By Dejan Kovacevic | Trib Total Media columnist
Looking ahead to tipoff …
Game: Pitt (17-5, 5-4 Big East) vs. No. 6 Syracuse (18-2, 6-1)
Time: 12:02 p.m.
Site: Petersen Events Center
TV, radio: ESPN, 93.7 The Fan
Here is Pitt’s official page.
And here is the Trib’s Pitt basketball page. Kevin Gorman and I are on the scene.


Let’s hope the field goal percentage, three-point shooting, and making their free throws all align today for Pitt and they prevail over the orange!
DK, I must have missed class. How do we get an avatar image added for the blog? Thanks.
Gravatar.com
Thanks Lucky.
JAL’s Winter Song Morning Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg_dsk7u26A
Cardiac Hill
Pitt has another chance to impress NCAA Tournament selection committee with win against Syracuse
http://www.cardiachill.com/2013/2/1/3935212/pitt-vs-syracuse-predictions-basketball-pittsburgh-panthers-orange-big-east-ncaa-tournament
Oakland Zoo looks to crush another top ten opponent
http://www.cardiachill.com/2013/2/1/3942488/oakland-zoo-looks-to-crush-another-top-ten-opponent-Pitt-Syracuse-Big-East
Pitt Blather
Empty at Four
http://www.pittblather.com/2013/01/31/empty-at-four/
Syracuse Post Standard
Syracuse basketball looks to bounce back against Pittsburgh (Orange Scouting Report)
http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2013/02/syracuse_basketball_looks_to_b.html
Winter Song Lindisfarne 1970 Off the album Nicely Out of Tune. This was band that mixed serious songs with fun songs. This album sold well after their 2nd album, Fog on the Tyne, went to number 1 in the UK. They continued to perform into the 2000s even after lead singer and songwriter Alan Hull died in 1995.
JAL,
Many of us here are “ambidextrous!”
I miss the rest of your links here.
It’s all about the rebounding, defense and the FT shooting.
Go PITT…CRUSH THE ORANGE!
PS: Note to Steve Adams….when you have the ball a foot away from the hoop ==> DUNK IT !!!!
Yeah, nothing bothers me more than seeing guys 6’6 or taller struggling to dunk a basketball.
Pitt basketball is pretty popular with the students… because they win, hopefully Paul Chryst can get this type of support going for the football team.
https://o.twimg.com/1/proxy.jpg?t=FQQVBBgpaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0cGljLmNvbS9zaG93L2xhcmdlL2MwYTB0ci5qcGcUAhYAEgA&s=mhR70bj4zEaObK976St5bEnmnQ2Uw8185TDEl7_Y8Q8
Where’s Drew, sleeping in? He’s needed over on the hockey thread.
Today is the biggest game of the year for Pitt.
They match up well with Syracuse.
They are at home.
Syracuse is down a starter.
There will be no surprise defenses from Syracuse.
No full court press from Syracuse.
.
If Pitt wins, they can be a player in Big East Championship.
If Pitt wins, they could be a Top 4 seed in NCAA.
If Pitt wins, the Zoo will go wild.
.
If Pitt loses, bye bye Big East Championship.
If Pitt loses, 8-9 seed or worse in NCAA.
If Pitt loses, early post-season exit.
.
No pressure today.
You’re really putting a lot of eggs in today’s game basket Groat!
Either Pitt is a Big Boy or it isn’t. Today proves it. It’s at home. It’s February.
If they lose, they sit at the kiddies table come NCAA time.
8 games to go after today before the Big East tournament. Important game no doubt. Even if Pitt wins, long way to go.
A 10-point W. Not bad for definition.
Way to go Punxsutawney Phil!!
Who is this Phil you speak of and what does this mean?
Pitt/Syracuse at noon on ESPN.
Pens/Devils at 1:08 on Root.
#5 Duke/Florida State at 2:00 on ESPN.
#1 Michigan/#3 Indiana at 9:00 on ESPN.
Only exercise I’ll be getting today is walking from couch to fridge, couch to bathroom to fridge.
Maybe if I moved TV and couch into kitchen, I could vegetate even more, move even less.
Go Pitt! Go ‘Guins! Go Duke! Go ?
To: Administrative Assistant Groat:
RE: Today’s schedule.
Shovel (everyday chore these days).
11:00 ‘Cuse v Pitt. Go Pitt!!
Daughter’s ballet.
Back home for Wichita State v. Northern Iowa at 3:00.
Drive to Milwaukee-for Bucks/Orlando.
Return home.
I shovel every day, too.
But a different substance, I think.
Full day.
Go Bucks!!
Tell Mike Dunleavy and JJ Redick “Hi” for me!!
Don’t shovel——when the sun comes out it will all melt away . . . . in March.
It’s early, but ice cold once again. Put the ball in the basket!!!!
Pitt with 15-9 advantage on boards..turned five point deficit around…need to finish final 3 minutes strong.
Hopefully in the second half the Panthers deeper squad can wear down and tire the Orange. Nice bounceback to take lead into halftime.
Twenty tough minutes of basketball left.
The way this officiating crew is missing calls you would think this game was at the Carrier Dome. Can’t call a charge on Ziegler when defender is in restricted zone. Have to fight through…big shot by Cam.
Turning into a great game! Need to keep grinding!
Adams with offensive board and putback, Patterson driving to the hoop up six with momentum, time for the defense to step up.
Good game.
Statement game, signature win for these underrated Panthers…great springboard into final eight conference games with Seton Hall next.
12-1 all-time versus top ten teams at the Pete…#NotInOurHouse
I think this makes it 13-1. Great win.
Yes you are correct, big win indeed.
Alright. It pains me to say this about pitt.
Good for them.
There. Satisfied?
Outstanding W!!
Pretty powerful quotes DK got from Coach Boeheim relating to Pitt. This team is young with two freshman starting, Johnson getting minutes after a redshirt year but I believe has as high a ceiling of some of the past Jamie Dixon teams.
Sure this team may be a bit challenged offensively,but they are balanced and don’t make many mistakes and have some of the best efficiency numbers in the nation. Because of how well the Panthers play defense and rebound and without many dominant teams in NCAA basketball, Pitt has a real chance to keep improving and make noise in March.
In fact earlier this week a story ran on which team not currently highly ranked could make a deep NCAA run to Atlanta and Pitt was that team.
DK: Surprising stuff, huh?
Boeheim couldn’t have been more effusive.
Good win. Looking forward to Notre Dame soon. They still have to take a bunch of these games coming up.
???
Excellent…Semper Fi. Go Pitt.