The aftermath was understandable and expected, yet still disappointing. Chris Jones and his disheartening saga ended in a manner no one could have predicted and like sharks to blood in the water, journalists, opposing fans, and social media jezebels took dead aim at the University of Louisville.
It’s no secret that fans of a given team fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament (as NC State is wont to do) fear seeing their team land on “The Dreaded 8/9 Line”.
For much of the second half of the season, I've done my best to encourage Pitt fans back off of the ledge when it comes to the basketball teams. The NIT talk near the middle of the season was obviously ill-advised as the team rebounded with a couple of big wins against North Carolina and Notre Dame to get right back in the thick of the NCAA Tourney discussion.
Tuesday night saw good road wins from UNC and NC State. Tonight, we have 3 matchups on the schedule including a battle of top 25 teams in Notre Dame and Louisville. Miami and Pitt face off in a game that is a must-win for each if they have any hope for an at large bid. Finally, Duke hosts Wake Forest on Senior Night.
It wasn't the perfect performance UNC had in the February 21st win over Georgia Tech, but it was more than enough as the Tar Heels took advantage of multiple Yellow Jacket miscues to take a 81-49 win in Atlanta.
According to Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers could have second-leading scorer Justin Anderson back when the Hoos take on Louisville this Saturday night.
Rick Pitino announced on his radio show Monday night that both senior Wayne Blackshear and junior Montrezl Harrell will be honored during Louisville's Senior Night festivities this Saturday. Pitino also clarified that sophomore guard Terry Rozier, whom many expect will join Harrell in declaring himself eligible for the NBA Draft after this season, will not be honored.
