Duquesne coach likes Pitt, but respects Xavier

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Duquesne coach Ron Everhart predicted before the season that city rival Pittsburgh could win its first national championship, and he’s not backing off now that the NCAA round of 16 awaits.

To Everhart, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way for Atlantic 10 regular season champion Xavier to frustrate the Panthers, lure them into a game they don’t want to play and beat what may be the best team in Pitt history during the East regional semifinals Thursday night in Boston.

Difficult? Perhaps. Impossible? No.

“If they can make it an up-and-down game and force Pitt to constantly play transition defense, it’s the only time [Pitt center DeJuan] Blair and any of their guys are vulnerable,” Everhart said Tuesday. “The more possessions they have, there will be more fouls called, more trips to the line, more action — more chance to get a team that relies heavily on four to five guys into foul trouble.”

Everhart, one of four coaches to oppose both teams this season and the only one of that group to beat either, is convinced Xavier’s size, shot-blocking ability and outside shooting could prove troublesome to Pitt.

Xavier made 14 3-pointers while beating Portland State and Florida State, and had 12 blocked shots against Dayton. Musketeers 6-foot-6 guard B.J. Raymond (16.8 points per game average over last 16 games) and 6-8 Derrick Brown (13.7 points) are difficult matchup problems because both can go outside.

The Musketeers also start three players taller than Pitt’s tallest regular, the 6-7 Blair.

Blair, however, plays much taller than his size and is the nation’s leading offensive rebounder. That’s why Everhart, who said nearly two years ago that Blair would be an elite player, is surprised Blair occasionally gets overlooked when the nation’s best players are mentioned.