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Posts tagged Ashton Gibbs
Gibbs named Big East Most Improved Player
Mar 8th
Congratulations to Ashton Gibbs, he was announced the Big East Most Improved Player. Gibbs improved to 16.2 points per game (4.2 last year). He converted on 40.4% of his 3 pointers and 89% of his Free Throws.
Game #26: #19 Panthers at Marquette
Feb 18th
The Panthers (19-6, 8-4) try to exorcise the demons of the Bradley Center as they play Marquette (16-8, 7-5) tonight at 9:00 on ESPN2. The Panthers are 0-3 in the Bradley Center since Marquette joined the Big East and tonight would be a good time for their first win in this building. These two teams are battling for the 4 seed in the Big East tournament and the coveted double bye. Marquette brings the longest winning streak in the Big East tonight at 5 games. Pitt is looking for their 9th 20 win season in a row tonight and are looking to capitilize on their big win against WVU. Both teams are surprises in the Big East as Pitt was picked to finish 9th and Marquette 12th according to the Big East coaches’ preseason poll.
If the Panthers want to win tonight they have to do the following:
1. Stop the 3 – Marquette is one of the top 3 point shooting teams in the nation, 42.3%, and all 5 starters shoot successfully more then 35% from behind the arc. The old adage goes, “Live by the 3, Die by the 3″ and Marquette escaped their game against South Florida on Saturday after shooting 6 of 16 from behind the arc, but their defense stepped up big time.
2. Gilbert Brown shows up – Gilbert Brown has been a roller coaster since the South Florida game, huge game, terrible game, repeat. Brown played really well in the OT thriller against WVU, lets hope the roller coaster ride stops and instead of having a let down game he goes off. When he goes off, it really allows Ashton Gibbs to shine; when Brown is off, Gibbs has to force shots.
3. Hit the boards – For 4 of the past 5 games, the Panthers have been outrebounded. Tonight they cannot give Marquette second chance oppurtunities. Gary McGhee should thrive tonight on the glass, as Marquette’s tallest player in the starting 5 is 6’6″.
Marquette is going to come out fighting, they see this as their ticket to the Big Dance as it is the last chance they have until the Big East tournament to face a Top 25 school and have a record of 2-4 currently against Top 25 schools. I see tonight being the night finally scores a victory in the Bradley Center and holds onto the 4 seed in the Big East.
Prediction: 68-61 Pitt
Game 25: #5 WVU at #25 Pitt – Backyard Brawl Part Deux
Feb 12th
The #25 Panthers (18-6, 7-4) are back on the court tonight against the much hated #5 Mountaineers (19-4, 8-3). In the first meeting between these two teams, Pitt was embarrassed for the last quarter of the game and was left with a sour taste in their mouth, going down 70-51. The game tips off at 9:00 on ESPN. Pitt players and coaches had to dodge garbage being thrown from the fans leading WVU coach Bob Huggins to get on the mic, but Mountaineer fans are too dumb to listen unless there is a couch burning and Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion was hit below his right eye with what many are thinking was a coin. The players also got in a scrum with Gary McGhee for the Panthers.
Honestly, what is there to preview for this game? Both teams hate each other, the fans hate each other. There is going to be animosity, there is going to be an intensity level that is rarely seen, and there is going to be extra security. I hope Pitt fans are more intelligent then Mountaineer fans and don’t throw things on the court and try and cause a break in the game. Cheer your heart out, boo the hell out of the Mountaineers, but don’t throw anything on the court. Show WVU we are better than they are, especially after we pull the upset and beat WVU.
That’s right, put the upset alert out, because Pitt is sending the Mountaineers home with a loss. McGhee will not miss 8 layups again, Gilbert Brown and Brad Wannamaker will have more than 0 points each and seeing how Brown disappeared in the game against Robert Morris, he is due for one of his big games. Jermaine Dixon and Ashton Gibbs will continue to stay hot and light it up for the Panthers. And finally instead of having to hear the Mountaineer fans, the Oakland Zoo will be rocking tonight on ESPN.
Prediction: 73-61 Pitt
Game #20 – St. John’s at #17 Pitt
Jan 28th
Pitt (15-4, 5-2) takes back to the court tonight looking to get back to their winning ways and starting a new win streak at The Pete against the St. John’s Red Storm (12-7, 2-5). The game tips off at 7:00 PM and can be seen on ESPN-U. The Red Storm has really slowed down after storming out to a 9-1 start, losing 6 of their last 9 contests. The Panthers look to stay in the top 4 of the Big East and ranked after dropping their past two games.
The Panthers have been shooting bad and playing defense even worse. If they want to win tonight, they need to get back to basics. Teams have got on to Gibbs and are putting the pressure on to make him take bad shots. Someone on this roster needs to stand up and take charge with Gibbs not being so hot as of late. Maybe the young Panthers became too successful, too quickly. Tonight the Panthers have to win. I hate calling a game a must-win, but this is a must-win for Pitt. A loss here really hurts their tournament resume: They would drop a home game to a bottom tier team, and they will surely drop out of the Top 25 with another loss.
Pitt needs to win their next two games before playing WVU.
To ensure a victory, Pitt must stop Pittsburgh native, D.J. Kennedy, of the Red Storm. This kid is a beast and may be joining DeJuan Blair and Sam Young soon in the NBA. This guard/forward is listed at 6’6” and leads the Red Storm with 15.3 points per game and isn’t afraid to get dirty down low with 6.3 rebounds per game. He can beat the Panthers down low and on the perimeter. If the Panthers want to win tonight, shut Kennedy down with top notch defense.
And for the love of Roc, please stop with the turnovers. 20 turnovers against Seton Hall did nothing for Pitt’s chances of victory. It’s almost like the Panthers have brain farts every time they touch the ball anymore. Get the turnovers down tonight boys.
Finally, will Gary McGhee and Dante Taylor please step up. I understand Taylor not being off to a great start. The young man played power forward his whole life and now they are trying to make him into a center. Here’s the thing: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. They are trying to make Taylor into a Blair-esque player, but Blair was a freak of nature. Go recruit a true center and let Taylor play power forward.
All that said, I think Pitt puts one in the win column tonight with a red hot Oakland Zoo behind them.
Prediction: 71-63 Pitt
Game 17: #12 Georgetown at #9 Pitt
Jan 20th
The #9 Panthers (14-2, 5-0) get back on the court tonight, for the first time since their come from behind win against Louisville this past Saturday, to do battle with #12 Georgetown Hoyas (13-3, 4-2) at The Pete. Tipoff is at 7:00 and the game can be seen on ESPNU for those unable to attend the game.
The Panthers proved on Saturday that their offense doesn’t have to revolve around Ashton Gibbs for them to succeed and they also proved they are gritty enough to come back when all seems lost. Nasir Robinson really stepped up and Brad Wanamaker had another good game and was clutch down the stretch. Pitt had a difficult time stopping Samardo Samuels and now have to deal with two more big men in Greg Monroe and Julian Vaughn. Monroe is the main threat that Pitt has to worry about and is a completely different player then Samuels for his size. Pitt is going to need to find a way to shut Monroe down to have a chance at victory.
A major factor in Pitt’s recent run has been their aggressiveness and team play, this needs to continue tonight to beat a good Georgetown team who is looking to end Pitt’s winning streak and 32 game win streak at The Pete. They have to continue being aggressive for loose balls and going for rebounds. They also need to keep passing the rock around and taking good shots as a team. At times I couldn’t believe the shots they were taking against Louisville, at times it seemed like they went to street ball type shots instead of taking good shots. Fortunately for the Panthers, they went in on Saturday, who’s to say that will continue though.
It’s only due time until Dante Taylor has that breakout game to say he has arrived on the scene, tonight wouldn’t be a bad game for that to happen. Hopefully Ashton Gibbs has a little more room to breathe then he did on Saturday to have another 20+ point performance. If Robinson and Wanamaker can carry their performances over from Saturday, there is no way Pitt should lose. Pitt needs to take good shots with the Hoyas having the 2nd best defense for points allowed per game behind Pitt in the Big East. Someone needs that big game and everyone needs to pitch in tonight.
Pitt needs to wear the Hoyas down tonight, 6 members average 20+ minutes, everyone else is less than 8 minutes a game. This is what hurt the Hoyas when they lost to Villanova, if the Panthers can wear them down, much like they do every team, Pitt should be coming out the victor in this low scoring affair.
Prediction: 70-63
Uhhhhhhh, What a Rush! Road Warrior Panthers Defeat Huskies
Jan 14th
Looks like my Panther senses were right on yesterday with Pitt (14-2, 4-0) finishing the road trip sweep defeating UConn (11-5, 2-3) 67-57. I was a little off in my prediction, but what a game Panther fans. Pitt really shut down UConn’s transition game down and played one hell of a half court game.
Jim Calhoun was quick to start with his excuses of losing for the third time in a row to Pitt saying his team “didn’t show up.” Let’s face the facts here coach, Pitt didn’t show up completely either. This was one of the best games Pitt played all year, but they still missed the easy shots, still had too many turnovers, and still made too many mental mistakes. Pitt did not come close to playing a complete game, so don’t say your boys didn’t show up Calhoun, because simply put, Pitt outplayed you. Even with Pitt shooting 39% from the floor, they still pulled out the victory.
Pitt was aggressive, fast, and played like they’ve been there before. They played solid defense and really wore UConn’s big men down. I laid out 5 keys to victory yesterday. Let’s look back and see how Pitt did with them.
1. Gibbs stays hot – Gibbs was still hot yesterday, granted he made some bad mental mistakes and didn’t make his shots like he usually does. He still came out with 19 points last night. Brad Wanamaker helped with 19 points as well and that was bigger than anyone will admit.
2. Slow down UConn’s transition game – 5 star success here from Pitt. Pitt held UConn to 16 fast break points. Pitt didn’t just slow UConn’s transition game down, it made it almost non-existant.
3. Contain Jerome Dyson – First off I would like to apologize for calling Jerome Dyson Jermaine Dyson yesterday, a regrettable error. Pitt did this very well last night, you may be asking how is still allowing Dyson 14 points a success? Dyson played 35 minutes and only had 14 points, he averages 19 points a game. While Stanley Robinson went off, who was going to stop him on Pitt though? Dyson was being shut down.
4. Hit the makeable shots (Free Throws, the bunnies, high percentage) – Pitt still missed a lot of bunnies and high percentage shots and only shot 39% from the field. The main story here is Pitt’s Free Throw shooting. They were 85% last night. When you think of Pitt, you think of a team who can’t hit a free throw for their life.
5. Be aggressive – Pitt was extremely aggressive, causing UConn to foul early and often, out-hustling UConn, and most importantly, and most impressively, out rebounding UConn 36-31. Pitt was on every loose ball, and their man-to-man defense was on fire last night.
I laid out 5 keys to victory and Pitt followed them and they were victorious. This was a huge win for Pitt as it gives them another good quality win for their tournament resume, shows that the momentum carried from the 9 day break, and gave Pitt their first 3-3 road trip sweep in Big East history.
Pitt looks to carry their 7 game win streak into Saturday when they return to The Pete to take on Louisville (12-5, 3-1) at 12:00 on ESPN Fullcourt, WTAE for those in the Pittsburgh area.
Game 16: #16 Pitt at #15 UConn
Jan 13th
Well Panther fans, it’s finally time for another Pitt game. It feels like it’s been forever since the last game, and the way Pitt was playing, that’s a bad thing. You can say what you want about momentum carrying over, but Pitt definitely had momentum on their side after beating Syracuse and Cincinnati on the road. Tonight, Pitt (13-2, 3-0) looks to finish the road trip sweep against #15 UConn (11-4, 2-2) at 7:00 PM on ESPN2.
Pitt has looked more and more like a Big East contender these past couple of games and it can be seen in the polls and Bracketology. Pitt went from being unranked two weeks ago to being ranked 15 in the AP Poll and 16 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. In Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology on ESPN.com, Pitt went from being out of the tournament two weeks ago to being a 4 seed in the latest Bracketology.
This is a game between the two winningest Big East teams of the decade and they renew their rivalry tonight. Once again, Pitt looks to end an opponent’s undefeated record at home as UConn is 11-0 at home, while Pitt is 3-0 on the road. It will be a hostile environment for the relatively young Panthers.
UConn coming off of a loss where they blew a 19 point half time lead is not good for the Panthers. Look for Jim Calhoun to have his Huskies back in line when they play the Panthers tonight. Pitt is going to need a little luck and be hot from the outside to win tonight. It’s going to be a game of UConn’s height versus Pitt’s perimeter game and speed. The only height Pitt has is in Gary McGhee at 6’10” and unless he has become or channels the spirit of DeJuan Blair tonight, there isn’t much McGhee will do. Jamie Dixon should look towards a faster lineup tonight against UConn’s tremendous transition game. Ashton Gibbs needs to stay hot tonight. The 5 men who need to get the majority of the minutes tonight have to be Gibbs, Jermaine Dixon, Gilbert Brown, Brad Wanamaker, and Travon Woodall. Tonight would be a perfect place for a breakout game from Dante Taylor.
Pitt needs to follow these keys to victory for any chance to win tonight:
1. Gibbs stays hot
2. Slow down UConn’s transition game
3. Contain Jermaine Dyson
4. Hit the makeable shots (Free Throws, the bunnies, high percentage)
5. Be aggressive
This will be another brutal test for the Panthers, a win makes them a perfect 4-0 in the conference and would make UConn 2-3 and really set them back in the conference.
Maybe I’m being a homer, but I sense another upset for the Panthers, so fans get your Colhoun Crying Towel out.
Prediction: 74-69 Pitt
#23 Panthers Declaw Bearcats
Jan 5th
A Pittsburgh team finally beat a team from Cincinnati. It just came a month too late, as the #23 Panthers (13-2, 3-0) defeated the Bearcats (10-4, 2-1) 74-71 in a back and forth game. The Panthers extend their win streak to 6 straight, and 8 wins in their last 10 games. The Panthers are currently 2-0 on their 3 game road trip and travel to Connecticut next Wednesday. As a Panther fan you have to wish that game was sooner with the momentum the Panthers are riding right now.
While my score was off by a little bit, I was accurate in that this game would be close. The viewers got to see some stars in the making from both teams. From Pitt, Ashton Gibbs had another impressive game and Gilbert Brown had an amazing second half. For Cincinnati, Yancy Gates, Deonta Vaughn, and Lance Stephenson all looked amazing. I was honestly surprised Pitt came out with the win looking at the box score. I predicted yesterday that Pitt needed to shut Vaughn and Stephenson down and they did not, yet still came out with a win. ESPN’s announcers stated it best in that Pitt isn’t about beating you down low anymore, but more around the perimeter.
As impressive as Gibbs has been, Gary McGhee as been the complete opposite. He is listed at 6’10” and is averaging only 6.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Okay, I get it, Pitt is looking to go to the outside a little bit more than in previous years, and DeJuan Blair was a freak of an athlete, but come on, you’re 6’10” how hard is it to box everyone out at that height and put the second chance points in? If you are 6’10” play like you are 6’10”. We shouldn’t be seeing Gibbs or Brown or Jermaine Dixon having to box out the big men for the boards, that’s your job McGhee, starting doing it. The thing is, Pitt doesn’t have a backup that could fill in for McGhee right now. So unfortunately for us fans, we are stuck watching McGhee play each and every game. Pitt put up 74 against Cincy and McGhee had 6 points, 82 against Syracuse and he only put up 2 points. And it’s not like he isn’t getting the minutes, he is averaging 21.3 minutes a game. McGhee, get in shape and start acting like a center who is 6’10”, not a guard playing down low who is 5’8”.
Gibbs Named Big East Player of the Week
Jan 5th
Congratulations to G Ashton Gibbs in being named the Big East Player of the Week, the first of the year for any Pitt player. Gibbs averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 assists in his two games last week against DePaul and Syracuse. Gibbs also broke the school record for most consecutive free throws made with 37. His streak ended last night at 47.
Gibbs is averaging 17.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He is converting 40.2% of his three pointers and leads the league in free throw percentage.
Game 15: #23 Pitt at Cincinnati
Jan 4th
Pitt returns to the court just 2 days after their shocking upset of the then #5 Syracuse Orange inside the Carrier Dome handing the Orange their first loss. Pitt (12-2, 2-0) is in the middle of their 3 game road trip as they pay a visit to the Cincinnati Bearcats (10-3, 2-0). The Bearcats are 7-0 at home, while the Panthers are 2-0 on the road, something has to give. The game is a part of ESPN’s Big Monday broadcast and tipoff is at 7:00 on ESPN.
The Panthers have looked much better since the return of Jermaine Dixon (foot) and Gilbert Brown (academic suspension). And thanks to Ashton Gibbs, averaging 23.5 points the past two games, Pitt is once again a force to be reckoned with it seems like. In ESPN.com’s Weekly Watch, Gibbs was named their player of the week due to his performances against DePaul and Syracuse. Gibbs has done a tremendous job in replacing Levance Fields this year and is a top contender for the Big East Most Improved Player Award. Speaking of the Weekly Watch, Pitt was amongst the top teams of the week and this was stated about the Panthers.
Pitt: The Panthers didn’t have Gilbert Brown (academics) or Jermaine Dixon (broken foot) in practice for months. Now that they’re healthy and whole, the Panthers have found their offense, beating DePaul as expected and then shocking Syracuse at the Carrier Dome to end the Orange’s undefeated season. Pitt is 2-0, and if the Panthers win eight more Big East games, assuming a few are against the upper echelon, Pitt is once again an NCAA tournament team. Never doubt coach Jamie Dixon and pick him ninth again, Big East coaches. Never.
In the newest Bracketology by Joe Lunardi on ESPN.com, Pitt is a 7 seed and looking at what is stated above, Pitt has a very good chance of making the Big Dance once again. They figure Pitt needs 8 wins and still have winnable games against St. Johns (twice), Seton Hall (twice), South Florida, Providence, and Rutgers. Pitt also has one more non-conference game against Robert Morris. And figure into that the games at The Pete and Pitt should hit that 8 wins number and make the Big Dance once again. The one thing scary about this time and that could kill them this year is that it seems like it is only one player taking care of business each game; what happens if that one player goes cold?
Taking a look at the Bearcats, Pitt has to keep F Lance Stephenson and G Deonta Vaughn in check. Stephenson is a freshman and leading the Bearcats with 13 points per game and 5 boards per game. Vaughn is a senior with 10.9 points per game, 3.9 assists per game, and 4.4 boards per game. It will be up to Gibbs and Dixon to keep Vaughn in check.
Overall, I expect Pitt to ride their momentum into Cincinnati and I see Pitt winning a closer then looks appear game. This will be huge, because I feel Pitt needs to at least split the remaining two games of this road trip to make it a success, weird I know after beating Syracuse.
Prediction: 73-65 Pitt
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