Pitt ready to Brawl on Sunday

‘ ‘ ‘ Last year’s first meeting between Pitt and West Virginia provided a finish that was only… ‘ ‘ ‘ Last year’s first meeting between Pitt and West Virginia provided a finish that was only fitting to one of the greatest rivalries in college sports: the Backyard Brawl. ‘ ‘ ‘ The Mountaineers went up 54-52 with nine seconds left, and Pitt coach Jamie Dixon called a timeout in the Feb. 7 matchup. Nine seconds later, Ronald Ramon hit one of the most memorable shots in recent memory ‘- a 3-pointer that gave the Panthers the win. ‘ ‘ ‘ The rematch a month later in Morgantown saw a much more one-sided affair.’ The Mountaineers won 76-60, behind 32 points from Joe Alexander.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Ramon and Alexander have moved on. Both teams, however, believe they are better than they were a year ago. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think [West Virginia] is pretty similar [to a year ago],’ said Dixon. ‘This team will play some switching man-to-man and some matchup zone defense. They’ve got length and quickness.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Panthers (17-1, 4-1 Big East) head into Sunday’s contest coming off a huge 18-point win against No. 8 Syracuse at the Petersen Events Center.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ If the Panthers are going to win, sophomore center DeJuan Blair will need to generate points in the paint, dominate the glass and stay out of foul trouble. ‘ ‘ ‘ Dixon emphasizes holding the rebounding advantage, and its importance showed in Pitt’s 69-63 loss at Louisville last Saturday. That contest was the second time all year that Pitt was outrebounded. Blair played only 20 minutes that game due to foul trouble. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s going to be fun,’ said Blair of his return to Morgantown. ‘It’s going to be a good coaching battle and everyone’s going to come out for that.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt also has to take care of the ball. The game against Louisville saw Pitt commit 20 turnovers.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Senior forward Sam Young broke out of his shooting slump in Monday’s 78-60 victory over Syracuse, when he scored 19 second-half points on his way to 22 for the game. ‘ ‘ ‘ While the Mountaineers lost Alexander to the NBA draft, this year’s West Virginia team is much more balanced and talented. West Virginia’s two most experienced players also happen to be its two top scorers. ‘ ‘ ‘ Senior guard Alex Ruoff led the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game heading into last night’s game at Georgetown. Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon will match up against Ruoff and will try to use his perimeter defense to keep Ruoff from getting open looks behind the arc.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Junior guard DaSean Butler is second in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per contest. Butler is an extremely versatile player who Sam Young will need to contain. ‘ ‘ ‘ But the Mountaineers’ veterans aren’t the only reason this team is better this year.’ West Virginia’s freshman duo of Darryl Bryant and Devin Ebanks are third and fourth on the team in scoring, respectively. ‘ ‘ ‘ Bryant, a point guard who also considered Pitt before signing with Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers, averages 10.5 points per game in his rookie season. ‘ ‘ ‘ Ebanks, a 6-foot-9 forward, will need to be contained down on the blocks. Ebanks is averaging 7.7 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with just over six per contest. ‘ ‘ ‘ Sunday’s game is also matchup of two of the Big East’s top two scoring defenses. The Mountaineers and Panthers are No. 1 and No. 2in the conference in the category. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘They’re going to hustle,’ said Blair of the Mountaineers. ‘They play tough, and they play hard, that’s how we are.’