The loss to Purdue was big in the sense we will now be "0 for" in the OOC part of our schedule unless teams like Davidson, Duq, or Kent State end becoming really good. Davidson, at least, has a chance.
I dont like having to rely solely on ACC play and we could very well be a bubble team.
Pitt is going to need to play Gonzaga more than Gonzaga needs to play us so if I was Pitt, I'd wait to see where we are in early February and if it looks like we may be a bubble team, I would tentatively scheduke to play Gonzaga AT Gonzaga on the Saturday of the ACCT. The WCC season ends the Tuesday prior and Gonzaga sitting around for a week and a half before the NCAAT is not ideal and there's no way in the world they'd turn down a huge money -making home game from Pitt.
Since the game would be tentatively scheduled, no announcement of it would be made until the end of the ACC regular season. If Pitt is in good shape, game off. That's part of the deal. If Pitt needs it, the game is announced, Gonzaga sells out with the caveat that if Pitt makes the ACC semis on Friday night, the game is off and Gonzaga refunds the ticket-buyers. Pitt wouldn't need the game anyway if we made the semis.
The short-turnaround cross-country trip is not ideal for sure but it would almost be like one of those short-turnaround Dayton First Four games. A play-in game.....well, for Pitt. And I think everyone associated with Pitt would rather have an NCAAT play-in game in Spokane than being in that Next Four Out line with nothing you can do, knowing were a half away from beating Gonzaga and being solidly in.
I dont like having to rely solely on ACC play and we could very well be a bubble team.
Pitt is going to need to play Gonzaga more than Gonzaga needs to play us so if I was Pitt, I'd wait to see where we are in early February and if it looks like we may be a bubble team, I would tentatively scheduke to play Gonzaga AT Gonzaga on the Saturday of the ACCT. The WCC season ends the Tuesday prior and Gonzaga sitting around for a week and a half before the NCAAT is not ideal and there's no way in the world they'd turn down a huge money -making home game from Pitt.
Since the game would be tentatively scheduled, no announcement of it would be made until the end of the ACC regular season. If Pitt is in good shape, game off. That's part of the deal. If Pitt needs it, the game is announced, Gonzaga sells out with the caveat that if Pitt makes the ACC semis on Friday night, the game is off and Gonzaga refunds the ticket-buyers. Pitt wouldn't need the game anyway if we made the semis.
The short-turnaround cross-country trip is not ideal for sure but it would almost be like one of those short-turnaround Dayton First Four games. A play-in game.....well, for Pitt. And I think everyone associated with Pitt would rather have an NCAAT play-in game in Spokane than being in that Next Four Out line with nothing you can do, knowing were a half away from beating Gonzaga and being solidly in.
