Young's scoring touch returns, pleases Dixon
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When Sam Young scored 18 points against Dayton Dec. 23 and announced himself healthy for the first time all season, the general assumption was that Pitt's talented sophomore would break out of his slump and take on a leading role in the offense.
But, over the next seven games, Young scored a total of 15 points and went four games without scoring. In those four consecutive games when he did not score against DePaul, Georgetown, Connecticut and Marquette, Young attempted only four shots and disappeared from the offense.
Young has reemerged the past two games and this time coach Jamie Dixon is hoping his scoring production is here to stay. Young scored in double figures in consecutive games for only the second time this season, with 10 points against Cincinnati and 11 Saturday in a 72-46 victory against St. John's.
And though the numbers are modest, Dixon is encouraged by the way Young has been playing.
"I feel real good with how he's playing and practicing right now," Dixon said. "I think he gives us something that we need. He's going to continue to improve. It's going kind of how we had planned. He's a sophomore and that's where the biggest progress should be."
A reinvigorated Young and the rest of the No. 9 Panthers play 7 p.m. today at Villanova. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Young has been shooting more from the outside. He made two 3-pointers against St. John's, tying a career-high, and was 4 for 10 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range). The only other player who took more shots against St. John's was senior center Aaron Gray.
Young has been earning more trust from Dixon. He played 19 minutes against Cincinnati and 17 against St. John's, a marked increase over previous games.
"We know Sam can score from watching him in practice," junior guard/forward Mike Cook said. "It's just a matter of him getting in there and doing the right things, the little things to stay on the court."
Young has been maddeningly inconsistent this season. Some of that has to do with the fact that he has tendinitis in both knees. And some has to do with his inability to play well with fouls.
Young got into early foul trouble against Georgetown and Marquette and played a combined 11 minutes in those two games.
"That can change a game," Dixon said. "It's almost like you can't predict and plan for those. Sometimes they get called, sometimes they don't. That can really change how a guy is playing."
An argument can be made that Young's lack of production also stems from his minutes played. Young is averaging 14 minutes per game, which is seventh on the team. Even though he has played 278 fewer minutes than starting power forward Levon Kendall, Young is only five points behind Kendall in scoring.
Kendall is a solid defender, rebounder and passer, but Young brings an entirely different element to the team when he is playing well. He provides some scoring punch for the position and he causes matchup problems for opposing teams because of his speed and ability to play in the transition game.
"That's something we've really been talking to him about, running the floor and using his speed against sometimes bigger guys who will be guarding him," Dixon said.
Dixon would like to see some consistency as well. Young, who doesn't talk to the media, has not scored in seven games this season, two more games than he has scored in double figures.
"One thing about Sam is he always takes it upon himself to get better," Cook said. "That's the type of person he is. He never blames it on the coaches or other players. He always takes it on himself to get better."
Matchup: No. 9 Pitt (19-3, 7-1) vs. Villanova (14-6, 3-4), 7 p.m. today, Wachovia Center, Philadelphia.
TV, radio, Internet: ESPN, WWSW-FM (94.5), WBGG-AM (970), www.pittsburghpanthers.com.
Pitt: Coming off a 72-46 victory against St. John's. ... Senior C Aaron Gray got his 10th double-double of the season against the Red Storm. He had 13 points and 10 rebounds. ... The Panthers had 23 assists on 31 field goals. ... Pitt won the only meeting between the two teams last season in the Big East tournament, 68-54.
Villanova: Had a three-game winning streak snapped at Notre Dame, 66-63. ... Averaging 76.8 points per game. ... Led by senior F Curtis Sumpter (17.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg), senior G Mike Nardi (14.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and freshman G Scottie Reynolds (12.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg). ... Is 5-2 at home.
Hidden Stat: Villanova leads the Big East in free-throw percentage (77.1). Three of Villanova's five starters shoot better than 80 percent from the line.
First Published January 29, 2007 12:00 am
