Bluey Blog - Official Blog of Robert B. Bluey

Pitt’s Remarkable Run Ends, but Inspires Hope for Next Year

Pitt toppled the biggest names in the Big East last weekend with solid shooting beyond the arc from senior Ronald Ramon, a power offense in the paint from junior Sam Young and freshman DeJuan Blair, and a clutch performance from the free-throw line. Unfortunately for the Panthers, just about everything that could go wrong did last night against Michigan State.

The Spartans held Pitt to just 32.7% shooting. They were a pathetic 2 for 17 from 3-point range, and Ramon didn’t hit a single shot from beyond the arc in his final game as a Panther. Michigan State’s tough defense prematurely ended what should have been a long run in the NCAA tournament.

Last week I was so confident in this Panthers’ team that I predicted they would make the Final Four in San Antonio. Both my father and I even followed Bobby Knight’s advice and picked Pitt to win it all. Instead, the Panthers are heading home early, once again failing to make it past the Sweet 16.

If there’s any reason to be optimistic, it’s the play of junior Levance Fields since returning from his foot injury. He proved in the stretch run that he was the leader of this team. His play, combined with the emergence of Blair and the steady play of Young, gives Pitt a solid core for next year.

The losses of Ramon and Keith Benjamin aren’t insigificant, but if there’s one thing I like about Pitt, you can count on its players putting the team first. No one from Pitt ever projects to be an NBA lottery pick, yet the Panthers always compete against the big names in the conference like Georgetown, UConn, Syracuse and Louisville. They will again next year, too.