Blogs

DeJuan Blair became the first Pitt player in nearly 17 years to have 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game, and No. 3 Pitt overcame a double-figure first-half deficit to beat slumping Notre Dame, 93-80, on Saturday afternoon at Petersen Events Center. Notre Dame (12-8, 3-6) hit 11 3-pointers in the first half [...]

When the Big East announced Sam Young was the conference men’s basketball Player of the Week today, it was a rare — and perhaps overdue — individual honor for the Panthers. It had been more than a year since any Pitt player earned the award. The most recent time was Levance Fields on Dec. 24, [...]

Pitt moved up one spot to No. 3 in the Associated Press top 25 men’s basketball rankings. The Panthers (18-1) received three first place votes. Duke (18-1), with 62 first-place votes, was No. 1 followed by Connecticut (18-1), which received six first-place votes. No. 4 Oklahoma got the remaining first-place vote. Pitt also is No. [...]

Pitt had a light practice Monday after the victory at West Virginia one day earlier. The Panthers depart Tuesday for No. 21 Villanova (15-4, 3-3). The 7 p.m. game Wednesday will be the final collegiate basketball game at the Spectrum (see the Web site Tuesday for a story on the historic game). Senior forward Tyrell [...]

With the boys’ basketball season in full swing, here is a quick look at some of Pitt’s incoming recruits for the Class of 2009. · Dante Taylor, a 6-foot-9 five-star power forward from Fort Washington (Md.) National Christian Academy (15-4) is coming off a 33-point, 15-rebound performance in a 65-63 victory over Friendship Collegiate on [...]

When Jermaine Dixon arrived at Pitt as a junior college transfer, some of his teammates warned him about the hostile environments at opposing Big East schools. But Dixon, who had never played in front of more than a couple thousand fans, still wasn’t prepared for Louisville’s 20,000-seat Freedom Hall in Pitt’s 69-63 loss last weekend. [...]

Another DeJuan Blair double-double and the hot shooting of Sam Young spelled double trouble for Syracuse. Young made 7 of 12 shots to score a game-high 22 points and Blair finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, as No. 4 Pitt beat No. 8 Syracuse, 78-60, tonight in a Big East Conference game before a [...]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — No. 1 Pitt suffered its first loss of the season, falling to No. 20 Louisville, 69-63, on Saturday night. In front of a sold-out Freedom Hall, Pitt blew a 13-point first half lead and a 10-point second-half lead to end the third-best start in the program’s history. Louisville (13-3, 4-0) has beaten [...]

Louisville has hosted a lot of big games in the past, but Pitt’s trip to Freedom Hall ranks among the most significant. It marks only the fifth time in the past 55 years that Louisville has hosted a No. 1 team. The Cardinals are 1-3 in those marquee games. The most recent top-ranked team to [...]

Louisville also is home to the biggest horse race in the world. If you have no interest in Thoroughbred racing — or perhaps winning some money on the first Saturday in May — skip this next entry. Otherwise, read on. Louisville’s Freedom Hall sits practically next door to Churchill Downs race track, home of the [...]