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Pitt
Mar 11, 2007 19:38:26 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2007 19:38:26 GMT -5
www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/11/ddn031107wsuweb.htmlRaiders will play Big East's Pitt in NCAA tourney By Staff reports Sunday, March 11, 2007 FAIRBORN — After waiting with anticipation for almost a half hour — or 14 years, depending on how you look at it — Wright State University men's basketball fans roared in the Nutter Center on Sunday night when they saw the Raiders will play Pittsburgh in a first-round NCAA tournament game. WSU (23-9), the Horizon League regular season and tournament champion, is a No. 14 seed and will face the third-seeded Panthers (27-7) on Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y. "(Assistant coach Billy) Donlon always used to tell us there's nothing like having your name called on Selection Sunday," said WSU guard DaShaun Wood, the Horizon League's player of the year. The several hundred fans began arriving at the Nutter Center at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday and were entertained by cheerleaders, the WSU pep band and announcements until the team's arrival at about 5:30. They then watched the live broadcast revealing the bracket on the Nutter Center's large video board. It will be the Raiders' first tournament appearance since 1993, when they lost in the first round to Indiana. If WSU should pull off a first-round upset, it would face the winner of the Duke-Virginia Commonwealth game in the second round on Saturday. Something to note: Pittsburgh is coached by Jamie Dixon, who was a finalist for the Wright State head coaching position back in 2003, but the Raiders hired Brad Brownell's predecessor, Paul Biancardi. For more on the Raiders, pick up Monday's edition of the Dayton Daily News.
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Pitt
Mar 11, 2007 20:36:41 GMT -5
Post by Raiderfan on Mar 11, 2007 20:36:41 GMT -5
Albany, Long Beach State above us? Penn and Miami 14s with us??? We got the shaft. I'm with you Bam..........we got hosed big time. Honestly when I saw GW got and 11th seed I was estatic because we had a little better RPI then them as of today.
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Pitt
Mar 11, 2007 20:53:15 GMT -5
Post by Raiderfan on Mar 11, 2007 20:53:15 GMT -5
Kendall and Gray are going to be tough defensive match-ups but hopefully we are able to take advantage of them (especially Gray) on the other end of the court. We may have deserved a 13 seed but we need to build some national recognition to expect more seeding respect. We have an opportunity to get some more of that national exposure on Thursday. I personally think this is a bad matchup for us. Our achillies heal is our post defense and that is Pitts strength. You never know but I don't like the match up. I'll beat we play a lot of zone to try and slow them down.
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Pitt
Mar 11, 2007 21:17:12 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2007 21:17:12 GMT -5
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/11/ddn031107bracketcrowdweb.htmlRaider fans celebrate NCAA announcement By Kelli Wynn Staff Writer Sunday, March 11, 2007 FAIRBORN — Sunday's announcement regarding the Wright State University Raiders playing The University of Pittsburgh's Panthers in the NCAA Tournament brought nothing but standing ovations and cheers from the crowd that gathered in the thousands inside the Nutter Center. Raider fans of all ages — some still wearing BEAT BUTLER T-shirts — watched as some of the members of the basketball team shot up from their seats and danced when the Raiders' West Region placement was announced on the big screen on the center's scoreboard. The scoreboard that still featured the outcome of the Raiders' 60-55 victory over Butler University during the Horizon League Championship. On Sunday, only a few broke away from the traditional green and gold WSU T-shirt that could be seen during this basketball season. Perhaps one of the most creative signs of support was a young man wearing a green yarmulke. Among those getting rowdy were Jared Crowe, 18, a WSU freshman, and his friend Joel Kaser, 21, a WSU sophomore. Both New Lebanon residents wore neon green mullet wigs and sunglasses to show their school spirit. "Last year we weren't very good," Crowe said. "We beat Butler. That gave us hope that maybe we can turn this season into something." Both Crowe and Kaser said last year they wouldn't even have bothered to make sure their attire stood out in the basketball crowd. But now, the two admitted they were the first in line to buy tickets to the Horizon League Championship game. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or kwynn@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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Pitt
Mar 11, 2007 21:41:58 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2007 21:41:58 GMT -5
story.scout.com/a.z?s=17&p=2&c=626062Panthers Draw Wright State Levon Kendall By Dale Grdnic Senior Writer Posted Mar 11, 2007 PITTSBURGH -- A difficult non-conference schedule and high RPI ranking paid off with a No. 3 seed for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team as it made a sixth straight NCAA Tournament. The Panthers (27-7), runners-up from the Big East, are in the West Region and face Wright State (23-9), the Horizon Conference champion from Dayton, Ohio, Thursday at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the West, while UCLA with former Pitt coach Ben Howland is No. 2. If Pitt gets past the 14th-seeded Raiders, it would meet the winner between sixth-seeded Duke and No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth Saturday. If the Panthers and UCLA advance to the Sweet 16 next week, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon would get to match wits against his former mentor Howland. "Obviously, people are going to look at those things, but we're going to focus on Wright State,'' Dixon said. "So, we're looking forward to playing them. I know what people are going to talk about, and I'm very happy to play them in the first round.'' Dixon added that he believed the Panthers could have been a No. 2 seed, considering they finished with a No. 5 RPI, a strength of schedule that was higher than most teams and more road games than many as well. So, Pitt could have been either a two or three, basing that on its record and highest RPI ranking in history. "But you can't be disappointed at being a No. 3,'' Dixon said. "There's 330 teams that wish they had a three, so that's not the right way to look at things. But for what we did, a number of factors could have put us at a No. 2 seed. So, we had a very good year, with the postseason tournament, as well as the non-conference and conference season.” Dixon was a little surprised that the Big East only got six teams in the NCAA Tournament. He believed that Syracuse would make it again this season, but since the Orange usually don't play any road games or a difficult non-conference schedule that played against them. West Virginia and Providence were other Big East bubble teams that didn't make it. The Panthers are among just 12 teams and are the only Big East team to make six straight NCAA tourneys since Connecticut and Syracuse did not make it this year. Arizona, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Southern Illinois, Texas and Wisconsin are the other teams. "I was surprised that Syracuse didn't make it, and I thought West Virginia had a chance, too,'' Pitt senior center Aaron Gray said. "But you can't worry about that. We're very proud of what we've accomplished at Pitt, making it in all four seasons that Jamie has been the head coach, and going for the sixth straight year. That says a lot about this program.'' The Panthers were unsuccessful in their bid for a second Big East Tournament title with a horrendous overall performance against Georgetown, but senior Levon Kendall believed that the team played pretty well overall the past week at Madison Square Garden in New York City. "Sure, we had a real rough game against Georgetown,'' Kendall said. "But I think the way we played against Marquette in the opening round and against Louisville, the way we came back to win that game, says a lot about us. Now, we have to put that game behind us and move on to Wright State.'' Antonio Graves, the other senior starter for Pitt, believed the sky was the limit for this team despite how poorly it played against the Hoyas. "Really, if we don't go to the Final Four, I'll be very disappointed,'' Graves said. "The talent that we have here, the senior leadership and our younger guys, we have the type of team that can go a long way in this tournament. I really believe we can go all the way.'' But Pitt's first order of business is a game with Wright State. The tip-off time has not yet been determined.
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Mar 11, 2007 21:46:35 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2007 21:46:35 GMT -5
www.centredaily.com/305/story/38246.htmlPitt has many possible NCAA story lines The Associated Press PITTSBURGH --It didn't take long after the University of Pittsburgh's No. 3 seeding and bracket placement were announced Sunday evening for players, coaches, fans and media to recognize the bevy of story lines in the Panthers' part of the tournament. Start with a first-round game against Wright State, a school that had interviewed Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon for the same position four years ago. The second round is a potential matchup against perennial national powerhouse Duke. Pitt's possible Sweet 16 opponent, UCLA, stands out the most. The No. 2-seeded Bruins, a national finalist last year, are led by former Pitt coach Ben Howland. Dixon, understandably, downplayed talk of any of the projected later-round matchups. The Panthers (27-7) will play No. 14 Wright State (23-9) Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y. "If anyone wants to, they can create so many different story lines," Dixon said. "You can match teams up in the first round, or, if not, if you look in to the third or fourth round, you're going to find something. (The media) are the ones that have got to come up with the story line. You're going to find some matchup down the road if you work at it." The Panthers insisted they were focused on the Raiders, who are in the tournament for the first time in 14 years. But the players also could not contain their excitement about the prospect of potential second- and third-round opponents. "Everybody wants to play Duke," junior forward Mike Cook said. "Whether it's because you love Duke or because you hate Duke, everybody wants to play against Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski). As much tradition as there is there, right now that's probably the biggest matchup I'm excited about. "Then again, there's also UCLA with Coach Howland and Coach Dixon (facing each other)..." Howland took over a mediocre Pitt program in 1999 and had it in the Big East final two years later and in the NCAA tournament a year after that. Pitt won the Big East regular season and tournament titles in 2003, the year Howland departed. His then-assistant, Dixon, took over the reins and has won 103 games since. Good friends Dixon and Howland have said they would not schedule a regular-season meeting. "They won't schedule it, so the NCAA stepped in and said we will," said center Aaron Gray. "It's what everyone wants to see - we have an opportunity here with a 3 seed and a 2 seed, so why not?" Still, the game will never happen if Pitt or UCLA loses this weekend in first- or second-round West Region contests. "It's natural to see all those things when the brackets come out," forward Levon Kendall said. "That's what the challenge of the tournament is - not to look ahead. For us to get to those matchups, you have to take care of your side of things." That starts with Wright State, which upset Butler - a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament - in the Horizon League tournament championship game. Butler came into that game ranked No. 19 in the country. "We're definitely looking forward to the Dukes and UCLAs," guard Antonio Graves said. "But we have to take care of one game at a time. You can't look past the so-called 'mid major' teams, because every year they beat the powerhouse teams." Notes@: Another former Pitt coach, Ralph Willard, is coaching in the West Region. Willard, who coached the Panthers from 1994-99, is now the coach at Holy Cross. The Crusaders are a No. 13 seed and open up against Southern Illinois.
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Mar 11, 2007 21:56:36 GMT -5
Post by Raiderfan on Mar 11, 2007 21:56:36 GMT -5
story.scout.com/a.z?s=17&p=2&c=626062"Really, if we don't go to the Final Four, I'll be very disappointed,'' Graves said. "The talent that we have here, the senior leadership and our younger guys, we have the type of team that can go a long way in this tournament. I really believe we can go all the way.'' . After reading most of these article and especially the quotes from the Pitt players it seems pretty clear to me that Pitt is over looking us big time. It will be a tall order but I truly believe that BB will have us ready to compete and make a game of it.
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Pitt
Mar 11, 2007 22:07:57 GMT -5
Post by nybuckeye on Mar 11, 2007 22:07:57 GMT -5
Kendall and Gray are going to be tough defensive match-ups but hopefully we are able to take advantage of them (especially Gray) on the other end of the court. We may have deserved a 13 seed but we need to build some national recognition to expect more seeding respect. We have an opportunity to get some more of that national exposure on Thursday. I personally think this is a bad matchup for us. Our achillies heal is our post defense and that is Pitts strength. You never know but I don't like the match up. I'll beat we play a lot of zone to try and slow them down. Our post defense is certainly a concern but what I think is as big a concern is Pitt's defense on D. Wood. He makes a living getting to the basket and if Pitt's guards are able to stop his penetration and/or their inside guys can alter his shots once he gets to the hoop we will have trouble scoring points. How exciting is it to be discussing this right now though? It will take a great game by us and maybe some good fortune but I think we can hang around with Pitt. If we can hang in for the first 10-12 minutes then this should be competitive.
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Pitt
Mar 12, 2007 8:20:28 GMT -5
Post by Raider Country on Mar 12, 2007 8:20:28 GMT -5
WSU has dance dateRaiders to play Pittsburgh in Buffalo on Thursday By Kelli Wynn Monday, March 12, 2007 FAIRBORN — When Raider basketball tickets went on sale last year, friends Jared Crowe and Joel Kaser wouldn't have rushed to the box office. "Last year, we weren't very good," said Crowe, 18, a Wright State University freshman. This year? Different story. Crowe and Kaser, 21, a WSU sophomore, were in line at 5 a.m. to buy tickets to see the Raiders' 60-55 victory over Butler University in last week's Horizon League championship game. "We beat Butler," Crowe said. "That gave us hope that maybe we can turn this season into something." And on Sunday, Crowe and Kaser were present — wearing neon-green mullet wigs and sunglasses — when CBS announced over the big screen on the Nutter Center scoreboard that the Raiders will face the University of Pittsburgh on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament. About 1,000 Raider fans of all ages gathered at the Nutter Center, standing and cheering while members of the basketball team shot up from their seats and danced when the Raiders' West Region assignment to the Big Dance was announced. WSU senior Caressa Brown, 27, celebrated with two relatives, WSU grad student Stephanie Brown, 24, and WSU graduate Jennifer Brown, 26. "I have something to brag about," said Caressa Brown, "This is the first time that there has ever been so much school spirit." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/12/ddn031207wsubrackets.html
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Pitt
Mar 12, 2007 8:21:46 GMT -5
Post by Raider Country on Mar 12, 2007 8:21:46 GMT -5
WSU heads north to take on PittsburghRaiders were hoping for a higher seed than 14, but are eager for the match-up. By Marc Katz Monday, March 12, 2007 FAIRBORN — Two hours before NCAA tournament selections were announced Sunday, Terry Bogan — who attends just about every Wright State basketball game — didn't think any site for the Raiders would be too far for him to attend. "What's too far?" Bogan asked. "It's not too far for me." Well, it's Buffalo, N.Y., and the Raiders (23-9) were tagged with a No. 14 seed and will play No. 3 Pittsburgh (27-7) in a first-round game Thursday (game time will be announced today). WSU coach Brad Brownell thought his Horizon League champions deserved a No. 13 seed, but just going to the tournament seemed like enough reward for the players and about 1,000 fans who hung out at the Nutter Center to watch the selections, which were announced on the scoreboard video screen. Cheers went up from all at about 6:20 p.m. when Wright State's name appeared on the board. "I'm real happy," said Jordan Pleiman, WSU's lone big man at 6-foot-8, who will be called upon to neutralize Pitt's 7-foot Aaron Gray. "I'm not disappointed (with a low seed). The team I wanted to play was Texas (a No. 4 seed) and (freshman sensation) Kevin Durant." Earlier in the selection show, there were boos for Butler (seeded No. 5 and also in Buffalo, but playing in the Midwest bracket to WSU's West bracket) and a few sighs when Illinois and Holy Cross were named in spots WSU followers thought might be theirs in Columbus. The general population probably doesn't know much about Pitt's front line, featuring two seniors — Gray and 6-10 Levon Kendall. WSU point guard DaShaun Wood knows, though, and seems up for the challenge. "Our coaches will come up with a game plan," said the Horizon League's Player of the Year. "It's up to us to execute it." Should WSU upset Pitt — which is making its sixth straight NCAA tourney appearance, the Raiders would face the winner of No. 6 Duke vs. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth, coached by former University of Dayton star Anthony Grant, on Saturday. www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/12/ddn031207wsubb.html
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Pitt
Mar 12, 2007 8:23:34 GMT -5
Post by Raider Country on Mar 12, 2007 8:23:34 GMT -5
Tom Archdeacon: Raiders face daunting challengeBy Tom Archdeacon Dayton Daily News Monday, March 12, 2007 FAIRBORN — Though not a psychologist, a palm reader or one of those profilers from the TV cop shows, I saw a different kind of look on the face of basketball coach Brad Brownell than I did on the faces of his players after it was announced Sunday that Wright State, a No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament, would play third-seeded Pittsburgh. While the players were giddy, the coach was not. He was genuinely pleased for his team, the school and fans, but he's no Selection Sunday novice. He's been to the tournament two of the past four years — including last season — with his North Carolina-Wilmington teams. So instead of being happy with crumbs, he probably wanted a little more of the tournament cake — something better than a 14 seed. Of course, some of that tightness behind the smile had to be because, as he put it, "We're going to be here most of the night." He and his staff have to devise a plan for 27-7 Pitt, a team that crushed the Dayton Flyers by 30 this season; a team that just knocked Marquette and Louisville — both NCAA tournament bound — out of the Big East tournament before falling to Georgetown in the title game; a team led by 7-foot, 270-pound Aaron Gray, a two-time All-Big East pick. While the Raiders don't match up well against Pitt, figuring out a game plan may be easier than figuring out the tournament seedings. "If you'd have given me 15 guesses who we'd play, Pitt wouldn't have been one of them," Brownell said. "I didn't think they'd fall to a three — they were a top-10 team most of the year — and when I saw Butler at five (a team WSU beat twice), I thought we'd be a 13 or 12. But it didn't turn out like that." Part of it might have to do with WSU's thin resume when it comes to the postseason. In 20 years of Division I play, the Raiders made just one NCAA tournament — 14 years ago. "I'm certain guys on the (selection) committee — probably a couple of them — had to figure out who Wright State was," Brownell admitted. "When you haven't been in in a long time and people don't know much about you, it's hard to get a really high seed." As for his first reaction about Pitt, Brownell minced no words: "Wow, they're big. That worries me. Their big guy. I guess he's a (NBA) lottery pick. We don't have anybody half that size." While that's some exaggeration, not much. The Raiders counter with 6-8 Jordan Pleiman and 6-6 Scottie Wilson. As for the undersized Raiders simulating Gray in practice, Pleiman said with a grin: "Maybe we'll just put DaShaun (Wood, at 5-11) up on Scottie's shoulders." Freshman guard Vaughn Duggins shrugged at the challenge: "No one will give us a chance to win, but we've been a team that's overcome adversity and beat the odds all year. This will just be one more obstacle." For that the players all counted on Brownell. "Coach wasn't kidding when he said he had to hurry up and get back to work," guard Will Graham said. "He's probably back in his office right now looking at tape." And in fact Brownell was. He was so immersed that when he said he could be reached later on his cell phone, he tried to come up with the number twice and got stumped. As assistant Billy Donlon rattled off the last four digits, Brownell shrugged: "I've got Pitt on the brain." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/12/ddn031207arch.html
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Pitt
Mar 12, 2007 8:44:28 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2007 8:44:28 GMT -5
www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18068154&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468632&rfi=6Pitt draws No. 3 seed, opens against Wright State By Stephen Flinn, For the Herald-Standard 03/12/2007 Updated 03/12/2007 08:24:57 AM EDT PITTSBURGH - The Panthers knew they were being invited to the NCAA Tournament before last night's invitation presentation on live TV. They are one of only 12 teams in the nation that are making a sixth-consecutive appearance in the "Big Dance" and the only team in the Big East to achieve the feat. The questions that still remained about Pitt's fate were answered last night in front of a throng of fans, supporters, and media at the Petersen Events Center, namely the bracket seeding, which included first round opponent and location, region, and potential opponents. The story lines surrounding Pitt's tournament appearance this year are abundant. The Panthers are seeded third in the West Region Bracket. Their opponent is the fourteen-seeded Wright State Raiders from Dayton, Ohio out of the Horizon Conference. West Virginia, on the other hand, has no story line because it received no NCAA bid. The Mountaineers failed to garner an at-large bid. Syracuse also failed to get a bid out of the Big East, which had five other teams besides the Panthers reach the NCAA tournament in Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame and Villanova. West Virginia accepted an NIT bid and will host Delaware State in an East region game on Tuesday with the time to be announce. Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon admitted he did not know much about Wright State immediately following the announcement but promised the team would know all about them in time for Thursday's match-up, which will be in Buffalo, N.Y. at the HSBC Arena where the Buffalo Sabres play. Coincidentally, Dixon had an interview for the Raiders' head coaching position while an assistant at Pitt. "I don't know too much about the team, but we'll start watching film on them right away," Dixon said. "I never went after the job but I was approached by Wright State and if someone calls you, the most-professional thing to do is at least listen to what they have to say." He figured following Saturday night's loss that Pitt's seeding would depend on the conference championship game with the winner getting a number-two seed and the loser getting a number-three seed. His prediction came true as Georgetown received a number two seed. He was thrilled with Pitt's seeding as were the players after they learned their fate. "You're never disappointed with a three-seed," Dixon said. "We had our highest ever RPI this year and also played more road games, so we knew we put ourselves in a position to receive a favorable seed." Senior Aaron Gray felt the upcoming NCAA Tournament is a good opportunity for the Panthers to re-focus their efforts and put Saturday night's loss to the Hoyas to rest. "That wasn't University of Pittsburgh basketball Saturday night and it wasn't me Saturday night either," Gray said. "Seeing us get the respect to earn a number-three seed in the NCAA Tournament helped to restore some of our confidence and I can't wait to get back to work and get ready for Wright State." The Panthers are favored to advance and provided that happens, they will face the winner of the sixth-seeded Duke-eleventh-seeded Virginia Commonwealth game. Should Pitt get past the Blue Devils, the probable Sweet Sixteen opponent would be second-seeded UCLA coached by former Pitt head coach Ben Howland. Since the Panthers were seeded in the West Bracket, they would have to travel to San Jose in the third round. "When I saw the brackets a lot of things went through my mind," senior forward Levon Kendall said. "I always wanted to play Duke, and UCLA with Coach Howland there would be a lot of fun." The Panthers advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Kendall stated one team goal this year was to make it further in the tournament. "Being only one of 12 teams to make the tournament 6 years in a row shows the respect our program gets," Kendall said. "One of our goals is to make it further in the tournament now." West Virginia was considered a bubble team and many thought Syracuse was a sure thing. "I spoke to (conference chairman) Mike Tranghese on the phone this morning and we never even considered that Syracuse would not make it," Dixon said. "We thought there could have been as high as nine teams in with Providence and West Virginia making it."
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Mar 12, 2007 8:45:09 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2007 8:45:09 GMT -5
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/12/ddn031207raiderconnection.htmlRaider Connection Did Wright State deserve better than a 14 seed? By Marc Katz Staff Writer Monday, March 12, 2007 FAIRBORN — None of the Raiders seemed nervous or worried or scared Sunday night when they found out they would be a No. 14 seed in the upcoming NCAA men's basketball tournament. Sure, they want to win, but getting there was the big thing. Who they played seemed to make no difference at all. Well, let it be said the Raiders didn't do so well in the placement category. They're a No. 14 seed, sort of expected to be a No. 13 and could have easily been a No. 12. That doesn't seem like much, but it is. As a No. 14 seed, the Raiders face No. 3 Pittsburgh, which means they play what the selection committee considers one of the top 12 teams in the country. That's a lot tougher than playing one of the top 16 or one of the top 20 teams. In the final month of the season, the Raiders beat Butler twice, and both times the Bulldogs were ranked in the top 20. Sure, both were at home, but Butler faded fast in the final weeks of the season, losing four of eight games, including the two to WSU. So Butler was rewarded with a No. 5 seed. Why? Well, the Bulldogs opened with victories over Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, Gonzaga and Tennessee, all NCAA teams. I thought you were supposed to get better at the end, not worse. Wright State won 11 of its last 12. The problem was, other than the victories over Butler, there were no more quality victories for the Raiders anywhere on the schedule, unless you consider Miami University, which was going nowhere until it won the Mid-American Conference tournament. Even the RedHawks got a 14 seed. I don't begrudge Miami, but 24-7 Long Beach State in the Big West Conference was a 12 seed, and who did LBS play? Well, Cal State-Fullerton, for one, a team that WSU beat at the Nutter Center. Albany is 23-9 and won America East and got a No. 13 seed. Albany? Lost 83-82 at Boise State in a BracketBuster game Feb. 16. Boise State, I'm told, ran the Statue of Liberty 3-point play after which the star of the game proposed to a cheerleader ... oh, wrong sport. OK, one more, Holy Cross. Won the tough Patriot League, earning a No. 13 seed. Lost to Hofstra and Bucknell recently, as well as Dayton, Syracuse, Duke, Providence and George Mason earlier in the season. I could go on and on, but the players don't seem to mind, even if Pittsburgh is going to be a tough matchup with 7-footer Aaron Gray and 6-10 Levon Kendall on the front line. Of course, in the Horizon League, Detroit, Loyola of Chicago and Illinois-Chicago had bigger front lines, and the Raiders went 6-0 vs. those teams. "In the mid-majors, we have smaller, quicker players," WSU's 6-6 Drew Burleson said. "That's a tough matchup for the bigger schools." Good attitude. Now, the Raiders have to make it work.
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Mar 12, 2007 8:48:07 GMT -5
Post by Raider Country on Mar 12, 2007 8:48:07 GMT -5
Assistant coach breaks down Wright StateBy John Grupp TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, March 12, 2007 Byron Thorne watched every game Wright State played this season. The Youngstown State assistant coach was charged with scouting his team's Horizon Conference rival before each of their two meetings. Thorne, a Pittsburgh native and former standout at Vincentian Academy, offered to break down No. 14 seed Wright State (23-9), which meets No. 3 Pitt (27-7) on Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y., in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. "Their whole team is DeShaun Wood," Thorne said. "He's the type of kid who can score 30-some points. He is able to take over, and that's what he's done all season. He's as talented as they come, especially at this level. "At the mid-major level, you are not going to find another guard better than him." Wood, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior, was named the Horizon Conference Player of the Year after averaging 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals. He's also an 88-percent free throw shooter and is the only player on the team averaging more than 9.0 points. Under first-year coach Brad Brownell, Wright State overcame a slow start to go 13-3 in the Horizon Conference. The Raiders, who don't play anybody taller than 6-8, upset Butler in the Horizon Tournament finals for an automatic bid. They lost to LSU by 26 and fell to Chicago State, Marshall and Coastal Carolina, among others. Thorne, 34, a second-year assistant at Youngstown State after stops at Albany and Loyala (Md.), says it all comes down to Wood, whom he compares to Marquette star guard Dominic James, except not as athletic. Wood scored 27 points against Butler in the Horizon finals. "I tell you what. Right now, he could play in the Big East," Thorne said. "He's that talented. He's tough. He can shoot the 3. He's good off the dribble. He can pull up, and he's good to the basket. He's kind of un-guardable." Wright State plays a similar game as Pitt. The Raiders like a half-court tempo with aggressive man-to-man defense, which they play about 80 percent of the time. "They don't want to get up and down," Thorne said. "It's strange. It's the same thing as Pitt. They grind it out. They both run set plays. Wright State prides themselves on defense, similar to Pitt. They are very good defensively. They are always where they should be." Todd Brown, a 6-5 guard, and Vaughn Duggins, a 6-3 guard, were both named to Horizon League All-Newcomer team. Aaron Gray, Pitt's 7-foot center coming off his worst game in college (1 for 13 from the floor, three points) will be a serious mismatch. Wright State's tallest player is Jordan Pleiman, a 6-8, 240-pound junior. "Those big guys should have a good time in there in the post," Thorne said. "Pitt is so much bigger than they are. ... The keys will be Pitt containing Woods versus Wright State containing Pitt's big guys." Youngstown State split its two meetings with Wright State this season. The Penguins lost in the opener, 62-49, before beating Wright State in the rematch, 72-57. "The first time, we played a lot of man," Thorne said. "The second game, we zoned them the whole game, and they didn't make their shots. They really struggled against the zone." Sometimes, Wright State likes to go really small, playing 6-6 Scottie Wilson at center. Wilson is shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range. "He's a tough matchup because Gray has to guard him," Thorne said. "He can step out and shoot, and he can put ball on the floor and go by. He's similar to Sam Young a little bit. "That should be interesting to see, if they go small, which they will." www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/college/pitt/s_497263.html
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Pitt
Mar 12, 2007 9:39:06 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2007 9:39:06 GMT -5
cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10055682/2The first No. 3 seed to lose will be ... Pittsburgh. The Panthers have struggled against good teams, proof being their 6-6 record against the top 50. Unfortunately for them, pretty much all there is in the NCAA Tournament is top 50 teams. So that doesn't bode well, and even if Pitt gets to the Sweet 16 it'll likely meet UCLA, and there's no way Jamie Dixon is beating Ben Howland because that would be like Daniel LaRusso beating Mr. Miyagi, and we all know that isn't possible.
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