">
A Big Battle On Big Monday
“This is going to be a hard one to get over…This is a game that we had. We had this game won.” - Jonny Flynn, 3/1/08
“It’s the most disappointing game I’ve ever been involved with.” – Jim Boeheim, 3/1/08
Over ten months later, SU will have a shot at avenging one of the most painful regular season losses in program history. The Panthers, meanwhile, will be looking to get over a tough loss of their own after being handed their first defeat of the season on Saturday at the hands of Louisville. It’s safe to say there’s going to be no shortage of motivation on either side of the scorer’s table at the Petersen Events Center.
The only thing that could possibly sweeten the pot would be if Pitt had pulled out a victory at Freedom Hall, retaining their top ranking. After all, everyone remembers how sweet it was facing a number one team the last time out. But as the saying goes, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts…something something, Levance Fields is a tubby criminal and SU was the first team to ever notch a victory against Pitt at the Pete.
On paper, this is about as even a matchup as can be. The two teams share knacks for getting on the glass (Pitt averages 41.2 rebounds per game, SU 40.6), scoring (77.1, 81.5) and 3-point shooting (35.7%, 34.8%), with free throw shooting as the achilles heel (65.1%, 63.1%).
Individually, one matchup to keep an eye on will be super soph DeJuan Blair vs. point center Arinze Onuaku. Both bigs played marginal roles in last year’s matchup, with Blair tallying eight points versus AO’s seven. Blair and Onuaku have blossomed into powerful weapons down low and each can throw their weight around with the best of them. AO was excellent on defense against Luke Harangody on Saturday, and he may have to replicate that performance against Blair to give the Orange a chance.
In the backcourt, the spotlight will be on the battle between Jonny Flynn and Fields, two very different yet productive point guards. Fields has a stockier build not unlike Kansas’s Sherron Collins and takes more of a pass first approach compared to the more aggressive Flynn. For what it’s worth, Fields went just 1-8 from the floor in last March’s game while Flynn went crazy for 28 points, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a heated battle.
On the offensive end, Pittsburgh’s defense will not allow the Orange to get out on the break at a level remotely close to Notre Dame’s defense (or whatever you want to call it). I’ve been saying for awhile that SU’s offense operates most efficiently when the guards look down low first, establishing the post game, before firing from outside, as opposed to the other way around.
That’s not to say that any of SU’s guards shouldn’t take open threes, but if it becomes clear to the Panthers that Blair alone can’t stop what’s becoming a highly formidable duo in Onuaku and Rick Jackson, those two will require more attention and that will lead to some nice opportunities for the backcourt.
In the end, this is a very tough game to predict and will be very exciting to watch. Pittsburgh’s home court advantage is every bit as strong as the Orange’s, perhaps stronger, and each team has plenty of offensive weapons to keep the opposition honest. If SU can repeat its active defensive effort in the interior from Saturday and contain Blair, they’ll come out on top. If not, it’s hard to see the Orange returning to campus with a W.
