***Office Pool Alert***

Anyone who's anyone watched last night's Pitt-UConn tilt on ESPN. Keep that in mind when every Schmo in your office rides the Panthers into the title game in the office pool. And honestly, who will blame them?!? Pitt looked pretty frigging tough last night. To wit:

1. DeJuan Blair turned in one of the All Time Big East Performances! The 6'7" sophomore dominated the game with 22 points and 23 rebounds! He abused 7'3" UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. With more than 20 NBA scouts in attendance, Blair earned millions off last night's effort. He constantly backed Thabeet down and then used his hulking (265, easy) frame to gain separation. And the back to back, reverse lefty spin shots? Who knew?!?

2. Sam Young carried Pitt from the outside! The 6'6" Maryland native went off for 25 points on 8-13 shooting, including knocking down 4 treys.

3. Levance Fields was money in the clutch! He went 36 minutes without a hoop, before exploding for 8 points in the final four minutes to seal the win. Healthy for the first time in years, the senior point guard is in the best shape of his career.

4. Blair on the inside, Young on the outside and a talented senior point guard...what's not to like?!? Well, the bench is nothing to write home about. The scrubs played 56 total minutes, yet netted only 3 points (though Gilbert Brown did snare 7 boards).

5. And what about UConn?!? We certainly can see the Huskies joining the Panthers in the Final Four, though it would be a helluva lot easier if injured guard Jerome Dyson was not lost for the year. Who else has a Blair to score over Thabeet? Um, not many teams. However, Jim Calhoun can expect teams to pack in the D and sag on Thabeet and Jeff Adrien and dare UConn to fire from long range. Calhoun went with Craig Austrie in Dyson's spot. Too bad, as he coughed up a 2-9 night, including 1-5 on treys. To put Austrie's (lack of) talent in its proper perspective, he was headed for Mighty UMass as a high school senior until Loser Flint got fired. Then he got a late offer from UConn in the spring. From mediocre mid-major to starting on on the #1 team in the country. Rather, the team that was #1 until last night.