Gameday: Pitt vs Albany Great Danes

Pitt 11-1 (0-0 ACC) vs Albany 6-6 (0-0 American East)

1:00 pm

Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA

Pitt finishes the non-conference slate with a team who lasted longer in last year's NCAA Tournament than Pitt did.  Yes, 15 seed Albany lost to Duke in the first round last year, but they did so on Friday.  Pitt lost on Thursday.  Anyway, Albany is picked to finish 3rd this year.  They were 5th last season, but went on a nice little run to win the conference tournament.  Fun fact, two of Albany's 6 wins this season have come against NJIT.  NJIT is the only Division I school that is an independent.  Their "conference" of independents folded when everybody got a conference invite but them.  NJIT is like the one guy in his class who can't get a date for prom, so he stays home and writes a college basketball blog.  That's not a reference to anything, I did in fact go to my own prom seven years ago.  Albany's two leading scorers, guard Peter Hooley and forward Sam Rowley, are from Australia.

Last meeting:  Pitt 89 Albany 56, November 11, 2011

What I said in the recap:  

"The game went the way of most non-conference games early in the year with Pitt just destroying teams.  To quote the great Harry Doyle from major league, "They say you can tell a lot about a team's season by the first hitter."  So I'm going to do that with the first basket.  Nasir Robinson missed a shot in the paint and Dante Taylor dunked the putback.  So whatever that means for the Panther season I don't know."

Pitt lost to Wagner and Depaul that season, so yeah.

Player to watch:  Junior College transfer Anders Haas is from Denmark so there is a Dane playing for the Great Danes.  I swear, sometimes the jokes type themselves.

Prediction:  Pitt 82 Albany 50

Hail to Pitt,

J.O.