A closer look…
February 22, 2007
The Teams: Looking to lock up a first-round bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament,… The Teams: Looking to lock up a first-round bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament, the Pitt Panthers (24-4 overall, 11-2 Big East) will travel to Washington, D.C., for their second meeting of the season with the Georgetown Hoyas (21-5, 11-2). Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET.
The Coaches: Monday’s 71-68 win over Seton Hall made Jamie Dixon the fastest coach in Pitt history to reach the 100-win mark. Dixon is currently 100-26 guiding the Panthers. John Thompson III is in his third season as the Hoyas’ head coach, amassing a 63-28 record thus far.
Coverage: This battle for sole possession of first place in the Big East will be seen by a national audience on CBS. FM NewsTalk 104.7 FM, Fox Sports Radio 970 AM and SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Channel 123) will all pick up the action on the radio waves.
Last Time Out: Georgetown shot an incredible 28-for-46 (61 percent) from the floor back on Jan. 13, the highest shooting percentage for any team in the Petersen Events Center. Pitt, however, shot 60 percent itself. The Panthers also handed out 22 assists to only seven turnovers in the process, finding ways to overcome the Hoyas 74-69.
On a Tear: Georgetown has won 10 in a row since that loss to the Panthers because, in large part, of the play of 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert. The junior has had four 20-plus point games and three double-doubles in the win streak. He has also hit 52 of his 72 field goal attempts for an astounding 72 percent from the field.
Jolly Green Giant: Like his center, forward Jeff Green has beefed up his game since the loss to the Panthers. The junior has averaged 19.4 points per game over the last eight games, registering in double figures each time and hitting a season-high of 24 twice. That includes last-second heroics in a close win at Villanova last Saturday.
Give Me a Break: The winner of tomorrow’s game will not only take sole possession of first place in the Big East, but will also earn a first-round bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament. Pitt and Georgetown each sit 1.5 games ahead of Louisville and 2.5 games up on Notre Dame and Marquette. A win would put the victor three games up with only two remaining. The top four teams will get a bye in the 12-team conference tournament.
The Bigger They Are