2008/2009 Big East Thread

[TarHeelMan]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

Isn't Blair a soph? It's unlikely but I hope he stays in school at least another year...

How tall is he? I haven't seen much of Pitt this year, but I'd imagine that he's not tall enough to warrant a team taking him with a lottery pick. I also don't know if he has enough of an outside game where he can go inside/outside like Larry Johnson did.

[countryboy]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

I think Blair stays around one more year to polish a mid-range game.

[quaziemoto3]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

I think Blair stays around one more year to polish a mid-range game.

I sure hope you are right

[ehh]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

I can't imagine Blair going anywhere after this year. 6'6" centers don't leave early for the NBA.

THM, he has nothing even resembling what LJ had at UNLV in terms of an outside game.

[Speedy]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

I can't imagine Blair going anywhere after this year. 6'6" centers don't leave early for the NBA.

THM, he has nothing even resembling what LJ had at UNLV in terms of an outside game.

Yeh, Blair's no Grandmama

[Matt Diesel]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

What a game! Too bad the refs blew it on both sides of the ball. Too chippy , I think. I cannot wait until they meet in two weeks. I hope they play a 3rd time as well. That was the best game I have seen in a long time.

[countryboy]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

I was impressed when Blair had his shot blocked by Thabeet about 15-18ft from the basket, then got the ball back, put it on the floor and went to the hole.

If he can develop a consistent 15ft jumper, he's going to play a long time, in my opinion, in the NBA. Thats why I think coming back next year is in his best interest.

[NYJets]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

This is classic Calhoun. Watch, he will probably get a technical in the first few minutes of the next game too. He is starting early on working the officials for the 2nd match up. He likes to do this type of thing from time to time

It's classic coaching.

Dixon works the officials just as much.

[justamush]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

It's classic coaching.

Dixon works the officials just as much.

No doubt Dixon works the officials hard during the games. He doesn't usually work them through the press though.

[countryboy]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

UofL will be without Reginald Delk tonight when they host the Friars. Delk sprained his ankle in practice Monday and is listed day to day, but will sit out tonight.

Hopefully T-Will is at 100% as Pitino says. Also hope Kuric is ready to play because he's most likely going to see some minutes tonight.

[ryanm1058123]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

I can't imagine Blair going anywhere after this year. 6'6" centers don't leave early for the NBA.

THM, he has nothing even resembling what LJ had at UNLV in terms of an outside game.

agreed. don't see where the NBA talk for blair is coming from. he's got a lot of work to do to make himself into an NBA player. he's already at a disadvantage with his height

[ehh]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

No doubt Dixon works the officials hard during the games. He doesn't usually work them through the press though.

The only thing JC has to be upset about is Thabeet's fourth foul and the play where the ball went out of bounds under UConn's basket and Mike Kitts sat there for five seconds with a blank look on his face before Fields pointed that it should be Pitt's ball and he agreed. If you didn't see it and don't know who's ball it is you're suppose to call a held ball and go to the possession arrow.

Besides that the officiating was poor but it wasn't biased. I understand that JC was trying to defend his players but the bottom line is that Adrien played scared the entire first half and Blair made Thabeet his biatch all night. The refs aren't going to call an offensive foul if you don't even try to take a charge, so despite the fact that Blair was doing his best bull-in-a-china-shop impersonation you still need to be there take the charge.

But for being the ultimate proponent of tough, physical basketball in college it would have been nice to see JC simply say, "they were tougher than us and bullied us tonight and in turn they won the game." He's sending a message to Adrien and Thabeet that it was okay the way they played, even though it was soft as baby poo for the most part.

[crques]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

Notre Dame visits Morgantown tonight in an important game for both teams, although the Irish definitely need the win more. WVU has a chance to really boost their tournament seeding over the next few weeks with upcoming games against Rutgers, Cincinnati, South Florida, & DePaul. I'm certainly not saying that they are going to win all of those because you never can tell in this league, but they should at least be favored in 3 of them. Coming off a big win last Friday against Villanova, they have a chance to really pick up some momentum heading into March with a win tonight.

[justamush]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

But for being the ultimate proponent of tough, physical basketball in college it would have been nice to see JC simply say, "they were tougher than us and bullied us tonight and in turn they won the game." He's sending a message to Adrien and Thabeet that it was okay the way they played, even though it was soft as baby poo for the most part.

This is the one thing that baffles me about his reaction. UConn teams have always been physical teams. Jeff Adrien is probably one of the more physical players in all of college hoops. Before him it was Josh Boone, etc... They are a team that prides themselves on toughness on the defensive end. Haven't they led basketball in blocked shots each of the last 7 years? So they know and relish physical basketball.

[crques]

Re: 2008/2009 Big East Thread

This is the one thing that baffles me about his reaction. UConn teams have always been physical teams. Jeff Adrien is probably one of the more physical players in all of college hoops. Before him it was Josh Boone, etc... They are a team that prides themselves on toughness on the defensive end. Haven't they led basketball in blocked shots each of the last 7 years? So they know and relish physical basketball.

Adrien had no problem being physical and shoving Mountaineer players out of the way in order to get rebounds in their meeting earlier this season, nor did he have a problem with jumping over their backs for rebounds. He knows how to play physical. LOL

With that being said, I have to give Pitt a lot of credit. They are a much better team than I previously thought they were and a legitimate National Championship team, which I hadn't thought of them as that until their win Monday night.