Malcolm Grant led the Wildcats with a Career High 22 points
Pittsburgh Game EFF and EFF/M Ratings
EFF
Malcolm Grant - 16.000
Antonio Pena - 14.000
Dante Cunningham - 11.000
Shane Clark - 5.000
Dwayne Anderson - 4.000
Reggie Redding - 2.000
Scottie Reynolds - 2.000
Corey Fisher - 1.000
EFF/M
Antonio Pena - .6667
Malcolm Grant - .5926
Dante Cunningham - .3438
Dwayne Anderson - .2667
Shane Clark - .2632
Reggie Redding - .0667
Scottie Reynolds - .0645
Corey Fisher - .0500
Notable Player Evaluations:
Malcolm Grant: This game cemented Malcolm as one of the most important players on the team this season. Jay Wright has been quoted in various interviews saying Grant is the heart and soul of this team and no game proved this better than Sunday's battle against Pitt. Grant came in when it looked like Villanova was down and out and energized the entire team by hitting threes, trash talking opposing players on defense and bringing the team's confidence back. It looks like we're going to be seeing a lot more of Malcolm Grant in the future, we're a better team when he is on the floor. Note: The injury at the end of the game was just leg cramps resulting from illness earlier in the week. Grant will be back at full strength for Cincinatti
Antonio Pena: Another impressive performance from Antonio Pena. 12 points including a ferocious dunk off a no look Malcolm Grant feed to go along with 4 rebounds and solid defense. Pena is really coming along nicely this season, his EFF numbers have been steadily increasing and it looks like he is ready for Big East play. I love his body control in the post and the little flashes of his array of hook shots and spin moves that come out each game. He is doing a great job filling in for Drummond while hes out and I expect his minutes to increase with each game. When Drummond gets back our front court is going to be about as strong as its been in years, I love having this much depth.
Dante Cunningham: Clutch Clutch Clutch. That is beginning to be Dante's mantra for the season. This is now three instances this season where Dante has hit the final shot(s) for us in big game situations. (I'm counting the NC State tip in play) I loved his rebounding tenacity against Pitt and his fire to keep competing after being knocked to the ground hard a number of times. Dante's warrior like mentality is key to this team and I am beginning to think that he is the most important player on the roster. Great game for Dante against a mamouth in Djuan Blair despite poor shooting from the field. Keep it up big fella, we're going to need you.
Scottie Reynolds: Another off game for Scottie Reynolds, but he played with poise in the closing minutes and contributed to the game winning play with a great dump down pass to Cunningham. Jay has cited various things in interviews ranging from a sore knee, a sore hand/wrist and getting to the game late because of Church for reasons why Scottie was so off. Overall I was happy with his passing as he seemed to know his shot was off and his defense was pretty solid. Hopefully the week off helps Scottie get rid of the bumps and bruises and he comes out strong against Cincinatti, he needs it to get himself out of this slump.
Corey Fisher: Not a good game overall for Corey after leading the team in scoring against DePaul. He played lose with the ball in the first half and missed a stupid lay up on a breakaway. His second half play was much better especially the and-one lay in that he converted at a big point in the game. Nothing to worry about here, this was a good wake up call for Corey, now he knows he needs to bring it every single game from here on out. I love the way he supports Malcolm though, its good for those two to develop a strong relationship as they are the future of of Guard U.
Dwayne Anderson: I loved Anderson's contributions to this game. Especially loved the way he crashed the offensive boards and tipped balls all around allowing our guys to secure the rebound. He was clutch from the foul line and converted a very athletic lay up, thats all I can ask for from Dwayne. I still don't like seeing him take three point shots, that shouldn't be his game at all. Overall I like what we're getting from him in 15 minutes a game, he brings energy, hustle and athletic ability on the glass. Nice stuff from the Junior Captain.
This is the biggest win of the season for the Wildcats against an incredibly physical Pitt team. This win is something the team can build on now that they understand how to win ugly in the brutal BigEast. Lets hope the week of rest helps the bumps and bruises and gives Dante's body a chance to recover so the Cats can win in convincing fashion against Cincinatti on Saturday.
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