So, About That Pitt Game...

EXCLUSIVE Photos courtesy "Cecil from Cecil"

Amazing. That's about the only adjective left to describe the 2007-08 Pitt Panthers. The team that was pretty much written off by some as early as December (and by others as recently as a week or two ago) is now being picked by Bobby Knight to win the whole thing.

The Panthers' four-day rampage through the Big East's finest, including the slaying of three consecutive Top-25 teams, was nothing less than inspirational. The extra effort shown by New York natives Ronald Ramon, Levance Fields, Tyrell Biggs, and Keith Benjamin was obvious. But when that effort is combined with tournament MVP Sam Young and fab freshmen DeJuan Blair and Gilbert Brown, the results are no surprise. This was Pitt's tournament to lose. They were not going to be denied, despite some of the worst foul shooting seen in the history of organized basketball (except for down the stretch, oddly). There's nothing like winning by nine and still leaving 22 points at the free throw stripe.

Going forward, the path to San Antonio will be difficult. Potential opponents in the Panthers' region include, in order, Oral Roberts, Michigan State/Temple, and likely Memphis. The other side of their (South) bracket includes Texas, Stanford, Marquette, and Miami. A tall order, yes. But so was winning the Big East Tournament, and look how that turned out.

I only hope that Pitt did not burn too much emotional energy during the past four days. Let's face it: Saturday was the high point of those players' careers. It's up to Jamie Dixon to remind them that an even bigger prize could await them in just a few short weeks.

So how far do you have Pitt going? Does emotion take over as you pencil them into the Final Four? Do you take them all the way, a la "Knight"? Or do you see the Panthers' run coming to an end earlier, against a Memphis, a Michigan State (or Temple), even Oral Roberts? Welcome to March Madness, friends.

NCAA Tournament Bracket [ESPN]

Young earns MVP as Panthers capture second Big East tournament title [PG]