ANDERSON, Ind. —
Former Highland High School star Gary McGhee knows his top-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers won’t be the people’s choice today in their third-round NCAA men’s basketball tournament game against eighth-seeded Butler.
And it doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest.
“I think everyone wants to see the upset,” McGhee said Friday during Pitt’s media availability in Washington, D.C. “They’re the eight seed, and we’re the one seed, so that might be what America wants to see is the upset. We just want to come out there and play our game, and we know what we have to do.”
Butler (24-9) became national darlings last season with an inspiring run to the national final against Duke. If the Panthers (28-5) hope to prevent a repeat of that fairy tale, McGhee figures to be a major factor.
His matchup in the paint with Butler’s Matt Howard will be one of the game’s most prominent storylines.
Howard, whose buzzer-beating putback sent the Bulldogs to a 60-58 victory against Old Dominion in the second round Thursday, played his high school basketball at Connersville. He and McGhee met four times as rivals in the now defunct Olympic Athletic Conference, and Howard’s Spartans won all four meetings.
“We’ve had a lot of battles over the years, and he’s huge,” Howard told reporters in Washington. “He’s a very imposing figure, and he really plays hard. And that’s been true in every game that I’ve played against him. And I guess it’s sort of neat in a way that we’re meeting again in the NCAA tournament. It’s the first time since high school.”
Butler coach Brad Stevens, who has been a frequent visitor to Madison County this year to see Pendleton Heights star and Bulldogs verbal commit Kellen Dunham in action, also has vivid memories of McGhee’s high school career.
Stevens was an assistant coach on the recruiting trail when McGhee toiled for the Scots from 2003 to 2007. He immediately saw the big man’s talent, but he never made a run at bringing McGhee to Butler.
“To be real candid, I thought Gary McGhee was going to end up at a BCS school, and we didn’t think we’d have a shot at him,” Stevens said. “And that’s what’s happened, and he’s had a great career.”
McGhee said it’s always fun to play against teams from Indiana because of the tradition of the sport in the Hoosier state.
But he doesn’t believe there is much he or Howard can take from their high school battles that will be of any use today.
“There’s probably been a lot of changes probably in both our games,” McGhee said. “He was a slim kid. I was kind of big, kind of a chunky kid. And now we’re different players, both improved tremendously. So it’s going to be different being on the court (today).”
McGhee has started all 33 games for the Panthers this season. He averages 6.9 points and 7.7 rebounds while making 56.5 percent of his shots. Perhaps more importantly, he’s become the anchor of Pitt’s interior defense.
Not bad for a “chunky kid” whom many believed never would be competitive at the next level.
“I watched Gary as a high school player, really liked him, thought he was going to be a really good player,” Stevens said. “But I think he’d be the first to tell you — and I’ve talked to (Pitt) Coach (Jamie) Dixon about it — he’s really blossomed (at Pitt). And he’s done a wonderful job. Coach Dixon and the staff have done a great job.”
Howard can bang in the paint as evidenced by his 7.8 rebounds per game average. But he’s also become a threat much farther away from the basket.
He’s scoring 16.7 points per game and shooting 43.7 percent from 3-point range.
“He’s a guy that does a lot of things for them,” Dixon said. “And defensively, he’s very physical. I know they need him on the floor. I see the times he’s been in foul trouble, and it seems they do a lot of things to try to keep him out of foul trouble.”
While Butler’s Final Four run is still very fresh in the minds of fans, Pittsburgh hasn’t reached the national semifinals since 1941.
That’s just part of the reason the Panthers feel they don’t get the respect that normally comes with a No. 1 seed and a Big East regular season championship.
In that regard, Butler represents just the next obstacle in the road.
“We just want to come out and just prove everyone wrong sometimes,” McGhee said. “People don’t give us the credit that we deserve, but we just want to come out and get the win.”
Sports
Related Photos
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Pittsburgh center Gary McGhee is surrounded by UNC Asheville forward Quinard Jackson, left, guard Chris Stephenson, front right, and forward John Williams, rear right, as he looks for an opening to shoot during the first half Thursday at the Verizon Center in Washington. The Associated Press
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Butler forward Matt Howard (54) tips in the game-winning basket as center Andrew Smith, right, and Old Dominion's Kenyon Carter (33) watch to give Butler a 60-58 victory in the closing seconds Thursday at the Verizon Center in Washington. The Associated Press
Discussion
Olympic proportions
Gary McGhee, Matt Howard rekindle rivalry
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