Why Pittsburgh will beat the Vols

#1
golfballs

golfballs

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#1
by: Fran Fraschilla

For the Vols, a major concern will be the overwhelming job Pittsburgh has done on the offensive glass so far this season. Since Jamie Dixon took over at Pittsburgh in 2003, the Panthers have grabbed an average of 40 percent of the available rebounds on their offensive end of the floor -- usually good enough to put them in the top 5 percent in the nation. But, this season, they have taken offensive rebounding to a whole new level, grabbing the rebound on almost 49 percent of their misses, tops in college basketball.

Dixon's club sends three and sometimes four players to the offensive boards and that's not unusual for most teams. But Pittsburgh's depth, relentlessness, size and quickness with which it attacks is hard to duplicate. They have six players averaging almost five rebounds or more. And redshirt freshman, Talib Zanna, is only playing 17 minutes a game, but grabbing one offensive rebound in every six Panther trips down the floor.

Dixon will have his own problems with Tennessee's outstanding half-court defense and the Vols' ability to force turnovers off inbounds plays. But I promise you that Pearl's practices this week will be filled with box-out drills.
Click to expand...
Fran Fraschilla: On Pittsburgh's offensive rebounding, Washington vs. Texas A&M and Harrison Barnes - ESPN
 
#2
#2
Way to do your homework! And I agree with you but there is that side of me that says

Why the VOLS will win! Our half court Defense and another big body in Maymon will ad toughness and size at the 4. Goins is playing great defense on the perimiter and we have equal quickness with their bunch. I look for the surprise of the game to be Cam Tatum having a big afternoon with 15 plus points. If we protect the ball and shoot well from 3 we have a good chance for the upset! Here's hoping GO VOLS and BOX OUT
 
#4
#4
He seems to think that we don't have depth or size. Those are probably two of our best attributes. Only Goins and McBee are small guys and we already know that Goins plays a lot bigger than he is. I do agree that it is going to be a very tough game for us though.

Also, how is it that we go to Pitt in this SEC/Big East tourney, yet Kentucky is at a "neutral site" in Kentucky?
 
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#5
#5
Vols win. New schemes will be in play for the Pitt game. None seen before from UT this year. It will be a 2-3 point ball game most of the way with UT winning by 7-9 in the last few minutes. Nail biter, but we come away with the win.
 
#6
#6
This will be a very difficult game for UT to win. They are very physical, the most physical team .we have played. I truly believe the long lay-off will be a factor in this game, especially in the first half. Hope we win, but don't really expect it.
 
#7
#7
Hopson needs to have a good game. I assume he'll be on Wanamaker and vice-versa.
 
#8
#8
MemphisVol1485 said:
He seems to think that we don't have depth or size. Those are probably two of our best attributes. Only Goins and McBee are small guys and we already know that Goins plays a lot bigger than he is. I do agree that it is going to be a very tough game for us though.

Also, how is it that we go to Pitt in this SEC/Big East tourney, yet Kentucky is at a "neutral site" in Kentucky?
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well we have had the challenge in Nashville the last couple of years, but yeah the floor on the court literally said university of kentucky on it.

also if pitt gets 49% of the rebouds, we'll just get the other 51% >_>
 
#9
#9
I'm not quite sure what to expect, but a win here would probably raise the team's profile to a place it hasn't been since Bruce Pearl was hired. Yes, we've beaten Kansas and Memphis and gone to the Elite Eight and attained a #1 ranking over the past several years, but to get two wins over top ten teams in hostile environments this early in the season would absolutely put Tennessee in the upper echelon of teams this season. Even when we got that #1 ranking, a lot of people didn't think we were truly that good, and they turned out to be right (in a sense). A win on Saturday would probably vault us into the top five (or thereabouts), and it would give us an extremely solid foundation for getting a very high seed in March.

All that remains is to win. Too bad that's easier said than done. :)
 
#10
#10
A win or a lost will not hurt us. Away game in a hostile environment against a high caliber team after a layoff will not spell doom for us. A win will capture the immediate moment but will have to be backed up the rest of the season to claim the ultimate tier of college basketball. Right now I will accept either a win or a loss. Like the sleeper role better. This team could go the distance and win but it is a awful huge expectation and a Hell of a fall if it breaks. I think they have an excellence chance to win this game but the variables are numerous. It is a toss up no matter what others say. However they do not play well after breaks in the early part of the season unless they are at home. This worries me to a degree just want a close game. Maymon is a factor and I hope he knows his role on this team.
 
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#11
#11
Is it just because we've had so much trouble in the past with higher ranked teams, oh wait...
 
#13
#13
MemphisVol1485 said:
He seems to think that we don't have depth or size. Those are probably two of our best attributes. Only Goins and McBee are small guys and we already know that Goins plays a lot bigger than he is. I do agree that it is going to be a very tough game for us though.

Also, how is it that we go to Pitt in this SEC/Big East tourney, yet Kentucky is at a "neutral site" in Kentucky?
Click to expand...

Last year in the same challenge we had Marquette on a "nuetral site" in Nashville. Our game with Pitt isn't at their court, it is in the NHL arena in a double header following the Auburned and Depaul gem of a game
 
#14
#14
Pulling down 51% of our defensive rebounding opportunities will result in a loss. No way we can survive giving them 2 shot opportunities half the time they are on offense. Pitt is too good and WILL capitolize on this if we let them. That stat alone could determine the outcome of this game. We need to focus on rebounding and drawing charges and not try to make SC's top ten with blocks. Fields could be a liability in this game if he doesn't play a little different than he has so far this season. He is so swat happy and against a good offensive rebounding team, that can be lethal
 
#16
#16
don't know a whole lot about Pitt, but i don't really see how someone can think size and quickness will be a problem for us? we are pretty big and pretty deep as well (sorry for that sounding wrong in so many ways)
 
#17
#17
The other side of the offensive rebounding is the Vols mini-transition game. When Harris rebounds the he gets the ball to the other side of the court with smooth speed like a point and Williams is great at the outlet pass. I like our chances if they send 3 guys to the offensive boards. The 50% that they miss will be dunked.
 
#18
#18
i hope we win but wont be dissapointed if we lose. on paper... we're not supposed to even be close in this game
 
#19
#19
i have noticed one thing i woould exploit about pitt. and that is they seem slow getting back on defense. this might be the game we might look to score more in transition. its going to be tough, no doubt. its games like this that make you tough in march. i really think we are also a little more atheletic than pitt over all.
 
#20
#20
Prediction: Tennessee 76 -- Pittsburgh 68

Tell me why:
-I believe that our length and defensive intensity on the perimeter will frustrate their guards*, causing them to miss more perimeter shots than they normally miss and also causing them to politely turn the ball over to us just enough times to make a difference in the outcome of the game.
-I further believe that it will be a very physical game in the paint -- maybe not the prettiest game from a watchability standpoint -- and that, depending of course on the whistle-happiness of the refs, the big men from both squads will end up having to earn their keep from the charity stripe. And while tennessee's big men certainly don't shoot free throws like JJ Reddick, Pittsburgh's big men are a bit worse. If this amounts to 3-4 extra points over the course of the game, that will be a big deal as I expect this game to be tightly contested throughout.
-Finally, For Pitt, Texas**-->Tennesse will be a bigger step up than Villanova--> Pitt is for the Vols. This last point won't matter much if it turns out that Pitt is just a way better team than us, but I don't believe that to be the case.

*There is just nothing better than when your length frustrates their guards.
**I never pass up an opportunity to remind you the reader that Rick Barnes is a horrendous horrendous coach.
 
#24
#24
I want the Vols to win, not sure they will, hope it's close though. I will be in attendance cant wait.
 
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