Looking at PITT/VCU PREVIEW

[BUNK MORELAND]

VCU is gonna wanna press all game long. Pitt is gonna need to get some help for Fields. This is a Pittsburgh Team who has been knocked out multiple times by mid majors and should be playing with a chip on their shoulder for this reason. I like the size of Pittsburgh to wear down the smaller VCU Team (of their top five scorers Fameni is the tallest at 6'7") . I realize this is the tourney and Preseason Rankings don't mean much at all , but this is a Pitt team picked to win the Big East against a VCU team picked to finish in middle of the pack in the Colonial. This is also a very deep Pittsburgh Team who can get multiple contributions .

Any thoughts on this game for tomorrow. I'm leanin towards P I double T .. Not a homer play .. I promise

[Kevin]

Im almost thinking "no play"

VCU is for real. All that matters is how their playing today.

The game that I can't figure out is why BC is getting 8 points???

[wsox08]

I'm not sure why Butler is getting 5.5

[FlyersFan]

VCU couldn't stop Ronald McDonald roberts inside, so PITT should have their way with them. However, they were able to force about 20 Duke TO's. Duke would have won that game nonetheless had they not gone 2-11 down the stretch shooting FT's. So the bottom line is, if you think PITT can take care of the ball, then they should be in good shape. If not, i like VCU to keep it close. Personally, i think that PITT is refocused and i think it is about an 8-10 point game.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

The game that I can't figure out is why BC is getting 8 points???

that's exactly what I thought when first saw the lines....

[GamblinMan03]

I have to say, I think VCU is going to win this one straight up. They impressed me Thursday. Now I understand we could have won the game numerous times if we would have just cut down on the turnovers, made free throws, got the ball inside more. Basically you can say that about any losing team so I wont harp on that too much.

The thing I love about VCU is Maynor. He is the engine that makes them go. Seems like he has ice water in his veins when the game is on the line, from what I have seen in the two biggest VCU games this season, vs Mason and vs Duke.

The team loves to press and when they do, it is tough to deal with. If VCU hits those three's in transition like they did vs Duke, there going to hang around with Pitt right till the end. Pitt has experience but the only experience they have is losing games in these spots. I had Bradley last year and Pacific the year before that.

Pitt obviously has the advantage inside, it doesnt mean they will be successful at it. Gray has been known to be lost in these games, Pitt will want to throw up some three's after VCU bangs home a couple.

The press will get to Pitt, Maynor will have a big game and VCU will bang down those three's again and VCU will meet up with UCLA in the sweet 16.

I will be on the VCU ML and will probably take the points as insurance but I feel like VCU will come away with the win here. One thing that teams do after they beat Duke in the NCAA Tournament, is they go onto win, win and win.

Indiana upsets Duke and they make it to the national final, Uconn beats Duke they win the title, Michigan St beats Duke they make it to the final four, LSU beats Duke they make it to the final four.

It just seems like whenever one of these teams beats Duke in the NCAA's, they go on to bigger and better things.

[Kevin]

Playing devils advocate of my own opinions (that vcu will cover) I almost forgot about a potential "let down"

Yikes, Im either teasing this game or not touching it.

[GamblinMan03]

Playing devils advocate of my own opinions (that vcu will cover) I almost forgot about a potential "let down"

Yikes, Im either teasing this game or not touching it.

I wouldnt worry about that too much because like I talked about above, when Duke falls in the NCAA tournament, the team that beats them never has a let down game. They always win and advance, most of the time to the final four.

I know you cant say never and I doubt this VCU team will go to the final four, but these teams arent happy enough to go home with just a Duke win, they want more.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Pitt wins...but I can't touch it at that line...

[lakeshow]

Im almost thinking "no play"

VCU is for real. All that matters is how their playing today.

The game that I can't figure out is why BC is getting 8 points???

the cows finally came home..."VCU is for real", o no I really hope I read that wrong, lol

[GamblinMan03]

the cows finally came home..."VCU is for real", o no I really hope I read that wrong, lol

I would not question Kevin, wouldnt even think about it because the man knows his sports.

Now, if 28 wins hasnt proven to you that they are for real, then maybe #29 will prove it to you tomorrow.

VCU wins and will advance.:beerbang:

[lakeshow]

I would not question Kevin, wouldnt even think about it because the man knows his sports.

Now, if 28 wins hasnt proven to you that they are for real, then maybe #29 will prove it to you tomorrow.

VCU wins and will advance.:beerbang:

Um GM....100% chance Pitt wins that game. And trust me, I will be postn out my ******* the second after it says final.

[jcho201]

Early in the season, Pitt struggled with the full court press of Depaul. Since then, the only pressure we have seen is late in games, and Fields, Ramon, and Graves have seemed to handle it pretty easily. People are going to say that Im crazy, but after watching the VCU-Duke game, I think that VCU's press is overrated. They seem to be unorganized and once you get past the 2nd line, you can get some easy buckets against it. Paulus and their other gaurd's looked flustered and I dont think you'll see that from Pitt. Pitt has to work its offense through Gray, whether he scores or not is irrelevant, because defenses collapse on him leaving Ramon and the other gaurds open for 3's. If Pitt does this and is smart about when they run and when they slow it down, they will win this game by 10-14 IMO.

Also I cant see Maynor hurting them that bad with his scoring. Pitt has Cook, Fields, Ramon, Graves, and Benjamin to throw at him and one or more will be able to contain him. Im more concerned about B.A. Walker who dropped 21 on Xavier early in the season. However, this is what Premiere gaurds have done against Pitt recently:

DaShaun Wood - 13
Edgar Sosa - 9, 9
Dominique James - 23, 8, 16
Scottie Reynolds - 8

Im a PITT fan so take all that how you want, but I have bet against them twice this season (2-0).

[The Gipper]

Kevin is right. This is a good game to leave alone. VCU has to have a letdown after beating Duke. No question.

[teebee34]

Personally I haven't been too impressed with Pitt all year. This VCU team is very athletic and has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this situation. Gray will get his points and boards as I do not see VCU containing him at all. However this VCU team has heart as they showed in that comeback win against Duke. The George Mason of last year???????????????????
I would probably take VCU and the chalk......but personally I tend to agree with Kevin on this one and probably won't touch it.