First off,

Congratulations on the W. It was a hard fought back and forth tussle just as the any Backyard Brawl should be. I'm looking forward to Pitt coming to the Colisiuem in March with a healthy Fields back in Pitt's rotation. Pitt's 10-15 points better with Fields in the lineup. It was great to see him so into the game from the bench supporting his teamates- more on that in a minute.



The Joe Alexander- Bobby Huggins exchange. Well if you call it a two way conversation. Huggins yelled and Alexander looked at the ground. That was the first time this season Huggins lost his cool. He's been patient with Alexander and I think he finally burst. Maybe it will do some good for Alexander's game.

Joe Alexander is a tremendously talented. He has an all world game one day then looks like he is mentally in outer space the next game completely taking WVU out of offensive forcing shots, not passing the ball, lapsing on Defense, and not setting screens for other players on offense. What's bothersome is when you looked at WVU's bench when it stormed to take a halftime lead behind Muzzula's 8 straight points before halftime, all of WVU's bench players, coaches, and staff was jumping up and down standing and clapping with exception to Alexander ( this was before Huggins chewed him out in the 2nd half). Alexander had an emotionless face and was perfectly still sitting in his seats as his teammates around him were going crazy over WVU erasing 7 point deficet to take a one point lead into halftime.


When WVU made it's run in the 2nd half to go up 3 on a Darrius Nichols bank shot, same thing. Team, coaches, and staff going crazy with Alexander on the bench sitting with his head down.


I love JOe A's game. He's a great kid. I am ok with his up and down year. What bothers me is he allows his emotions of his own woes on off night to supercede WVU's goal of winning games. Huggins won't tolerate it and Joe A learning curve is all but done. It's time to get with the program.

Great winning 3 pointer by Pitt to get the W....there was almost no time to release the shot and he got it off and made it.....what can you do if you're WV there.

Again though, the win happened in part because WV missed one of two free throws just prior to that.

Huggins was just being Huggins really with that Alexander. Can't figure out why that's such a big deal.....

Free throws have been WVU's achilees heel. For what's suppose to be a great 3 point shooting team, we're awful at the free throw line.


Free throws are the reason WVU's record is 16-7 ( 5-5 in BE) and not 19-4 ( 7-3 in BE).


Games lost because of free throws:


Gtown 11-23 ( many misses were 1-1), lost by 1 on a 3 point shot with 7 seconds left
Pitt, 7-17 ( many misses were 1 and 1's), lost by 1 on a 3 point shot at the buzzer
Oklahoma, 15-25, lost in OT after missing crucial free throws to put the game away in regulation



The reality is the non goal tending call WVU fans are upset about is like crying over spilled milk IMO. WVU allowed Gtown to get within striking distance after WVU lead the entire game because of not making free throws.

The same goes for WVU fans up in arms over the JA/Cam Throughman free throw dispute. If WVU takes care of business, those are non factors.


This team needs to mentally get their heads back into the game or it's NIT Championship or bust again this year. WVU's roster is comprised of shooters. It's mind boggling we have a roster where 9-10 players have no reservations jacking up 3's from 22 feet and in many cases being quite effective with great to above average 3 point shooting percentages, but have difficulty converting uncontested 15 foot free throws in close games.

Hopefully Huggins can provide the same mental toughness in making FT's as he did in placing an emphasis on rebounding and man to man defense.

Thanks for the plaudits on the win, guys.

Your description of Joe Alexander actually reminds me a little bit of Sam Young. Don't know whether you noticed, butwhen Ramon hit that shot, while the rest of team tackled hiim and piled up in the corner, Sam was standing at half court and basically turned around and started to walk toward the WVU players. No emotion at all. I think he's a bit of a head case. Great players find ways to score even when defenses are built to stop them. He has some growing up and figuring out to do.

I think the reason the Huggins/Alexander thing is such a big deal, blue raider, is that just as derby says, Alexander is a great player who apparently doesn't respond well to tough love, and Huggins doesn't know anything else. So methinks that's a problem...

Man,Villanova got screwed by the refs tonight. Unreal foul call that decided the game.

It was an unreal foul but it was justified. The Villanova's guys legs got in the way, not his torso/upper body. He was trying to delay a trip for a last second half court shot but got too close. It was unfortunate that the defender nor the referee realized how little time was left.

Equally as unreal as that was the Tennessee-Rutgers women's game, where Tennessee got the rebound, down by one, and the clock stops with 0.2 left, almost before the referee blows the whistle. Tennessee gets to shoot the free throws and win the game. This happens less than 5 minutes after the Villanova debachle

I read that the officials at the UT-Rutgers game said the "clock was functioning properly." Huh? That was just nuts. Anyone could see there was a problem.

And Jonathan Wallace says "I could kind of feel a nudge" on that last lat play. Sorry, a 'nudge' does not a foul make...not when you see how much pushing and shoving is done underneath the baskets all game long. That was nuts too.

There was a group of us sitting at the bar watching both games. Couldn't decide who got hosed worse. WOEFUL!!!!

Both of the above-mentioned games are being replayed on ESPN Classic tonight. If it weren't for the officiating I'm not sure they'd be replaying either one.

West Virginia beat Rutgers tonight.

The Mountaineers have to have one of the easiest closing schedules in the Big East, with Villanova, Providence, St John's, Seton Hall and DePaul coming up. None of those games are automatics, however it's a much easier road to navigate than a team like Pitt, which is at Marquette and at Notre Dame in the next week. The toughest games remaining are at UCONN and Pitt at home. So, it's easy to see that West Virginia should be climbing in the standings and a 12-6 or 11-7 conference record is very probable, and that would look pretty good come Selection Sunday.

Levance Fields is coming back for Pitt against Marquette tomorrow night. They say that his ankle completely healed so he should be able to make cuts. Pitt and Marquette have struck up a strong newbie rivarly (since their 2003 Sweet 16 game) and I have no doubt that tomorrow nights game will have both teams out for blood

OUCH! Panthers really took a beating at Marquette. I thought it was going to be a better game with Fields back.

Fields alone was 1 for 7 shooting. Most of his misses looked bad (i.e. he wasn't even squared up completely). Although he's done a lot of workouts in rehabilation, I wonder how much he has shot the ball in recent weeks and hopefully that shooting touch comes back soon.

I didn't think Fields was ready for or should have played 20 minutes. Benjamin was scoring and played much fewer minutes than he had been playing. I fear Jamie has his formula and sticks to it, regardless of whether a guy is hot or not. In every interview I have heard in the past month, Jamie talks about each guy playing the right number of minutes. I am starting to get frustrated with that philosophy.

Huge game for the Panthers Thursday night at ND. I don't think it's a must-win, but it's certainly a must-compete-for-40-minutes, just from a confidence standpoint.

I don't say this very often, but, GO PANTHERS!!!!!

So who does everyone think is going win the Big East regular season title with 4-6 games left and four teams tied in the standings (w/ # of losses)?

My vote would be for UCONN with their playing moxie right now plus their closing schedule which is very navigable (DePaul, @ Rutgers, @ Nova, WVU, @ Prov, Cincinnati)

I'm gonna go with UConn also. Anybody but Notre Dame!

Either UConn or Louisville, but probably UConn, also because of the favorable schedule. I am hoping my Panthers can pull off an upset against the Cardinals on Sunday...following an upset of the Irish on Thursday night. Is that asking too much? We're out of both polls for the first time in 48 weeks. Ugh.

Close call for UConn tonight at home against DePaul. This is going to be a great BE Tourney!

I cannot figure WVU out. How can they look so good one game and so pitiful the next? Pitt has been the same way. Should be a very interesting rematch in Morgantown....

That was not easy to watch. Never in the game from the first minute!

It was the first game in 4 years I quit watching in the first half because I could tell it was going to have a similar outcome to the UC-WVU game.


This team is baffling.

Sorry the Panthers couldn't keep an 11-point second half lead and beat the Irish. How frustrating. ND looked like past Pitt teams: refusing to lose. Lately, the current Pitt team can ONLY find ways to lose. Ugh. We really have to beat Louisville at home on Sunday.

Although UConn is much stronger and wiser than last year, many of their victories in this streak could have gone the other way. I know that means they're playing with resolve when things are tight which is good. What I don't see is them coming into games energized and wanting to impose their will on others. None of the games in this league are gimmes and I think they'll lose at least two of those remaining. Since they'll be favored, these losses will recommit them to improving I hope- it kind of seems like they're coasting right now.

Georgetown has a won a ton of games in the same fashion. It's going to be interesting come to Tournament time to see how strong the Big East really is and how all the teams play against teams from other conferences.

I couldn't agree more. Heck, I even root for Notre Dame and Villanova when it comes to the Dance. Only for one half have I ever rooted against a BE team. That was UConn against GeoMason. By the half I just decided I would rather really see the upset.

UCOnn probably relegated themselves to the fourth seed tonight by losing to Providence. They have lots of positives and can beat you in different ways, but it's easy to imagine them losing in the first round (they play in) of the BE or the NCAA's.

If UCONN and WVU this weekend, it looks like WVU will play UCONN In the 4 vs. 5 game in the quarterfinals of the Big East tourney. Of course, that will only happen if 5th seed WVU beats the 12th seed in the 1st round matchup.


Should be an exciting tourney at the World's Most Famous Arena!

I wish I could go to all the games, but I'll have to settle for going up on Wednesday only. Damn work!!!

Well it looks like we'll be treated to another year of Jim Boeheim whining about being left out of the tournament after teh Orange lost to Villanova in the first round of the BE tournament.

WOW


Tommorrow should be one of the best quarterfinals in the history of the Big East tourney.


Check this out:


1) Georgetown vs. Villanova

2) UCONN vs. West Virginia

3) Notre Dame vs. Marquette

4) Louisville vs. Pittsburgh



Any team in these 4 matchups could win as it looks like all 8 teams are NCAA bound in the best conference in America.



The World's Most Famous Arena should be rockin tomorrow.

In the first game of the day, Villanova held the Hoya's Roy Hibbert scoreless and inefective, but Georgetown hit a school record 17 3's and cruised to a 82-63 win. That's also a BE Tourney record for made 3's.

WVU 78 #15 UCONN 72


Joe Alexander went off for a career high 34 points against UCONN and was unstoppable.



A much shorter WVU team outrebounded UCONN by 15 rebounds. This is not Beilien ball this is Huggins Ball. He's completely transformed system players into a shooting, rebounding, in your face man to man defensive team.


Alexander is averaging 30 points and 10 rebounds in the last 5 games. Jay Bilas stated he is playing better than anyone in America. Huggins has finally broken through and Joe Alexander is becoming an elite player.

Awesome performance on the boards today! WOW! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MOUNTAINEERS!

The Big East Tournament is the best time of the year!

Pittsburgh eliminates Lousiville (in OT) now all three years that they've been in the Big East tournament. For Louisville, there's a wall named PITT on the way to New York.

Reallly solid games today. Hopefully ND-Marquette lives up the billing.

Congratulations Mountaineers! No surprise (but disappointment) that you were able to turn the tables. UC had a nice little run, but have shown they're no powerhouse with recent losses. Providence and this game were ones they wanted too badly only to fall with flat performances- this does not bode well for the NCAA.

Check out this dunk by Joe Alexander in the world's most famous arena.

http://mysole.wvu.edu/mfrazier/joedunkinbetuconn300x200.gif



Gotta love Big East basketball this time of year.

Pitt and West Virginia both have some tall orders on Friday against Marquette and Georgetown which are revenge games for both teams, but doesn't the possibility of a Backyard Brawl Big East Final kinda make your glands salivate a little?

Marquette dominated ND tonight. I hadn't seen ND a considerable amount this year, but this was the first time that I saw them being shut down. I see bright things in the near future for Notre Dame, but you never know when they're going to get an NCAA opponent that could shut them down, including 'Gody.

This is an extreme projection, but I can see all of the Top 7 Big East teams (Georgetown, UCONN, Louisville, Notre Dame, WVU, Pitt, Marquette) making it the Sweet 16 and none of them making it to the Elite 8. Although if that were really to happen, you'd think that there would be a few matchups where teams would be capable of moving onto the Elite 8 and Final Four.

It's been fun to hear Bob Knight talk about the Big East in the ESPN Studios. You don't often hear him talk about anything outside of Big Ten/Big 12 stuff. Although it's comical when he puts his comic remarks into the commentary.

Props to Gtown and Pitt.


Both are playing some outstanding basketball.



I am in complete agreement that the Big East could have 7 teams advance to the sweet 16. Should be an outstanding NCAA tourney for the nation's best conference.

Good luck tonight, Kitties!

I think that WVU has definitely gotten in the men's tourney

the women were pretty much guaranteed despite their end of season collapse

I think the men should be like a 8 or 9 seed with the women as a 6 or possibly 7

I'm watching a good game right now with Pitt and Gtown in the Big East champ. tournament game. Pitt is getting with Gtown on the glass. Hibbert isn't playing too smart right now.

WOW! I was on vacation in Hilton Head all week and had to balance watching the games with being socially engaging with with some non b-ball fans....BUT I watched as much of my beloved Pantehrs as I could and didn't miss last night's AWESOME performance.

It was clear that this team was on a mission and would not be denied against the Hoyas, despite everyone in America pretty much giving G-town the BE crown before the game even started. The run in the BE tourney for Pitt has been nothing short of amazing and inspirational. How many other schools can claim a champsionship game appearance in 7 of the last 8 years.....BUT none of that would mattered a bit without last night's victory. WOW!

WVU clearly played itself into the Big Dance, as probably a 6 seed. If the win last night didn't catapult Pitt into a 4 seed, well, that would just be a shame. BUT the committee has dissed us before, so I am not holding my breath.

LET"S GO PITT!!!! BIG EAST CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the selection committee has made some "questionable" picks over the years

ESPN is putting the WVU women in as a four seed-I just don't buy that

UConn will be rewarded for being #1 in the country by playing in Greensboro (assuming they win their first two) where they'll probably face the most hostile crowd any 1 seed has ever faced!!

DND,


I was wondering where you were. WVU and Pitt made an impressive run in the Big East tourney- just as I predicted.

You should have had more faith in your Panthers.

Who said I didn't have faith? I always have faith, but I also know the team I watched in the last 10 games of the regular season was not the team that won the BE Championship! It's rare for us to be on a roll at the end of the season...even the players are saying in the media that we usually have peaked in January or February in seasons past, but this yera we are peaking at the right time. Let's keep it going!

Bobby Knight is my new favorite person after he picked us to win it all! :-)

As a Panthers fan, i never realized that Levance really wasn't doing much practicing until a little over a week ago. It just looks now like they're having so much fun playing together now that they're able to schrimmage 5 on 5 in practice. Three weeks ago we couldn't pass a ball to save our lives, it's nice that the passing light switch has been turned on.

The last 15 years for Pitt (basketball and football), it's been all about faith. I remember the early Walt Harris days, there were so many signs that said "We Believe!"

Three total turnovers in 4 Big East Championship games. That pretty much describes Levance's value to the team. That also means that the opponent has had little opportunity to run. When we've been outrebounded, it was because we didn't have time to get set up on defense. The losses Pitt suffered were marked by too many turnovers and poor rebounding. With those things corrected, this team can reach new heights. And just imagine what would happen if Levance could find his shooting touch again!?!

Let's Go Pitt! We have to start strong today....and not let ORU think they even have a chance.

Big East 2-0 so far today. Marquette gets a big win against Kentucky today. It's good for the conference and Marquette, who had lost 4 of the last 5 first round games. Kentucky also hadn't lost a first round game since maybe 1985.

But any Big East supporter is really hoping for wins in the later rounds, something that hasn't happened in any form of great massiveness of over the last several years.