Big Game Tonight!
- Thread starter WillyDavis33
- Start date
Vegas has the total around 142. I think that favors Pitt and if they can keep Clemson at 70 or lower I like their chances.
Last week, I had a bad feeling going into Wake. The stage was set on both ends for what we saw. I have a better feeling for Pitt tonight. They need this one more. Last game GDG, WJ, and Lowe combined for 32 mins, 0-8 from field and 0 pts. Bub and Ish were combined 2/8 from 3. This is a much improved Pitt team from early in the season. I think they get it done.
I have a better feeling about Clemson than I do Wake. Wake has better players I think.
Well - we played a lot of big games last year - including meaningful ACC tournament games and 3 games in the NCAA tournament.
That said - certainly a very important game tonight for our postseason chances this year .
Sure, I’m putting those in a little bit of a different bucket just because last season felt so much like playing with house money in so many ways. I was thrilled to be in the tournament, then thrilled to be in the first round, and thrilled to be in the second round. It felt good to just be back, regardless of the result.
I think the Notre Dame and/or Miami games last year probably come the closest to this, with a regular season banner on the line.
Other than Miami game last year for ACC title, ACC tourney game, First 4 game, Round of 64 game and round of 32 game I agree.
Just busting your balls here.
I don't think it's that simple. I think if they win, barring 2 jarring losses they are in. I think this game is a win-win for Pitt as long as they don't get blown out. Don't think it affects their chances if they lose close at all.
PJ Hall is just a horrible matchup for us. As he is can score both at the hoop and from 3 point land.
I mean even if they get blown out like last week to a top 30 net team on the road, they drop another 8 in net, and then bring it back up to the 40s with wins at bc, fsu, and NCST. Conversely, if Clemson has an off night and Pitt wins double digits on the road, they are likely in top 40 tomorrow morning.
I think this feels more like a house money season, to me. We got the monkey off our backs last year. Expectations weren't particularly high this season - especially through December - and I doubt we would do much damage if we did get in the tournament. If we get in, we get in. If not, eh it's okay.
I think some of the bigger games we won last year - in addition to playing for an ACC regular season championship - were much, much bigger. That put us back on the map.
Although I normally stay away from the "most important game" argument, because the more you win the more you seem to have and it becomes a moving target to some extent.
Just wished Jeffress provided at least some offense because you could put him on Hall nut not at the expense of Hinson.
I'm treating tonight as a must win (even though it isn't exactly that), because I don't think it's likely that we win the last three. Win tonight and then finish 2-1, and I think we're in great shape. Especially because we'd be adding another quality road win.
FSU, in particular, I think will be a very tricky out.
Would expect their length to bother Hinson
uh, biggest game since the game against Wake Forest last week but keep up the hyperbole as it makes the world go round...
Going into the Wake game, I thought we needed to win one of the two between Wake and Clemson. As a result, it limited the impact of the Wake game because it wasn’t a must win with the Clemson game still being on the schedule. If we had won at Wake, then Clemson would be less important because we would have already locked in a win. But because we lost, this one becomes much more important because I don’t think we can go 0-2.
I’m not sure if this may be the biggest Pitt game since Dixon years. It’s definitely a big one at this point in the season but a lot of that is because of all the other big ones they recently played and won (or lost) to make this upcoming one still an important game.
Along the same lines, a number of big games last year to get us into the dance and also while dancing after all the years wandering the desert since Dixon.
Edit: guess I didn’t need to post this reply, getting thru the rest of the thread I see there were already a few others questioning the ‘biggest game since Dixon years’.
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I agree with the comments about Hall and the matchup, so much so that it is the key to the outcome imo. We played them so long ago and have gone 13-6 since in almost all conference games. They have gone 12-8 since!
I have a good feeling
I have a good feeling
true...but would this game be bigger than the 1st round game of the ACC tournament last year?....I think not as that was a lose and definitely out scenario...tonight is not.
If we lose tonight as expected, the rest of the schedule isn't easy by any measure. I agree with you. Losing tonight means we have to win out the rest of the year then win at least 1 ACCT game to be on the bubble. That will be very difficult to do.
I'm not feeling good about this game at all. I wish it was different. I see us losing by 15 - 18 points after being down by over 20 at one point. Something like 80 - 63. If we can light it up from 3 with at least 10 3's and play defense and rebound like we did against VT, I think we have a chance. But there is another team on the court who doesn't lose against us and is on their home court. It's difficult to predict a Pitt victory tonight, unfortunately.
I think they get it done. They haven’t beat Clemson in 10 years now and haven’t won at Clemson in 10 years also so I just think that streak is due to be snapped and boy what a perfect time to do it tonight. A win tonight gets the NET probably to 40 at least maybe even high 30’s. They are great shape to get in if they win this game tonight. Their quality of wins would just be too good and Pitt has played extremely well going down the stretch winning 9 of 11 games if they win tonight and you can’t just ignore that if you’re the committee.
If they win, it would be funny to see the mental gymnastics guys like lunardi start going through as to why they are behind teams like Utah, Cincy, ksu, and butler
I think we'll see one of the best games of the year. Which is the sort of thing that may not end well for us, especially on the road.
I just don't ever want to see a closeup of his face while he's talking like they showed during the Wake Forest game. That was disturbing.
Joe Girard is definitely no Hunter Sallis. Having said that, we cannot do any doubling of the post. Girard can wreck us pretty fast if we don't stay in his hip pocket. I would rather let Fede battle with these guys inside than have Girard shoot us out of it. For us to win, we are going to have to have Good Fede and make sure we team rebound our defensive glass.
In “fairness” he’s a tough match up for just about everyone.
I’d like to see our guards attack the high hedge. Attack that outer leg of the big man and draw fouls! Better yet, get to the hoop, score, and draw a foul via the “and one”.
Im not sure there is any big in college basketball good enough to warrant doubling. If a big scores 20 on well defended 2's, I think I'd live with that. You cant give up open 3s. Players shoot too well nowadays. I was hoping Wake would go to MamaBear's son early and often because the 3s were the bigger threat.
This is true.
Hall fouled out of his last game vs Fl. ST. He only played 16 minutes,
had 3-3 from the field 1-1 FT's and only 7 pts and 2 rebounds. That
clearly is an exception. We all know how good he is, but I personally
feel he's underrated. I know Fede can't handle him (hope I'm wrong
tonight). We're due against Clemson. Maybe just maybe.
Sure would be nice to have the players to draw fouls on Hall. We really don't have that, so we will have to deal with him for 36 mins.
