Expect Xavier to challenge Pitt’s guards
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Coming off its second NCAA tournament win in four days, Pitt will continue its March Madness journey Sunday against Xavier in the second roundin Greensboro, N.C.
Top storyline
Pitt fans will see a familiar face on the opposing bench in Xavier coach Sean Miller. Born and raised in Ellwood City, Miller was a standout at Blackhawk. After leading the Cougars to a WPIAL title in 1986 and the WPIAL finals in 1987, Miller played at Pitt, where he started 128 games from1987 through 1992.
Xavier rehired Miller last offseason after he took a year off following his departure from Arizona. He previously coached the Musketeers from 2004-09, leading them to four NCAA tournaments, three Atlantic 10 regular season titles and a conference tournament championshi pin 2006.
Miller’s first stint at Xavier came to an end in the Sweet 16 of the 2009 NCAA tournament, as Pitt defeated his Musketeers, 60-55, in Boston. The loss marks the lone time Miller has coached against his alma mater. Without Miller, Xavier got revenge against the Panthers the following year in the NCAA tournament.
Key players
Nelly Cummings: Cummings came to Pitt looking to bring the Panthers back to the big stage. Now that his team is there, he is leading the charge.
Cummings was Pitt’s leading scorer in its wins against Mississippi State (15 points) and Iowa State (13). He contributed three assists and two steals, as well, in Friday’s victory.
Unlike the Bulldogs and Cyclones, Xavier possesses a backcourt that will challenge Pitt’s veteran guards. Firstteam All-Big East graduate student Souley Boum will be a player the to whom Musketeers will likely look to limit Cummings.
Cummings’ lone flaw in this tournament has been turnovers.His four giveaways against Iowa State allowed the Cyclones to come back from a 22-2 deficit in the first half. If he can avoid those mistakes against Xavier, the Midland native will likely be in a spot to onceagain shine.
Nike Sibande: Xavier’s backcourt will require an allhands-on-deck effort, which makes Sibande extra valuable. The ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year has provided his
team with quality play off the bench all season.
Sibande’s 6-foot-4 size and prolific scoring ability allow coach Jeff Capel to use the sixth-year guard in numerous ways. Against the Musketeers, he will need to do what he does best, which is provide energy.
Xavier plays fast and efficiently. The Musketeers entered the tournament with a 1.53 assist-to-turnover ratio, which was 12th-best in the country. If Sibande can come in and disrupt Xavier’s rhythm, Pitt can put its second-round opponent in an uncomfortable spot.
Behind enemy lines
Boum, who leads the Musketeers at 16.5 points a game, is joined by Colby Jones, Adam Kunkel, Jerome Hunter and Jack Nunge in Xavier’s starting lineup.
Jones, a 6-foot-6 junior, also received conference honors, earning second team All-Big East. Kunkel serves as Xavier’s veteran in March — the only player on the Musketeers roster with previous NCAA tournament experience.
After facing a strong threat down low Tuesday in Mississippi State’s Tolu Smith, the Panthers will take on a different challenge against Nunge, a 7-foot graduate student who averages 14 points and 7.9 rebounds. Hunter, meanwhile, has performed admirably after stepping in for Zach Freemantle, who saw his season end due to a foot injury in late January.
Xavier entered this year’s tournament averaging an NCAA Division I-best 13.9 assists per game. The Musketeers are also dangerous from 3-point range, shooting of 39.5%(No. 3 in Division I).
Through all the Musketeers’ strong numbers comes one glaring weakness: defense. Xavier allows 74.1 points per game, which ranks 294thin Division I. Needless to say, the matchup will be different compared to Pitt’s past two opponents, which were both low-scoring, defense-first squads.