** You are welcome everyone!
** I figured the only way our Panthers could come away victorious in Cameron Indoor for the first time in almost half a century was for me to watch the game here in the heart of ACC Country. As a diehard fan, I have that kind of power.
** Seriously though, after the drive down to Williamsburg to return our kid to William & Mary, the family settled in our hotel to watch on our laptop what we expected to be pretty quick work on our guys by the Blue Devils.
** Instead, it was a game we will always remember. It was one for the record books. And it was wonderful!
** The hardest part about watching our Panthers stumble and bumble to a sorry 1-5 start in the ACC wasn’t so much that our team wasn’t very good. The harder part for me was more the feeling that we weren’t even as good as we should be.
** So for one special night in North Carolina, and for me in southern Virginia, we got to watch our Panthers be all we can really ever ask of our team. That is, to be the best team that they can be. Tonight that's exactly what our Panthers were.
** Back in December, I closed my thoughts against West Virginia proclaiming Blake Hinson as the best 3 point shooter in Pitt Basketball history. I really should learn to stay away from such proclamations. They often come back to look really bad.
** Blake’s three point shooting surely has looked pretty bad over the last couple weeks. But now in addition to a record setting 9 threes in a game, Blake is now in the record books for a 7-7 single game as well.
** The seventh three may have even caused me a problem. My W&M freshman and I yelled so loud that we expected to get a call from the front desk. So far, we are in the clear.
** And I don’t know how it’s possible, but somehow Blake is in the clear after pulling his own version of Kahlid Al-Amin on the scorers table. I can’t say I’m a fan of such actions, but hey, I just didn’t hit 7 of 7 three point shots in Cameron Indoor either.
** But is it even possible that despite an ACC record, 7-7 three point shooting, 24 point performance, Blake wasn’t even our most valuable player tonight?
** Doesn’t that designation really need to go to Jaland Lowe after a 17 point, 6 assist, 0 turnover night in Durham. And despite all of the magic of Blake’s 7 takes and 7 makes, somehow Mr. Lowe found his way to hit the biggest three point shot of the night.
** It wasn’t just that the shot was perfectly courageous, confident and covenient, it was also over the outstretched arms of Kyle Fillipowski. For all the grief that Kyle has given the Panthers over the last several games, it was great to finally see him fail.
** I think it’s fair to say that we just witnessed the best single game by a Panther freshman guard this year.
** As for the rest of our Panthers, at the top of the list stands the much maligned Fede Federico. Offering hyperbole to his performance this night would not be accurate. His performance was far from perfect. But it was also exactly enough of what the Panthers need from him. It's what we've needed from him in many games this year.
** And following as Fede’s understudy, GDiaz’s minutes were equally solid. All plus plays for a team that needed them from him too.
** Allow me to also add that I’m really happy for Head Coach Jeff Capel. Personally, I’ll say that I really like Capel, even if I’m unimpressed with his overall abilities to bring his team together well. More and more, last year has been looking more like a fluky blip.
** This huge win on his former home court isn’t nearly enough yet to proclaim any kind of turnaround for this team. In fact, I’d say the odds are that this too will look a little more like a fluky blip over the course of this campaign as well.
** Additionally, it’s hard to think that Duke doesn’t come away victorious if Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell are on the court. But right now, that matters not.
** But whatever the future holds for Capel, and I’ll still always hope for the best for him as the leader of our Panthers, at least he can say he won in Cameron.
** Now for the first time since 1979, the Panthers can say they won in Cameron, on a night within a season when almost no one expected it. Especially not this Panther fan typing these thoughts from only about 2 and ½ hours away from Duke.
** Perhaps the only ones who did expect it were the ones wearing the blue jerseys with the gold trim. They are the only ones that really matter. Thank you young men!
** I figured the only way our Panthers could come away victorious in Cameron Indoor for the first time in almost half a century was for me to watch the game here in the heart of ACC Country. As a diehard fan, I have that kind of power.
** Seriously though, after the drive down to Williamsburg to return our kid to William & Mary, the family settled in our hotel to watch on our laptop what we expected to be pretty quick work on our guys by the Blue Devils.
** Instead, it was a game we will always remember. It was one for the record books. And it was wonderful!
** The hardest part about watching our Panthers stumble and bumble to a sorry 1-5 start in the ACC wasn’t so much that our team wasn’t very good. The harder part for me was more the feeling that we weren’t even as good as we should be.
** So for one special night in North Carolina, and for me in southern Virginia, we got to watch our Panthers be all we can really ever ask of our team. That is, to be the best team that they can be. Tonight that's exactly what our Panthers were.
** Back in December, I closed my thoughts against West Virginia proclaiming Blake Hinson as the best 3 point shooter in Pitt Basketball history. I really should learn to stay away from such proclamations. They often come back to look really bad.
** Blake’s three point shooting surely has looked pretty bad over the last couple weeks. But now in addition to a record setting 9 threes in a game, Blake is now in the record books for a 7-7 single game as well.
** The seventh three may have even caused me a problem. My W&M freshman and I yelled so loud that we expected to get a call from the front desk. So far, we are in the clear.
** And I don’t know how it’s possible, but somehow Blake is in the clear after pulling his own version of Kahlid Al-Amin on the scorers table. I can’t say I’m a fan of such actions, but hey, I just didn’t hit 7 of 7 three point shots in Cameron Indoor either.
** But is it even possible that despite an ACC record, 7-7 three point shooting, 24 point performance, Blake wasn’t even our most valuable player tonight?
** Doesn’t that designation really need to go to Jaland Lowe after a 17 point, 6 assist, 0 turnover night in Durham. And despite all of the magic of Blake’s 7 takes and 7 makes, somehow Mr. Lowe found his way to hit the biggest three point shot of the night.
** It wasn’t just that the shot was perfectly courageous, confident and covenient, it was also over the outstretched arms of Kyle Fillipowski. For all the grief that Kyle has given the Panthers over the last several games, it was great to finally see him fail.
** I think it’s fair to say that we just witnessed the best single game by a Panther freshman guard this year.
** As for the rest of our Panthers, at the top of the list stands the much maligned Fede Federico. Offering hyperbole to his performance this night would not be accurate. His performance was far from perfect. But it was also exactly enough of what the Panthers need from him. It's what we've needed from him in many games this year.
** And following as Fede’s understudy, GDiaz’s minutes were equally solid. All plus plays for a team that needed them from him too.
** Allow me to also add that I’m really happy for Head Coach Jeff Capel. Personally, I’ll say that I really like Capel, even if I’m unimpressed with his overall abilities to bring his team together well. More and more, last year has been looking more like a fluky blip.
** This huge win on his former home court isn’t nearly enough yet to proclaim any kind of turnaround for this team. In fact, I’d say the odds are that this too will look a little more like a fluky blip over the course of this campaign as well.
** Additionally, it’s hard to think that Duke doesn’t come away victorious if Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell are on the court. But right now, that matters not.
** But whatever the future holds for Capel, and I’ll still always hope for the best for him as the leader of our Panthers, at least he can say he won in Cameron.
** Now for the first time since 1979, the Panthers can say they won in Cameron, on a night within a season when almost no one expected it. Especially not this Panther fan typing these thoughts from only about 2 and ½ hours away from Duke.
** Perhaps the only ones who did expect it were the ones wearing the blue jerseys with the gold trim. They are the only ones that really matter. Thank you young men!
