Pitt stopper Graves to face speedy scorer
Mar 14, 2007 1:48:27 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 14, 2007 1:48:27 GMT -5
www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/college/pitt/s_497557.html
Pitt stopper Graves to face speedy scorer
By John Grupp
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Another player named Graves will try his hand at slowing Wright State star guard DeShaun Wood.
Pitt senior Antonio Graves is responsible for guarding the high-scoring Wood, who won Horizon League Player of the Year honors over Butler's A.J. Graves and scorched the nationally ranked Bulldogs for 27 points in the league title game last week.
"He's my assignment," Graves said before Pitt departed Tuesday afternoon for the four-hour ride to Buffalo. "He looks very quick, probably like he has the speed of Dominic James."
Graves' defense on Wright State's No. 2 all-time scorer will be one of the keys when Pitt (27-7) meets the Raiders (23-9) at 9:40 p.m. on Thursday at HSBC Arena in its NCAA Tournament opener.
The 6-foot-3 Graves is Pitt's defensive stopper. He usually covers the other team's top scoring guard and has effectively thwarted DePaul's Sammy Mejia (10 points on 4-of-10 shooting), Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (eight points, 3-of-9 shooting) and Wisconsin's Kammron Taylor (14 points, 4-of-12 shooting).
Graves, named to the Big East all-tournament team, also slowed Marquette's James for large stretches of their three meetings. He also shut down numerous opposing guards, from West Virginia's Alex Ruoff (6.5 ppg. in two games) to Duquesne's A.J. Jackson (seven points).
"Graves is very physical and very athletic," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said. "He's as good laterally, his first step, as any guard I've seen."
No. 3 seed Pitt prepared for No. 14 seed Wright State by having Ronald Ramon mimic Wood during practice.
The 5-10 Wood averaged a Horizon League-leading 19.8 points and 1.78 steals. He also averages 3.87 assists and 5.0 rebounds and shoots 88.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Opposing coaches have compared Wood to James, a first-team all-Big East selection.
"(Wood) is pretty quick," Graves said. "I've guarded a lot of quick guys, so I won't be too surprised. You definitely can't underestimate him or his team, so we definitely have to be prepared mentally and physically.
"I'll try to use my size on him, the reach I have with my long arms. I'll pressure him and try to send him to the hole, to the big guys in there. That will probably help us a lot, instead of letting him stand out there and shoot and beat us with triples."
As always, Graves will get help from his teammates. Coach Jamie Dixon said guarding Wood, who switches between point guard and shooting guard, will require more than one player.
"(Wood) is going to be all over the place," Dixon said. "It's going to be a lot of guys doing a lot of things."
Graves has guarded everyone from the 5-10 James to the 6-6 Mejia with similar results. The Mansfield, Ohio, native was recruited heavily by Wright State coming out of high school. He said the smaller players are tougher to defend.
"They're so much quicker and faster," Graves said. "They're low to the ground already. It's definitely going to be a team effort."
Wood has scored at least 10 points in all 32 games for Wright State this season. He averaged 28.5 points in his past two games against Butler. He scored 32 against Loyola (Ill.) and 30 against Mississippi Valley State. He is durable, having played 36 or more minutes 22 times.
"He can really play," Dixon said. "We are well aware of him. He's the key to their offense."
And, as usual, Graves could be the lock.
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Shutdown defender
Antonio Graves will guard Wright State star DeShaun Wood in Thursday's NCAA Tournament opener. Here is how some other high-scoring guards have fared against the Pitt senior.
Name School Games PPG Shooting percentage
Dominic James Marquette 3 15.7 44.0
Kammron Taylor Wisconsin 1 14 33.0
Sammy Mejia DePaul 1 10 40.0
Scottie Reynolds Villanova 1 8 33.0
John Grupp can be reached at jgrupp@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7930.
Pitt stopper Graves to face speedy scorer
By John Grupp
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Another player named Graves will try his hand at slowing Wright State star guard DeShaun Wood.
Pitt senior Antonio Graves is responsible for guarding the high-scoring Wood, who won Horizon League Player of the Year honors over Butler's A.J. Graves and scorched the nationally ranked Bulldogs for 27 points in the league title game last week.
"He's my assignment," Graves said before Pitt departed Tuesday afternoon for the four-hour ride to Buffalo. "He looks very quick, probably like he has the speed of Dominic James."
Graves' defense on Wright State's No. 2 all-time scorer will be one of the keys when Pitt (27-7) meets the Raiders (23-9) at 9:40 p.m. on Thursday at HSBC Arena in its NCAA Tournament opener.
The 6-foot-3 Graves is Pitt's defensive stopper. He usually covers the other team's top scoring guard and has effectively thwarted DePaul's Sammy Mejia (10 points on 4-of-10 shooting), Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (eight points, 3-of-9 shooting) and Wisconsin's Kammron Taylor (14 points, 4-of-12 shooting).
Graves, named to the Big East all-tournament team, also slowed Marquette's James for large stretches of their three meetings. He also shut down numerous opposing guards, from West Virginia's Alex Ruoff (6.5 ppg. in two games) to Duquesne's A.J. Jackson (seven points).
"Graves is very physical and very athletic," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said. "He's as good laterally, his first step, as any guard I've seen."
No. 3 seed Pitt prepared for No. 14 seed Wright State by having Ronald Ramon mimic Wood during practice.
The 5-10 Wood averaged a Horizon League-leading 19.8 points and 1.78 steals. He also averages 3.87 assists and 5.0 rebounds and shoots 88.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Opposing coaches have compared Wood to James, a first-team all-Big East selection.
"(Wood) is pretty quick," Graves said. "I've guarded a lot of quick guys, so I won't be too surprised. You definitely can't underestimate him or his team, so we definitely have to be prepared mentally and physically.
"I'll try to use my size on him, the reach I have with my long arms. I'll pressure him and try to send him to the hole, to the big guys in there. That will probably help us a lot, instead of letting him stand out there and shoot and beat us with triples."
As always, Graves will get help from his teammates. Coach Jamie Dixon said guarding Wood, who switches between point guard and shooting guard, will require more than one player.
"(Wood) is going to be all over the place," Dixon said. "It's going to be a lot of guys doing a lot of things."
Graves has guarded everyone from the 5-10 James to the 6-6 Mejia with similar results. The Mansfield, Ohio, native was recruited heavily by Wright State coming out of high school. He said the smaller players are tougher to defend.
"They're so much quicker and faster," Graves said. "They're low to the ground already. It's definitely going to be a team effort."
Wood has scored at least 10 points in all 32 games for Wright State this season. He averaged 28.5 points in his past two games against Butler. He scored 32 against Loyola (Ill.) and 30 against Mississippi Valley State. He is durable, having played 36 or more minutes 22 times.
"He can really play," Dixon said. "We are well aware of him. He's the key to their offense."
And, as usual, Graves could be the lock.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shutdown defender
Antonio Graves will guard Wright State star DeShaun Wood in Thursday's NCAA Tournament opener. Here is how some other high-scoring guards have fared against the Pitt senior.
Name School Games PPG Shooting percentage
Dominic James Marquette 3 15.7 44.0
Kammron Taylor Wisconsin 1 14 33.0
Sammy Mejia DePaul 1 10 40.0
Scottie Reynolds Villanova 1 8 33.0
John Grupp can be reached at jgrupp@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7930.