Panthers trying to maintain a sharp mindset
Mar 14, 2007 23:57:14 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 14, 2007 23:57:14 GMT -5
www.tribune-democrat.com/collegesports/local_story_073234854.html
Panthers trying to maintain a sharp mindset
BY DALE GRDNIC
For The Tribune-Democrat
PITTSBURGH — As the Pitt men’s basketball players trudged out to their chartered bus for the last time this season, they clearly were focused on their first-round NCAA matchup against Wright State tonight at 9:40 p.m. at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.
But that doesn’t mean they weren’t thinking ahead just a bit.
“It’s possibly our last game, so we have to make sure we go in there and play hard and do the best that we can,” junior guard Ronald Ramon said. “They’re a quick team. They have a lot of guards that can play. They have good shooters and guys that can create for each other.
“They’re tough inside, too, but they’ll probably try to outrun us. Their one guard (DaShaun Wood), he looks like he can score. So, we’ve got to make sure we stay in front of him and use our help defense. We know that he can do a little bit of everything, but he’s their big scorer.”
The Panthers (27-7) worked out a little and watched film Monday and practiced hard Tuesday afternoon before getting on a bus for Buffalo, and Pitt coach Jamie Dixon believed his team was recharged and ready to go after a tough three-day stretch at the Big East tournament.
“We beat two very good teams, and I don’t think anybody else played three NCAA tournament teams on three straight nights like we did,” Dixon said. “So, going 2-1, while not what we wanted, certainly was respectable. ... And now, a new season begins for us, so we’re focusing on our NCAA opener with Wright State.”
Senior Levon Kendall believed that while Pitt really hasn’t talked about finally getting past the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament since earlier this season, that certainly is in the back of the players’ minds.
“Of course, we’ve done a lot of great things as a program the past five or six years, but no one’s really satisfied,” Kendall said. “So, getting past the Sweet 16 has always been our goal from the beginning of the year, and we really believe that we can do it.
“We’ve worked our way into the upper echelon of schools in the country, as far as overall winning percentage and things like that, but if we can make a run past the Sweet 16 and go a little further in the tournament we’ll be able to take another step up.”
Kendall even took it another step.
“Everybody wants to make it to the Final Four with a chance to win a national championship,” he said. “That has to be the goal, and you can’t play in this tournament without thinking about it. The trick is to concentrate on each game at hand and to take it from there.
“It’s part of the challenge of the tournament. (And) there’s also a little extra incentive to it, the fact that every game could be our last one for the season and my career. But I try not to think about it too much. This is the next step, though, and we still have six games to go, ideally.
“So, we’re just focusing on that and trying to make the most of it,” Kendall said. “You can’t really avoid it possibly being our last game, but we have to turn that into a positive and hope it makes us play a little harder and with a lot more passion. And I’m sure that’s the way we’re looking at it.”
Senior guard Antonio Graves agreed.
“Anything short of the Final Four is going to be a disappointment, in my mind,” Graves said. “But I think we have the team and the chemistry and the bench to get it done. I really don’t think there’s any excuse. We just need to bring our ‘A’ game every night.”
Panthers trying to maintain a sharp mindset
BY DALE GRDNIC
For The Tribune-Democrat
PITTSBURGH — As the Pitt men’s basketball players trudged out to their chartered bus for the last time this season, they clearly were focused on their first-round NCAA matchup against Wright State tonight at 9:40 p.m. at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.
But that doesn’t mean they weren’t thinking ahead just a bit.
“It’s possibly our last game, so we have to make sure we go in there and play hard and do the best that we can,” junior guard Ronald Ramon said. “They’re a quick team. They have a lot of guards that can play. They have good shooters and guys that can create for each other.
“They’re tough inside, too, but they’ll probably try to outrun us. Their one guard (DaShaun Wood), he looks like he can score. So, we’ve got to make sure we stay in front of him and use our help defense. We know that he can do a little bit of everything, but he’s their big scorer.”
The Panthers (27-7) worked out a little and watched film Monday and practiced hard Tuesday afternoon before getting on a bus for Buffalo, and Pitt coach Jamie Dixon believed his team was recharged and ready to go after a tough three-day stretch at the Big East tournament.
“We beat two very good teams, and I don’t think anybody else played three NCAA tournament teams on three straight nights like we did,” Dixon said. “So, going 2-1, while not what we wanted, certainly was respectable. ... And now, a new season begins for us, so we’re focusing on our NCAA opener with Wright State.”
Senior Levon Kendall believed that while Pitt really hasn’t talked about finally getting past the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament since earlier this season, that certainly is in the back of the players’ minds.
“Of course, we’ve done a lot of great things as a program the past five or six years, but no one’s really satisfied,” Kendall said. “So, getting past the Sweet 16 has always been our goal from the beginning of the year, and we really believe that we can do it.
“We’ve worked our way into the upper echelon of schools in the country, as far as overall winning percentage and things like that, but if we can make a run past the Sweet 16 and go a little further in the tournament we’ll be able to take another step up.”
Kendall even took it another step.
“Everybody wants to make it to the Final Four with a chance to win a national championship,” he said. “That has to be the goal, and you can’t play in this tournament without thinking about it. The trick is to concentrate on each game at hand and to take it from there.
“It’s part of the challenge of the tournament. (And) there’s also a little extra incentive to it, the fact that every game could be our last one for the season and my career. But I try not to think about it too much. This is the next step, though, and we still have six games to go, ideally.
“So, we’re just focusing on that and trying to make the most of it,” Kendall said. “You can’t really avoid it possibly being our last game, but we have to turn that into a positive and hope it makes us play a little harder and with a lot more passion. And I’m sure that’s the way we’re looking at it.”
Senior guard Antonio Graves agreed.
“Anything short of the Final Four is going to be a disappointment, in my mind,” Graves said. “But I think we have the team and the chemistry and the bench to get it done. I really don’t think there’s any excuse. We just need to bring our ‘A’ game every night.”