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Last week, West Virginia and Duquesne released their non-conference opponents to the public. Scores of other teams across the country have been doing the same in the past few weeks.
Pitt is not one of them. The Panthers’ exit from the Big East to the ACC and the preseason NIT are the reasons why.
It made news earlier this summer when the Big East snubbed Pitt and left the Panthers out of the Big East/SEC Challenge. Coach Jamie Dixon had been counting on that event for a game against a quality BCS conference opponent.
It’s almost certain Dixon will not be able to find another BCS team to fill that hole in the schedule now. ESPN’s Andy Katz reported a while back that Dixon had been in talks with Valparaiso to come to the Petersen Events Center instead, but nothing is certain on that yet.
The other holdup is the preseason NIT, a four-game event. Pitt will play two of the following teams at the Petersen Events Center: Robert Morris, Fordham and Lehigh.
Given Pitt’s annual series with Robert Morris, I am guessing event organizers will do everything they can to make sure RMU is one of those teams to play the Panthers.
If the other team is Lehigh, the Panthers will be in for a tough game. Lehigh upset Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament in March and returns its best player – C.J. McCollum, who decided to return to school rather than enter his name in the NBA draft.
If Lehigh is the opponent it could end up being one of the most important games of the year. Teams in the preseason NIT have to go 2-0 in pool play to advance to the semifinal round at Madison Square Garden.
Should Pitt be upset, the Panthers would not get to play two of the following three BCS opponents (Michigan, Kansas State and Virginia) at the Garden and instead would have to settle for two more games against mid-major or low-major teams at the Petersen Events Center.
That could be disastrous for Pitt. It would be entirely possible then that the Panthers would not play one BCS conference opponent in non-conference play.
Most, if not all, other of the big preseason tournaments have released their fields and schedules. Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo had a thorough breakdown yesterday. The preseason NIT was conspicuously absent.
Here is what we do know about Pitt’s non-conference schedule based on other opponents having released theirs:
Thursday Nov. 27, Howard visits the Pete
Wednesday Dec. 5, Pitt and Duquesne play at Consol Energy Center
Saturday Dec. 15, Bethune-Cookman visits the Pete
The other five holes on the schedule have not been announced, but for those wondering it’s a good bet the season opener will be Friday Nov. 9 at the Pete. In years past, the Panthers never like to go head to head against Pitt football. The Pitt football team plays at 8 p.m. at Connecticut on Nov. 10.
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tigerpaul, July 27, 2012 - 03:27 PM
Thanks for the schedule update.
One other comment:
I see seven games barring an upset:
1 Robert Morris
2 Lehigh or Fordham
3-4 Michigan/Kansas State/Virginia
5 Howard
6 Duquesne
7 Bethune-Cookman
Wouldn't that leave six more non-conference games for a total of 13? It seems like we've played 31 regular season games the last five or six years (13 non-conference and 18 conference).
R_Fittipaldo, July 27, 2012 - 08:23 PM
robshelb, July 28, 2012 - 12:25 AM
Hooray !!!! Okay, would rather stay here than at the Penn State blog. So now we'll see if anyone else has the foresight to check alternative blog sites since the Buccos and all the pro sports are not working.
Reeno, if you can read this, please redirect everyone here until the pro sports echo gets fixed.
robshelb, July 28, 2012 - 12:29 AM
otoh, that gives me more time to contemplate and meditate on the Buccos getting a 1B-man !!!
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robshelb, July 28, 2012 - 12:32 AM
And no reply function. Maybe that's where the most recent technological/software glitch has sprung up in all the other sites.
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robshelb, July 28, 2012 - 12:36 AM
I think I heard a pin drop !!!!!
YIKES !!!
This is already what I'm feeling like. (Let's see if links works.)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/
robshelb, July 28, 2012 - 12:40 AM
Apparently, GameDay isn't working properly tonight either, because it says the Buccos are losing to the Astros, two to nothing after two innings.
Hah !!! I mean, whut's the chances of that actually happening ???
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robshelb, July 28, 2012 - 12:45 AM
This is already what I'm feeling like. (Let's see if links works.)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/
(Let's see what happens if I press this extra little thingie . . .)
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The UConn football game is FridayNovember 9. So I guess the hoops opener would be Saturday, November 10.