Projo College Hoops

By KEVIN McNAMARA

BOSTON - The halftime speech in the Pittsburgh locker room Thursday night was a fairly simple one: protect the glass.

Xavier put it to the Panthers in the first half off the glass as they grabbed 11 offensive boards and won the rebound battle, 23-16. Xavier scored 16 points in the paint and was making the always-aggressive Pitt team look a bit meek.

"Really, it was the glass," said Pitt coach Jaime Dixon. "They were scoring on second shots and they got a lot of kickouts after getting rebounds, second shots. So that was the biggest thing."

The second half was another story. With DeJuan Blair ripped down 13 of his game-high 17 rebounds, the Panthers beat the X-Men off the glass in the second half by a 28-21 count.

"We knew Xavier was a physical team and they obviously hit us with the first punch," said Blair. "Coach kept saying whoever wins the rebounds will win the game. They were winning the first half, obviously. So we clamped down on the rebounding and it was even (44-44) at the end. So we got the win. We started rebounding."

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As the final buzzer approached late in the Pittsburgh-Xavier game, Levance Fields ran over to the Panther bench and embraced coach Jaime Dixon. The problem was there were still five seconds left on the clock.

"(Dixon) was mad, telling me the game wasn't over," Fields said with a laugh. "I was excited for Coach. As good as he's been for this University and picking up where Coach (Ben) Howland left off, the biggest knock has been no Final Four appearance and not getting past the Sweet 16. So this is just a step towards that. And I just wanted to embrace him because he deserves it."

*****

It obviously was a tough loss for Xavier which clearly had the number one seeded Panthers on the ropes big time all night long. Then Miller had to watch his alma mater escape with Fields hitting the tough 3-pointer and making a huge steal in the final minute.

Here's what Miller, one of basketball's finest young coaches, had to say after the game:

"You know, tonight's game was a very difficult loss. I'd like to wish Pitt the best of luck and give credit to their team, there's a reason they're 31-4. I thought the shot that Levance Fields hit says it all about a senior point guard. Their three best players statistically did a great job. Sam Young, in particular, is really a handful. But if we're honest, a very winnable game for us.

"The second half some of it was a lack of execution, but I thought the lack of offense really started stemming from we just missed some point-blank layups and inside shots that you have to make in any game, but in particular in this tournament. And for us to finish shooting the percentage and scoring the amount of points in the second half, 18, still having a chance to win is disheartening. As we missed some shots that we normally make, it became a little bit tighter for us. And I think our offense started to reflect our tightness and for that, that's hard to let go of if you're a coach of this team.
So wish Pitt the best of luck. I thought our guys played really hard. You can see what a great defensive team we are, we showed that, certainly. We're going home. And wish Pitt the best of luck."

*****

Rick Pitino's Louisville team plays Friday in Indianapolis against Arizona. The Wildcats are playing with an interim coach (Ross Pennell) and are committed to doing a national search for a full-time boss. Pitino, of course, has been mentioned. Isn't he always? You'll hear his name for the Kentucky job once UK fires Billy Gillispie (as early as Friday).

Asked on Thursday about his interest in the Arizona job, Pitino said the only other job he's ever considered during his Louisville tenure was at Providence College last spring. Pitino coached PC from 1985-87.

"Because of the personal things I went through at Providence, I wanted to sit down and talk with them about the job to see if I did want to come back because of personal reasons that were very deep to me," Pitino said. "I sat down with them, talked to them a bit, and realized Louisville was the place for me. Outside of that, for eight years, I haven't thought about any job except the University of Louisville, and that's answering you the honest way."

Pitino added "I'm glad I'm not living on the West Coast because I don't hear that. I hear more about Boston U. wanting me back. I hope they settle for my son (Richard)."

Two great names for the BU job? Richard Pitino or Tom Herrion, the Pittsburgh assistant. The tie that binds those two coaches? Both were Providence assistants.

 Tags  NCAA basketball; March Madness Pittsburgh Panthers Xavier University

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