PITTSBURGH —
The NCAA tournament held opening weekend games at Consol Energy Center last spring, a few hundred feet from Tray Woodall’s front door. The Pittsburgh guard, however, wanted none of it.
“We weren’t in the tournament so I didn’t go over there,” Woodall said. “I was frustrated.”
A year later, Woodall and the Panthers are back in the middle of the madness.
Following a lost season in which Pitt missed the tournament for the first time in over a decade, the eighth-seeded Panthers (24-8) will play ninth-seeded Wichita State (26-8) in the second round of the West Region in Salt Lake City on Thursday.
While senior center Dante Taylor admitted he was a little surprised to see a team that went 12-6 in the Big East drop all the way to an eighth seed, it certainly beats the alternative of not being in the tournament at all.
“I definitely think it’s something we’re going to use to our advantage,” Taylor said. “There’s nothing we can do about it. Yeah, we usually are higher, but we’ve got to prove to people we deserve to be higher.”
Pitt hasn’t been seeded so low in the NCAA since being a ninth-seed in 2005, when the Panthers were knocked off by Pacific in the opening round. Woodall cautioned Pitt could make another early exit if it takes the Shockers lightly.
“We said while we were watching the (selection) show, we basically could be playing Gonzaga, but if we do that we’re overlooking Wichita,” Woodall said. “We want to win. Me and Dante want to go out on top. We want to make a big run.”
It’s something the Panthers failed to do in their final go-round at the Big East tournament last week. Pitt qualified as the fourth seed and earned a double-bye, but never really got going in a 62-59 loss to Syracuse.
The Panthers shot just 37 percent from the floor and never led over the final 28 minutes. Taylor earned five stitches over his right eye while battling for a rebound and has missed two straight practices and his vision out of the eye remains blurry. He didn’t practice Sunday but insisted “I’ll be good” by Thursday.
Pitt will certainly need him against the Shockers, who average a robust 38.4 rebounds per game and will hardly be intimidated against a team that has looked vulnerable at times. The Panthers went just 5-7 against teams that made the NCAA field and have five players making their NCAA tournament debuts, including starting point guard James Robinson and center Steven Adams.
The 7-foot Adams, a New Zealand native, is still trying to get a handle on the NCAAs. It was never a priority while growing up half a world away.
“It never interested me at all,” Adams said with a laugh.
Things have changed in the last few weeks. He called the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden for the Big East tournament an eye opener and believes he’s better prepared to handle the pressure that comes this time of year.
“I’ve been progressing,” he said. “I’ve been quite happy about it as I’ve been gaining a bit more confidence here or there.”
Even if the bank of TVs turned to the selection show and the murmur that went up when Pitt’s name finally popped up caught him by surprise. Adams has no real sense of what the seeding means. He just knows one loss and the season is over.
“I don’t really care who we play, just so long as we win,” Adams said.
It’s an ethos preached by coach Jamie Dixon. While he anticipated a team that finished fourth in the Big East getting a friendlier seed, he pointed out “nobody except the ones are probably happy with their seeds.”
Besides, for once, Pitt enters the tournament under the radar. For a program still searching for its first Final Four appearance in the modern era, that’s not a bad thing. The Panthers were a No. 1 seed two years ago only to fall victim to eighth-seeded Butler in the second round.
How fitting if they could earn a chance to turn the tables provided they can beat Wichita State first. Pitt dominated the last meeting between the two schools in 2009, rolling to a 68-55 victory behind 19 points from Woodall.
It seems like a long time ago, but for veterans Woodall and Taylor the mission remains the same.
“We’ve just got to go in and handle business,” Taylor said. “We’ve got to get the W.”
College
Related Photos
-
Pitt’s J.J. Moore (left) and Durand Johnson will have a tough road to travel in the NCAA tournament. The Panthers were given the No. 8 seed in the West Region and a game against ninth-seeded Wichita State. If the Panthers win, they’ll likely draw top-ranked Gonzaga. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams) AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams
-
Bracket18.JPG AP Illustration
Discussion
Eighth-seeded Pitt in second round versus Wichita State
- College
-
- Local sports in brief 5/18/2013
- Local sports in brief 5/17/2013
-
College players dominate Point nominations
Pitt-Johnstown junior Jake Warner was perfect and extremely productive at the plate while earning the first two monthly nominations for the 2013 Point Stadium Award in February and March.
Mount Aloysius sophomore Derrick Capiak nearly reached perfection to take the April nomination. -
Penn State guard leaving for pro career
Penn State guard Jermaine Marshall, the team’s second-leading scorer, is foregoing his senior year of eligibility to pursue a professional career overseas.
The team announced the surprise move in a statement Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 Marshall, who is on schedule to graduate this summer, cited his family including a 1-year-old son, in making his decision. -
Penn State coach blasts Sports Illustrated article
Penn State coach Bill O’Brien is fervently disputing suggestions raised in a report that player medical care has been compromised after the team doctor was replaced.
Speaking often in an angry tone that might be otherwise reserved for an argument with an official, O’Brien told reporters in a conference call that the health and safety of his players were his top priorities. -
East Stroudsburg wins PSAC championship
Senior Brian Ernst threw eight innings without allowing an earned run on just two days rest and East Stroudsburg University used a five-run fifth inning to secure its first PSAC baseball championship since 1971 with a 7-1 win over defending champion West Chester on Saturday at Point Stadium.
The Warriors (33-16), who set a school record with their 33rd win, earned the PSAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament thanks in large part to an outstanding effort by Ernst, who was named the PSAC Tournament MVP. -
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.
A trip for an after-midnight snack on Wednesday morning ended with seven Marauders being hailed as heroes by a local family after they helped save a little boy who wasn’t breathing. -
PSAC baseball prefers Point Stadium
The 2014 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference baseball tournament is slated for Pullman Park in Butler.
-
Transfers no longer expected at PSU
Penn State has 67 scholarship players on its football roster and coach Bill O’Brien sees no reason why that will change significantly by the time the season starts Aug. 31.
-
Seahawk’s Hill says his goodbyes to Penn State
Defensive tackle Jordan Hill had one last stand to make at Penn State before starting his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks – posing for pictures in his graduation cap and gown.
But ever the smart player, the former Nittany Lion decided to skip the familiar snapshots at Saturday’s graduation ceremonies to hit the campus landmarks this week with the crowds thinned out. - More College Headlines
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Raw: School Bus Crash Injures Five Children
Quick Response Saved Baby on Phila. Train Tracks
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
