Sports - Pitt Recap, Orange Preview

There are times when it feels really good to be wrong. Last night was one of them. I was correct in that the Mountaineers gave a spirited effort and Ebanks had a big game (career high 20 points and led the team with 7 rebounds). The Mountaineers winning by 14, on the other hand, was nothing I could have predicted. After the second time that Pittsburgh thumped WV in the regular season, my dad and I talked about the game. We agreed that the Mountaineers could play Pittsburgh 10 times and would lose all 10 games with one possible exception - if Blair could not stay on the floor. Blair played only 18 minutes, most of which were in the second half while he was frustrated by his foul situation and the Mountaineers took advantage. The Mountaineers win was really the result of three unexpected events. The first was Blair's foul trouble. It was the least surprising of the three but the most important. Pittsburgh was off to a 9-4 lead with Blair early and it looked like another beat down was coming. His second foul changed everything. The second event was the incredible foul shooting by the Mountaineers. They shot 24-27 from the free throw line. I'm not sure when they missed their first one, but I believe they made at least their first 13. The Mountaineers shot just under 70% for the season and that performance last night from the line was critical, especially in the first half as it kept them in the game. The third was the performance of Ruoff. Yes, the in-your-face defense once again shut him out from three point range (0-3). However, it was if for the first time he recognized that the defense was tough and was going to take away the three, so he needed to forget about it. He didn't force it. More importantly, Ruoff recognized the size advantage he had on his defender. He posted up a few times. He drove the lane as his defender overplayed on the three point shot. And, unlike most games, particularly against top level opponents, he finished consistently (7-11 from inside 3). It was the best game he has played from inside the three point line against a quality opponent. If he could do that in the NCAA tournament, perhaps a run by WV is possible.

The Syracuse match up is another tough one for WV. The Orange pounded them in Syracuse. Onuaku is a Blair clone though not as skilled. Flynn is excellent with the ball. An excellent point guard combined with a huge big man who can score is a bad combination for the Mountaineers as those are their weak spots. The best news for WV is that Syracuse played a 6 overtime game late last night at the Garden. There should be a little physical and emotional fatigue from that game. If Syracuse plays smart and is at their best, WV will not be able to hang with them. That may not be the case though. Syracuse has won 6 in a row and I wonder how they will rebound from the huge emotional win last night. I give the edge to Syracuse, but a lot will depend on the mind set of Syracuse. They have made the four game run through the tournament before, perhaps they can do it again. Or, perhaps, WV will send them back to the cold of upstate New York.

The Mountaineers seeding in the NCAA tournament will be interesting to see. The biggest problem with their resume was a lack of big wins, Villanova at home being the only one. Now they have a neutral court win over Pittsburgh. They could be moving up to the 5 area, although I might prefer to WV to stay in the 6 spot. Either way, a decent shot at the sweet 16 is looking better and better.