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PITT BASKETBALL BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES • MARCH 8-11, 2006 • MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 2005-06 SCHEDULE Date Opponent W/L Time GAME (21-6, 10-6 Big East) N19 SAINT PETER’S W 82-71 #6 PITT N23 ROBERT MORRIS W 86-59 N26 MAINE W 62-49 vs. #11 LOUISVILLE (18-11, 6-10 Big East) N29 ST. FRANCIS (N.Y.) W 79-58 28 D4 AUBURN W 78-41 D7 at Duquesne (FSN) W 71-60 D10 PENN STATE (FSN) W 91-54 First Round • Wednesday, March 8, 2006 • 9 p.m. ET D17 VERMONT W 63-52 Madison Square Garden (19,528) • New York City, N.Y. D21 COPPIN STATE W 77-51 D28 at South Carolina (CSS-TV) W 58-51 D31 WISCONSIN (FSN) W 73-64 Television: ESPN (Dan Shulman and Len Elmore; J4 *NOTRE DAME (FSN)(2OT) W 100-97 Sideline: Mark Jones; Producer: Bo Garrett). J12 *DePAUL (ESPN) W 73-65 Radio: Pitt Panthers Radio Network (Bill Hillgrove and Dick Groat), J15 at *Louisville (WTAE-TV) W 61-57 104.7-FM (WPGB), 970 AM (WBGG). Satellite Radio: TBA. J18 at *Rutgers (FSN) W 76-68 Internet Broadcast: www.pittsburghpanthers.com. J21 at *St. John’s (WTAE-TV) L 50-55 The Coaches: Pitt: Jamie Dixon, 7th year at Pitt, 3rd year as head coach (72-20); J23 *SYRACUSE (ESPN) W 80-67 Louisville: Rick Pitino, 4th year at UL (115-46); 19th year overall (467-170). J28 *MARQUETTE (WTAE-TV) W 77-71 J31 at *Connecticut (FSN) L 76-80 Rankings: Pitt: 8-AP, 9-ESPN; Louisville: unranked (as of Feb. 27, 2006). F5 at *Georgetown (FSN) L 58-61 F9 *WEST VIRGINIA (ESPN) W 57-53 F12 *CINCINNATI (FSN) W 89-69 No. 6 seeded Pitt (21-6, 10-6 Big East) trav- win that contest, it would advance to the 9 F15 at *Providence (FSN) W 85-77 els to New York City and Madison Square Gar- p.m. Friday Semifinal against one of three teams: F18 at *Marquette (FSN) L 82-84 den to compete in its 24th all-time Big East No. 2 seed Villanova, No. 7 Seton Hall or No. F25 *PROVIDENCE (FSN) W 81-68 Championship. The No. 6 seeded Panthers will 10 Rutgers. The Big East Championship Final F27 at *West Virginia (ESPN) L 62-67 M3 *SETON HALL (FSN) L 61-65 play No. 11 seed Louisville (18-11, 6-10 Big will be played on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. M8 vs. Louisville (ESPN) 9 p.m. East) in Wednesday’s First Round matchup at 9 Pitt concluded its regular season with 10- M 9 If win vs. West Virginia (ESPN) 9 p.m. p.m. ET. plus Big East wins for a school record fifth con- M10 If win, Big East Semifinal (ESPN) 9 p.m. The game will be televised nationally by secutive season. The Panthers won their 10th M11 If win, Big East Final (ESPN) 8 p.m. ESPN. Dan Shulman and Len Elmore will handle game against Providence on Feb. 25. Pitt and M16 NCAA First & Second Rounds (8 sites) M23 NCAA Regionals (four sites) play-by-play and color analyst duties respectively. Connecticut are the only two Big East programs A1 NCAA Final Four (Indianapolis, Ind.) Mark Jones will report from the sidelines and to win 10-plus league games in each of the last Bo Garrett will produce. five seasons. Additionally, Jamie Dixon became All home games are played in the Petersen Should Pitt defeat Louisville, it will advance the first coach in school history to lead Pitt to Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh to the Quarterfinal Round to play West Virginia at least 10 Big East regular season wins in three campus; All game times Eastern. All home games in BOLD CAPS. Television games in on Thursday at 9 p.m. Pitt and West Virginia consecutive years. Dixon led Pitt to a 13-3 parenthesis; All game times are subject to change. split their two meetings this season. Should Pitt league record in 2003-04, 10-6 record in 2004- For ticket Information: (800) 643-PITT. TODAY’S TOP STORYLINES PITT PANTHERS ROSTER NOTES • For the first time in five years, Pitt plays in the Big East Championship First Round. • Pitt faces No. 11 seed Louisville in a Wednes- # NAME POS HT WT CL PPG RPG CAREER/2005-06 NOTES day First Round game. The contest is its 0 John DeGroat F 6-6 220 SR 3.1 1.7 •Started all 27 games on year second against Louisville this season as Pitt 1 Keith Benjamin G 6-2 190 SO 5.1 2.9 •Double figures in 2 of last 6 games claimed a 61-57 victory over the No. 10 2 Levance Fields G 5-10 190 FR 6.0 1.9 •2.0 assist: turnover ratio Cardinals at Freedom Hall on Jan. 15. Pitt is 4 Ronald Ramon G 6-1 180 SO 8.0 1.3 •Double figures in 8 of last 13 games 1-1 all-time vs. Louisville. 5 Tyrell Biggs F 6-8 260 FR 2.1 1.3 •27 games played, 8.7 min per game • Pitt has surpassed the 20-win and 10-win Big East regular season totals for a school 11 Carl Krauser G 6-2 200 SR* 15.3 4.1 •First player to reach 1,500 pts/500 assists record fifth consecutive season. Only two 14 Levon Kendall F 6-9 220 JR* 7.2 5.5 •Career-high 15 points, 8 reb. vs. SHU Big East programs have won both 20 over- 15 Charles Small G 5-7 175 JR* 0.0 0.1 •Walk-on; seven games played in 2005-06 all games and 10-plus Big East games in 21 Doyle Hudson F/C 6-8 230 JR 1.4 1.1 •Played in 10 games on year each of the last five years: Pitt and Con- 22 Antonio Graves G 6-3 190 JR 4.4 2.2 •Led team with 18 points vs. Providence necticut. • Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon became the 23 Sam Young F 6-6 210 FR 7.9 4.1 •Double figures in 10 games this year first coach in school history to guide his 24 Marcus Bowman G 6-3 185 SO* 0.4 0.3 •Awarded preferred scholarship in Jan. team to three consecutive 20-win seasons. 31 #Mike Cook F/G 6-4 230 JR -- -- •Transfer from East Carolina; not eligible • Pitt plays its first game at a neutral site. 33 Aaron Gray C 7-0 270 JR 14.0 10.4 •15.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg in Big East games • Pitt is 12-6 at Madison Square Garden since Big East leader: double-doubles, reb. the 2001-02 season. 40 Maurice Polen F 6-5 245 SO -- -- •Sang national anthem vs. Seton Hall PITT BASKETBALL • GAME NOTES 2 SERIES HISTORY NATIONAL POLLS (as of February 27, 2006) BIG EAST TOURNAMENT Appearances: 23 (24th this year) ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL USA TODAY/ESPN COACHES POLL Total Games: 38. Rk. School (1st Place) W-L Pts. Rk. School (1st Place) W-L Pts. Overall Record: 16-22. 1. Duke (65) 27-1 1,791 Title Game Appearances: 4 1. Duke (26) 27-1 771 2. Connecticut (6) 25-2 1,725 2. Connecticut 25-2 732 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). 3. Memphis (1) 26-2 1,628 Titles: 1 (2004). 3. Memphis (3) 26-2 716 4. Villanova 22-3 1,605 4. Villanova 22-3 677 Overtime: 1-3. 5. Gonzaga 24-3 1,508 One-Point Games: 4 (2-2). 5. Gonzaga 24-3 647 6. Texas 24-4 1,399 6. George Washington 24-1 598 Two-Point Games: 0 (0-0). 7. George Washington 24-1 1,378 Most Point Scored-Pitt: 96 (96- 7. Texas 24-4 595 8. PITT 21-4 1,236 8. Ohio State 21-4 535 88 win vs. Seton Hall, 3/6/ 9. Ohio State 21-4 1,209 87). 9. PITT 21-4 527 10. Illinois 23-5 1,116 Most Points Scored-Opponent: 10. Illinois 23-5 493 11. Tennessee 20-5 976 99 (99-85 loss vs. Syracuse, 3/ 11. Tennessee 20-5 440 7/87). 12. Boston College 22-6 971 12. Boston College 22-6 399 Largest Victory Margin-Pitt: 18, 13. North Carolina 19-6 814 13. UCLA 22-6 390 two times (74-56 win vs. 14. Washington 22-5 804 14. Florida 22-6 311 Connecticut, 3/15/03; 88-70 15. UCLA 22-6 717 15. North Carolina 19-6 294 win vs. Boston College, 3/8/ 16. West Virginia 19-8 661 16. Washington 22-5 291 90). 17. Florida 22-6 628 17. Oklahoma 19-6 289 Largest Victory Margin- 18. Kansas 20-7 514 18. West Virginia 19-8 215 Opponent: 23 (85-62 loss vs. 19. Oklahoma 19-6 502 19. North Carolina State 21-7 206 Georgetown, 3/11/89). 20. Georgetown 19-7 480 20. Georgetown 19-7 192 Largest Halftime Lead-Pitt: 12 21. LSU 20-7 425 21. LSU 20-7 189 (29-17 vs. Boston College, 3/ 22. North Carolina State 21-7 385 22. Kansas 20-7 174 14/03). 23. Iowa 20-8 234 23. Michigan State 19-9 88 Largest Halftime Lead- 24. Nevada 22-5 193 24. Iowa 20-8 87 Opponent: 15 (44-29 vs. 25. Michigan State 19-9 178 25. Wisconsin 19-8 42 Georgetown, 3/11/89).