Jamie Dixon has done a good job with his Pittsburgh team this year. They lost starting guard Mike Cook for the season with a knee injury to sour a win over Duke and then, the next time out, Levance Fields broke his foot in a blowout loss to Dayton. Losing your starting backcourt would kill a lot of teams but Dixon reshaped his team to its new reality. He relied on Sam Young for scoring and DeJuan Blair for interior toughness and got surprisingly strong play from senior guard Ronald Ramon at the point.
It's worked pretty well. The Panthers have gone 8-4 since losing Fields, including a lights-out performance against Providence on Tuesday night. Now, in advance of a crucial stretch run, Dixon gets his point guard back to lead them. Fields is expected to play against Marquette on Friday and, logically, at Notre Dame next week in two games that will have a lot of say in who gets a bye in the first round of the Big East tournament.
Frankly, I like Pitt's chances. With Fields healthy, Ramon and his 42% three-point touch will move to shooting guard. That gives Pitt more flexibility and balance on offense to go with their always strong defense. That's the team that handed Duke their only loss of the season and a team that should close the season with a flourish.
Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher has made a fairly successful transition from the sideline to the studio as an analyst for the NFL on CBS. But it turns out that pro football isn't his only sport. CBS is also using him to discuss women's college basketball:
As Awful Announcing notes, Cowher has a fairly solid background in women's college basketball. His wife, Kaye Young, played at North Carolina State and in the now-defunct Women's Professional Basketball League. All three of his daughters play, with Meagan Cowher and Lauren Cowher at Princeton and his youngest daughter playing in high school. Cowher has watched a lot of women's basketball.
I don't think Cowher is going to be covering women's basketball all season, but I wish he would. He'd be a welcome addition.
This is why I love college basketball season: it is filled with big games against big programs from big conferences. The Big East's Pittsburgh (ranked #9) met the ACC's Duke (#7) in New York's Madison Square Garden tonight ... with the winner continuing their undefeated start to the season.
It was a great basketball game. Duke was gangbusters in the first half ... running out to a 12-point halftime lead. However, Pitt came back with great defensive pressure (holding the Blue Devils to just 38% shooting) and clutch shooting:
DeMarcus Nelson had given the Blue Devils the lead at 63-62 with a twisting reverse layup and foul shot for a three-point play with 1:36 left in overtime. Pitt's DeJuan Blair, who had 20 rebounds, fouled out on the play. Kyle Singler's free throw a minute later made it 64-62.
But Fields, who led all scorers with 21 points, drained his three-pointer on Pitt's final possession, and the clock ran out on Duke, which had no time-outs left and got off only a long three at the buzzer.
Pitt moves to 11-0, but all isn't great for the Panthers. Swingman Mike Cook suffered a severe knee inury about :30 into overtime. No word yet about the severity of it, but Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon seemed to think it was pretty bad:
Never heard of the City Game? I understand. It's a Pittsburgh thing. It's what they call the annual Pitt-Duquesne basketball game. Since Pitt had won 25 of the past 28 meetings, it's lost nearly all of what luster it once had. That Pitt hasn't dropped the game in favor of having another non-con home game in odd years like Boston College has with Holy Cross, probably has more to do with Pitt's desire to avoid negative local publicity than true concern with history and tradition.
Pitt ultimately won the game 73-68, though, it was arguably a win for both teams.
Duquesne showed that it will be a factor in the Atlantic-10 this season. The Dukes have a solid front court of Achara and James with size and speed, and have the option to throw waves of guards at opponents. This allows them to force the faster tempo.
Pitt got a needed challenge after seven easy to cupcake wins. The next four games on their schedule are at Washington, Oklahoma State, Duke at Madison Square Garden and at Dayton. Facing a team that had size and athleticism can only help them prepare. While Pitt is playing at faster tempo this season, they still controlled the pace, and were able to slow Duquesne down when it worked to their advantage. Freshman Forward/Center DeJuan Blair appears to be better than advertised even as he gets overshadowed by the talented number of freshmen players this year.
Words that never come together in a good way -- night club, drunk, altercation, taser. Pitt's starting point guard, Levance Fields had an interesting Saturday night, and a lousy Sunday morning.
The incident took place at 1:50 a.m. at Pure nightclub. According to a police affadavit, an officer working an off-duty detail at Pure spotted Mr. Fields yelling at another police officer. The police officer approached Mr. Fields and asked him to stop yelling and using offensive language.
Mr. Fields then went into the street and began arguing with an unknown black male. The officer approached Mr. Fields again and repeated his request that he stop yelling and using offensive language, at which time Mr. Fields cursed at the officer and struck him in the chest.
Mr. Fields then grabbed at the officer's weapon. The officer pushed him away, and a security officer shot Mr. Fields in the chest with a taser.
After being treated at a local hospital, he was taken to Allegheny County Jail where he stayed until he was arraigned and released Sunday afternoon. Fields was charged with aggravated assault, disarming a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
Fields is only 20-years old and has his court date next Monday. That gave Pitt coach Jamie Dixon the wiggle room to hold off on acting immediately regarding his only experienced point guard. Instead Dixon opted to go with the, "we will let the judicial process run its course before determining what disciplinary action is necessary," approach.
Last year at this time, Duquesne University was dealing with major upheaval and tragedy following a shooting at a school-sponsored event. Five Duquesne basketball players were shot. Sympathy for the program was rampant. While, thankfully, none were killed, the injuries effectively ended one career, and another player filed a lawsuit against the school -- while still on scholarship.
A year later, Stuard Baldonado, the player who filed a lawsuit was suspended from the team indefinitely for violating the "code of student rights." What exactly? Turns out he decided that drug dealing was a good idea to fill the time in between his rehabbing, classes and practices.
Mr. Baldonado, 22, who did not play last weekend in Toronto because of academics and a long rehabilitation for bullet wounds in the left elbow and lower back, was charged with criminal conspiracy involving the manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance. ... Police said Mr. Baldonado acted as a lookout while another man crossed the street and handled a drug transaction. Police said the unidentified man then crossed back over to where Mr. Baldonado was standing and the two got into a taxi.
No drugs were found on Baldonado, but he was charged with conspiracy as his friend had two baggies with marijuana in them.
When you are trying to get a program to even the NIT (where it hasn't been since 1994), there are going to be some bumps. Duquesne has had more than its share in the past year. Now it will lose its leading scorer.
Duquesne's Robert Mitchell showed up a couple minutes late for a 6 a.m. basketball practice Tuesday. He spent the next hour or so running the track at the Palumbo Center before joining his teammates.
That afternoon, he went upstairs to coach Ron Everhart's office and told him, "I think it would be best for me to leave Duquesne."
Another JUCO recruit didn't make it into Duquesne at all. Ricky Jackson was denied admission for academic reasons and released from his National Letter of Intent.
Last fall, five Duquesne basketball players were shot following a confrontation at an on-campus dance. One of the players has now filed a lawsuit against the school.
The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, says university officials did not take action once they knew of potential criminal activity. A doorman let two armed men into the dance even after their friend asked if the men would be frisked, according to the lawsuit.
"Rather than alerting the campus police who were present inside the ballroom about (the frisking inquiry), or taking other similar reasonable steps, the doorman simply responded that they would not be frisked," and allowed the men to enter, the lawsuit states.
From a civil liberty/personal freedom standpoint, it's uncomfortable to think that inquiring about what security scrutiny one faces should subject a person to heightened suspicion. On the other hand, it simply could be a reflection of the world today.
Stuard Baldonado, a JUCO from Miami, was shot in the arm, and is the one who filed. He remains on scholarship and on the team, though with a medical redshirt. Bet those practices might be a little awkward after this.
Jamie Dixon has done a good job with his Pittsburgh team this year. They lost starting guard Mike Cook for the season with a knee injury to sour a win over Duke and then, the next time out, Levance Fields broke his foot in a blowout loss to Dayton. Losing your starting backcourt would kill a lot of teams but Dixon reshaped his team to its new reality. He relied on Sam Young for scoring and DeJuan Blair for interior toughness and got surprisingly strong play from senior guard Ronald Ramon at the point. 
This is why I love college basketball season: it is filled with big games against big programs from big conferences. The Big East's Pittsburgh (ranked #9) met the ACC's Duke (#7) in New York's Madison Square Garden tonight ... with the winner continuing their undefeated start to the season.
Never heard of the City Game? I understand. It's a Pittsburgh thing. It's what they call the annual Pitt-Duquesne basketball game. Since Pitt had won 25 of the past 28 meetings, it's lost nearly all of what luster it once had. That Pitt hasn't dropped the game in favor of having another non-con home game in odd years like Boston College has with Holy Cross, probably has more to do with Pitt's desire to avoid negative local publicity than true concern with history and tradition.
Words that never come together in a good way -- night club, drunk, altercation, taser. Pitt's starting point guard, Levance Fields had an interesting Saturday night, and 
Last year at this time, Duquesne University was dealing with major upheaval and tragedy following a shooting at a school-sponsored event. Five Duquesne basketball players were shot. Sympathy for the program was rampant. While, thankfully, none were killed, the injuries effectively ended one career, and another player 
When you are trying to get a program to even the NIT (where it hasn't been since 1994), there are going to be some bumps. Duquesne has had more than its share in the past year. Now it will lose its leading scorer.
Last fall, five Duquesne basketball players were shot following a confrontation at an on-campus dance. One of the players has now 
