Good post, UConnJack. Hope to see you around here more often.

I REALLY like Blair and I see that I'm not alone in this community. I really like watching individual players on the college level no matter who they play for. OU's Griffin, GT's Monroe, Miami's McClinton, Singler and G, Davidson's Curry, Wake's Teague, Arizona's Budinger; all are a joy to watch. Blair is probably my favorite but not by much.

I don't think Blair's take down of Thabeet was "criminal" but more of an example of his enormous power. I'm glad Thabeet is okay because that could have been a serious injury. That was one heck of a game last night.

[UConnJack]

Thanks for letting me post here occasionally. I like to read these boards once in a while and get your take on the college basketball world, you seem to be (mostly) objective and well versed. Although that does seem to be tested when UNC and Maryland are concerned (and UConn sometimes.)

Yeah, of all the teams in the BE, Pitt made me the most nervous. Any of the top half of the BE could beat UConn on a good night, but Pitt was going to be a toss-up on any given night. Not to say they are the best team in the BE, but they are just so strong and tenacious that they can beat anyone if the game is right. There were some questionable calls, mainly Thabeet's 4th foul, and maybe the refs let Blair drop and throw his shoulder too much on a few plays, but that's not why UConn lost. Pitt just wasn't going to be denied. I think Calhoun will have them toughened up for the rematch at Pitt, and I think there is a good chance UConn will win.

Already we have our fair weather fans up here screaming about how UConn is overrated, that they are soft, and will bow out of the BE and NCCA tournaments early. But for as outplayed as UConn was by Pitt, they were still up by 5 points toward the end of the game with a chance to win, and this was without Dyson and without a good game from Thabeet. I have always been realistic about UConn's teams over the years, but this is one of those teams that I think is a legitimate top team and final four contenders.

[allenmurray]

I was watching the UCONN vs. Pitt game with my son, and we both commented, almost at the same time, on how old the Pitt players look. Uconn has some big strong kids, but they look like a really big college players. The guys on Pitt's team look like longshoremen in Houston or New Orleans. They are not just huge, but look like they are in theri mid-30s.

[roywhite]

I was watching the UCONN vs. Pitt game with my son, and we both commented, almost at the same time, on how old the Pitt players look. Uconn has some big strong kids, but they look like a really big college players. The guys on Pitt's team look like longshoremen in Houston or New Orleans. They are not just huge, but look like they are in theri mid-30s.

They certainly look to be grown men.

I was curious enough to look this up on the Pitt site.
Starters:
Biggs 22 yrs old
Blair 19 (20 in April)
Fields 21
Young 23 (24 in June)
Dixon 21 (22 in April)

First off the bench:
Gil Brown 21
Wanamaker 19

[allenmurray]

They certainly look to be grown men.

I was curious enough to look this up on the Pitt site.
Starters:
Biggs 22 yrs old
Blair 19 (20 in April)
Fields 21
Young 23 (24 in June)
Dixon 21 (22 in April)

First off the bench:
Gil Brown 21
Wanamaker 19


they really are not older than average (Young is a bit older than average, but not out of the normal range, especially for someone who did a prep school year). they just look old and weathered - kind of like Greg Oden did.