3-18-15

Vol. 105 Issue 131

@thepittnews

Yoga studios consider name change amid controversy

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Pittnews.com

ONE TWO STEP

Lauren Rosenblatt Staff Writer Several Pittsburgh yoga studios are standing by their staple — Bikram Yoga, or “hot” yoga — even as lawsuits have brought heat on its namesake.

Bikram Choudhury — founder of the popular branch of yoga, Bikram Yoga — has recently been accused of several instances of alleged sexual assault, human trafficking and racist remarks by five women who have filed civil lawsuits in the past year. Although he has not

Bikram

3 Sophia Cothrel teaches a ballet toning class in the William Pitt Union as part of the Healthy U program.

Meghan Sunners | Staff Photographer

Food pantry for students to open in Oakland Dixon misses 20 Page 8

Lauren Wilson Staff Writer

Pitt students may soon be going to church — to pick up groceries.

Some time this month, PittServes — a division of Student Affairs that connects students with service opportunities — will, along with Bellefield Pres-

byterian Church, open a food pantry for students and community members who may not be able to afford nutritious food for themselves. It will be located in the Bellefield Presbyterian Church, according to PittServes Director Misti McKeehen. The pantry will follow a “self-shop” model, so students can sign in, self-certify their needs and select the

items that they like.

PittServes is establishing the pantry, McKeehen said, because it identified a need to tackle food insecurity on campus.

“During a conversation between administrators and graduating seniors,

Food Pantry

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FROM PAGE 1

BIKRAM yet been convicted, the impact on his students is already visible.

While a former student first filed a lawsuit against Choudhury in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in March 2013, the most recent claim against him came on Feb. 13. In the lawsuit filed in February, Jill Lawler, a Canadian yogi, alleged that Choudhury raped her in 2010, according to the New York Times.

A representative for Bikram Yoga International Headquarters declined to comment on the lawsuits and the potential fallout at Bikram Yoga studios around the country.

As for the yogis practicing the particular style, some academics anticipate a schism.

Kerrie Kauer, visiting scholar and part-time lecturer at Pitt and researcher of the connection between yoga and feminism, predicts there will be a divide in Bikram Yoga followers — those loyal to Choudhury and those loyal to the practice.

Through her research, Kauer said she has seen that, although people believe in the practice’s benefits, some will want to change what they call it for ethical reasons while others will not.

“But there are others that will be blinded by [the practice] and believe the accusations aren’t true, or they will be in a space where they’re really not caring about the ethics anymore,” Kauer said.

A session of Bikram Yoga consists of 90 minutes of stretching into 26 poses, in a 105-degree room with 40 percent humidity. The sessions help clients sweat out impurities while improving flexibility and breathing. Choudhury introduced and popularized the practice of Bikram yoga in the early 1970s.

As a former Bikram Yoga student, Kauer experienced the benefits of the practice firsthand.

“It was very healing for me [when I started], but at that time, I was in Los Angeles, which is where [Choudhury’s] headquarters are located,” Kauer said.

“I heard some of the things he [allegedly] said [through the Bikram commu-

Bikram Yoga studios are weighing potential name changes while controversy regarding its founder rises. TNS

nity], and for me, politically, I couldn’t align myself with that anymore.”

Just as Kauer predicted, not all people will be affected by the accusations.

Zeb Homison, director of the Bikram Yoga studio in Lawrenceville, said the claims haven’t changed his or his studio’s relationship with the Bikram style of yoga.

“I’ve always been much more con-

let the ethics behind the alleged accusations ruin his relationship with the practice.

Kauer said that it may be hard for everyone to separate the ethics and the practice in their mind, but that if they could do so, they would have no problem continuing to practice Bikram Yoga.

“So if people try to disentangle, then

“I’ve always been much more connected to the yoga than the man.”

Zeb Homison

nected to the yoga than the man,” Homison said. “He spread a powerful form of yoga all over the world, and you’ve got to give him credit for that, but I’ve never held him on a pedestal.”

Homison said he has decided to not

they might be OK because the man is very different from these 26 postures,” Kauer said. “But I think a lot of people will see it as more of an ethical issue.”

This tie to ethics is causing a lot of

studios to change their names to no longer be affiliated with Choudhury, according to Kauer. Several studios, including Haute Yogi Manhattan Beach in Southern California, have already changed their names by removing mentions of Bikram.

“I’ve been following the case for several years, and there have already been several studios that decided to remove his name and take away the relationship they have because they believe [the name] supports him,” Kauer said.

Homison said the situation is complicated, but he does not have any plans to change the name anytime soon.

“It’s a worldwide community, and one of the powerful things about the name is that it is practiced around the world, and it is attached to this guy that is tarnishing the name all over the world, so it’s tricky,” Homison said.

David Kwasnick, partner and chief creative officer at Pittsburgh marketing agency Gatesman + Dave, said keeping the same name that ties to a man ac-

Bikram

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Local man stabbed in Oakland over weekend Dale Shoemaker Assistant Sports Editor Pitt police are currently seeking two suspects after a man was stabbed Saturday night near the Cathedral of Learning.

At 9:41 p.m. on Saturday, Pitt Police responded to a call on the 100 block of Lytton Ave. — about a block from the Cathedral — for “a male stabbed,” according to a Pitt police crime alert.

The victim was with a group of friends, he told police, and approached the two suspects, a black male and a black female, to ask them to stop shining what appeared to be a laser pointer at him.

After he approached them, the black male allegedly said, “You shouldn’t have walked up on us like that.” He then allegedly stabbed the male victim in the upper part of the arm, police said, near the armpit.

The unidentified victim was not associated with Pitt, university spokesman John Fedele said in an e-mail on Tuesday.

The victim told police the weapon was “some type of blade,” about five to six inches long. He further described the male suspect as around 25 years old and wearing a black hoodie and dark jeans. The female suspect was dressed in all black.

Pitt police responded to a total of six aggravated assaults — which include stabbings — in 2013, according to the 2014 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report released at the beginning of the fall semester.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should call the University of Pittsburgh Police at 412-624- 2121.

FROM PAGE 1

FOOD PANTRY there was discussion surrounding students who were not able to afford reliable access to healthy food options,” she said.

Starting in July, an AmeriCorps VISTA member — who was awarded to the Office of PittServes to complete a year of service — will serve as the food pantry coordinator. The VISTA member will recruit and train volunteers to address food insecurity both on campus and externally, McKeehen said.

Food insecurity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, exists when someone does not have consistent access to adequate food for at least some time throughout a given year.

3 A 2015 study in the Community College Journal of Research and Practice found that food-insecure students are more likely to have lower GPAs than students who report that they are food secure. In 2014, researchers at the University of Oregon found that 59 percent of students are food insecure.

While volunteering at the Oakland Community Food Pantry last summer, Lauren Gillespie researched the possibility of opening a food pantry for students on Pitt’s campus.

Gillespie, a junior majoring in supply chain management, was conducting the research for PittServes as part of an internship.

“It was an eye-opening experience

“It was an eye-opening experience to be able to serve people who are in need of an extra hand.”

Lauren Gillespie

Food Pantry

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Bellefield Presbyterian Church will host a food pantry for students later this month . Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor

FROM PAGE 3

FOOD PANTRY to be able to serve people who are in need of an extra hand,” Gillespie said in an e-mail.

Through her research, which profiled food pantries at other universities in the country, Gillespie discovered varying levels of provisions at those universities. For instance, she found that $10 meal vouchers exist at George Mason University, while the University of Mississippi’s well-established food bank has strong support from the University.

As it turned out, Gillespie found students were among the individuals who needed the extra hand.

“This experience helped fuel my research into having a food pantry on Pitt’s campus specifically for students,” she said.

Following her research, PittServes decided to open the pantry to address food insecurity on campus.

The SGB Wellness Committee has also supported the food pantry startup with advertising and planning sessions. The

pantry will also provide students with more than a meal, according Jasmine Butler, the committee’s chairwoman.

“It will give students an opportunity to feel secure and nourished while trying to succeed in their academics,” Butler said in an e-mail.

Butler said she expects the pantry will have a positive reception on campus.

“I think there has been a great need for a food pantry at Pitt, and I am glad we can finally directly address food insecurity on our campus,” she said.

A 2013 British Medical Journal study found that it costs $550 more per year to choose nutritious options over unhealthy foods. That can create a huge dent in a college student’s budget, Gillespie said.

Gillespie’s research mirrored the results of these studies, and she concluded that food insecurity is common on college campuses.

The first food bank for college students was established at Michigan State University in 1993. According to Nate

Food Pantry

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4

FROM PAGE 2

FOOD PANTRY BIKRAM

The Pitt News Crossword, 3/18/2015

Smith-Tyge, the MSU food pantry’s director, the pantry demonstrated that it can help students be successful.

“The biggest impact that we see are the students that tell us that the food bank has helped relieve a stressor in their lives,” he said. “That has ramifications for things like completion rates, time for achieving their degrees. It has a ripple effect.”

Penn State University also runs a food bank for students, called the Lion’s Pantry. The pantry’s purpose, according to its website, is to “help supplement any Penn State student’s food budget by providing them with a weekly assortment of goods that are donated by community members and corporate partners.”

Smith-Tyge said this ripple effect goes beyond the stereotypical view of students eating ramen noodles so they can buy more beer.

“This is actually [about] students facing food insecurity,” he said.

ACROSS 1 Franchise spawned in the ’60s 9 Away for the summer, maybe 15 White Sox nickname, with “the” 16 Longtime Ottoman Empire territory 17 Donkey in “Shrek” et al.

19 Dedicate 20 Lug 21 Worked (up) 22 They’re just looking 23 Cries for attention 24 NFLer Ronnie for whom a defensive award is named 25 Remote power source 27 Land overseas 28 Univ. staff 31 Prevent from going to seed 32 Organization level 34 Sam Samudio’s spoken opening in “Wooly Bully” 36 Sea-dwelling Greek god 37 Most populous OPEC nation 39 Ask to be excused, with “off” 40 It merged with Sprint in 1983 41 Command before a click 42 Treated for traction, in a way 45 Cocktail party fare 46 Securely 47 Overseas denials 51 Taxonomic suffix 52 “The Secret of __”: 1982 animated movie 53 “Working Class Hero” songwriter 54 “Been there, done that” 57 “Brighton Rock” author 58 Doing a lawn job

cused of these crimes may be a poor economic decision.

Kwasnick said the wise and right thing for Bikram studios to do would be to change the name.

“I think if you don’t change the name, it’ll hurt you, especially being associated with a man with allegations like that against him,” Kwasnick said.

Kwasnick said the name change could be particularly important in this situation since the target clients are primarily women.

However, he said even if the client base was 50-50 in terms of gender, the best plan would still be to distance oneself from the name.

Nonetheless, Homison has chosen to take the risk, and thinks his customers

DOWN 1 Garden aid 2 Second-longestserving Chief Justice 3 Not out of the game 4 Suckerfish 5 Song featured in “Moonstruck” 6 Break for a certain wannabe 7 Mariner cap insignia 8 “Reservoir Dogs” actor 9 Disables the alarm, say 10 Tip in Vegas 11 TV franchise since 2000 12 Relay part 13 2014 A.L. MVP 14 Acceptable form of back talk?

18 His epitaph includes “knight” and “man of letters” 23 Fell 24 Creepy look 26 Mozart title starter

No matter the decisions of individual studios, the Bikram Yoga industry will continue to change until a verdict is made for Choudhury, according to Kauer.

“I think at this point, people are feeling that he is innocent until proven guilty,” Kauer said. “It’s just now going to trial, so some people are not willing to remove his name because he hasn’t been proven in a court of law.”

Homison said that, although he doesn’t want to change the name, he is aware that changes will be coming.

“We have to wait and see where this goes. There’s a whole community all across this country and all across the world, and I hope if something does happen, we can all stay together as a community,” Homison said. “And if that involves changing a name or stepping down as head of the community, I hope we can show some solidarity.”

“I think if you don’t change the name, it’ll hurt you...”

4/4/15

By John Lieb

59 Lamb treats 60 Hoodwinks

will be more loyal to the practice he has taught them than the alleged incidents of harassment and sexual assault connected to its namesake.

Homison’s hope, he said, is that people will find that even though the studio does carry Choudhury’s name,

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Friday’s Puzzle Solved

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

27 1927 Buster Keaton film 28 Wet blanket, in modern lingo 29 Some film artists 30 Ponders 33 “For a life gone digital” news source 35 Editor’s mark 38 “Same here” 39 Deli order 43 Hindu community

4/4/15

44 Represent 46 High winds 48 Bhopal locale 49 Continuously 50 Makes out, across the Pond 52 Part of a Fifth Ave. address 53 A and P, e.g.: Abbr.

55 Apology opener 56 Dante’s halfdozen

David Kwasnick it’s not affiliated with him otherwise.

“We’re out here doing good work and helping people … and most of my students have a great time coming to the studio and don’t even know he’s a man, let alone that he’s out there [allegedly] doing weird things,” Homison said.

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

The value of a woman on the $20 bill Take a look inside your wallet. You’ll notice one thing missing — the likeness of a woman on your dollar bills.

It’s time for that to change. An online campaign is underway to replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill with a woman who helped shaped the history of our nation. Womenon20s.org notes that its mission is to “compel historic change by convincing President Obama that NOW is the time to put a woman’s face on our paper currency.” The campaign’s website lists 15 candidates, and visitors can vote for their choice. Potential replacements for Jackson include Sojourner Truth, Rachel Carson, Rosa Parks, Clara Barton, Frances Perkins and Susan B. Anthony.

If we can place a woman on the $20 by 2020, the centennial of the 19th Amendment that gave women the federal right to vote, we can take another important step toward achieving gender equality. Compared to many other developed countries, such a move is long overdue.

Elizabeth Fry, a late 18th and early 19th century British prison and social reformer, has been pictured on the British five pound sterling since 2002, while Queen Elizabeth II has graced the $20 Canadian bank note since 1954.

By printing more images of women on our currency, we can promote the integration of women not only into our history but also into our everyday commerce. Every time a young girl sees a female hero from history on the $20 bill, she will be reminded of the positive impact she can have on her country. Just as important, all of us as American citizens will be tangibly reminded of the great impact women have had on our nation’s history.

It’s time to cash in our democratic rights and urge the Obama administration to finally put a woman on our paper currency. It’s common cents.

TNS

THE TALBERT REPORT

Everyone lies, so don’t trust the powers that be Eli Talbert Columnist

Climate change, the safety of vaccines, the roundness of the world — all of these issues have been contentious at one time or another and supported by various studies and facts reported in the mainstream media. However, when you think about it, how do you know that the mainstream media isn’t simply lying to you? Why should you listen to the mainstream media when your gut or common sense tells you otherwise? You shouldn’t.

Instead, free yourself of the ways that the sheeple are controlled.

For one, you should stop listening, reading or watching news produced by any sort of media to which a sizable portion of the population pays attention. This includes CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and

BuzzFeed. The only news source that you can trust is your own eyes.

If you must consume mainstream media, then filter out anything that contradicts your beliefs. For example, if CNN reports that California’s drought might be a result of climate change, refuse to believe that a historic drought could occur because of man-made emissions. Or, even better, refuse to believe that California’s water supply is awfully scarce, and drink Gatorade.

You should also hone your googling skills to find the minority of scientific studies that support your point of view.

While this might not work for more heavily covered up truths like the existence of the New World Order, it will work well for less heavily guarded secrets. Take the safety of vaccines, for example. The American Academy of Pediatrics might

have a list of more than 40 studies that indicate vaccines are safe. But since one — now discredited — study linked vaccines to autism, you can use it to refute the poor deluded masses.

If you’re tired of perusing scientific studies, Googling will also help you acquire the expert knowledge to discredit the numerous studies put out by “outside interests” that the majority of people believe.

Another useful technique is to regularly remind yourself that you are smarter than the average American, just like the 55 percent of Americans who believe that they are smarter than the average American. This will allow you to evince a smug sense of superiority, giving you the self-confidence to dismiss any oppos-

Talbert

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 6

TALBERT ing arguments as idiotic. As a side-benefit, such superiority will also give you sky-high self-esteem because you will never be wrong.

It is also important to remember all of the times an authority figure has lied to you.

It doesn’t matter if it was one time out of hundreds of true statements or if it was an entirely unrelated authority. The important thing is that figure lied, so you can’t believe

THE PITT NEWS Natalie Daher Editor-in-Chief editor@pittnews.com

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T P N S U D O K U

anything that he or she says. Because President Obama falsely promised that “you can keep your doctor,” don’t believe anything else he ever says.

Your parents claim that the debunked Santa Claus myth was real when you were five, so don’t count on them to keep their promise to send you care packages. Anytime anyone tries to convince you by referencing an authority, just silence them with an example of when an authority figure was wrong.

Perhaps most importantly, to avoid being taken in, you need to commit to never chang-

E S T A B L I S HE D 1 9 1 0

Danielle Fox, Managing Editor manager@pittnews.com

Abbey Reighard, Assistant News Editor Dale Shoemaker, Assistant News Editor Courtney Linder, Assistant Opinions Editor Dan Sostek, Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn, Assistant Visual Editor Mason Lazarcheff, Multimedia Editor David Gardner, Social Media Editor Sam McGinley, Assistant Copy Chief Emily Hower, Assistant Layout Editor

Copy Staff

Sarah Choflet Anjuli Das Kinley Gillette Johanna Helba Emily Maccia

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ing your mind. If you are open to changing your mind in response to new evidence, then you’ll be vulnerable to the powers that be, who are obviously powerful enough to generate evidence. Even worse, if you change your mind, all of your former compatriots will question your integrity, like the March 4 article in Mother Jones that questions what made Bill Nye change his mind about genetically modified foods. On the off chance that your most dearly held beliefs are actually incorrect, it is a lot better to simply deny it.

So, the next time you start to doubt

whether climate change is real in the face of a mountain of evidence, or that you start thinking that everyone is right and we did actually land on the moon, stay strong. Remember, there are powers and interests that spend huge amounts of time and money to convince you of their agenda. Never fall for the lie that most of the time the truth comes out, and, most of all, don’t become one of the sheeple.

Eli Talbert writes a biweekly satirical column for The Pitt News.

Write to Eli at ejt26@pitt.edu.

Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each.

Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns,- car toons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter - in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left.

The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is-pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer.

Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations -Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, - fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Pittʼs season ends with first-round NIT loss Dan Sostek Assistant Sports Editor

The NIT run seemed to end as quickly as it began.

The Pitt men’s basketball team’s run in the National Invitation Tournament was a short one, as the George Washington Colonials eliminated the Panthers 60-54 at the Petersen Events Center Tuesday evening, ending Pitt’s 20142015 campaign.

The loss marks the fifth-straight defeat to end the season for the Panthers.

“I feel like we just didn’t get it done,” Pitt sophomore forward Michael Young said of the loss. “It might be puzzling to you all, but to us, we just didn’t get it done.”

Pitt jumped out to the first lead of the game as, following a steal, senior guard Cameron Wright contorted his body to convert a lay-up in traffic.

But George Washington’s Kethan Savage responded and converted two consecutive 3-point field goals to give the Colonials a 10-6 lead.

Pitt then went on an 11-2 run, grab-

bing a 17-12 lead with 7:12 remaining in the half.

Jumpstarted by a long two by Savage, the Colonials answered with a 10-0 run of their own, leading by five with less than four minutes remaining in the half.

Sophomore forward Sheldon Jeter helped trim Pitt’s deficit to 22-21 after two straight low-post baskets, but George Washington once again responded with a 7-0 run of its own.

Sophomore guard Chris Jones made a

One and done

M Hoops

Pitt was eliminated from the NIT after it lost in the first round. Here is how the team fared in its previou first-round NIT showings.

Year

Opponent/Result

Reached ed

2015

George Washington/ L, 60-54

First round

2001

St. Bonaventure/ L, 84-75

Second round

1997

New Orleans/ W, 82-63

Second round

1992

Penn State/ W, 67-65

Second round

1986

SW Missouri St./ L, 59-52

First round

1984

La Salle/ W, 95-91

Quarterfinal

1980

Duquesne/ L, 65-63

First round

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Arena sees unusually sparse crowd Jasper Wilson Senior Staff Writer

High above midcourt, in section 220 of the Petersen Events Center, a handful of people watched the Pitt men’s basketball team painfully slog through its National Invitational Tournament first-round 9 matchup against George Washington University.

They were the only occupants in the arena’s entire darkened upper tier on Tuesday night. Down below, the turnout wasn’t much better. The Oakland Zoo filled far less than its usual quota of space bordering three of the court’s four sides, aand the rest of the lower sections around iit featured mostly empty seats as well.

In all, the announced crowd of 3,049 — a season low — fell well short of the vvenue’s full capacity of 12,508.

Pete and MaryPat Swauger, in their ffirst year as season ticket holders, were ttwo of the few that watched from up high.

“I was really surprised that we had tthis few [fans come],” MaryPat said. “I eexpected at least half full.”

Sophomore forward Michael Young ssaid that, as a player, one can’t and doesn’t let the level of support affect d performance at all. p “You go out there and you play, packed house or nobody in the gym,” Young, who h had eight points and seven rebounds, h ssaid. “I mean, you want to see your fans oout there, but you still gotta go out there, play hard, try to win the game.” p For most of the contest, it seemed llike Pitt (19-15, 8-10 ACC) was having difficulty doing either task, as it suffered d tthrough one of its worst performances oof the season before eventually falling 60-54 in a season-ending defeat.

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Sidebar

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March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 8

M HOOPS layup in the closing seconds of the half, narrowing the deficit to 28-23 heading into intermission.

The half marked an uncharacteristically sloppy one for a team that averages the eighthfewest turnovers per game in the nation, as Pitt turned the ball over 10 times — the team only averaged 9.7 per game entering Tuesday ’s action. The Panthers ended the game with 16 turnovers.

The turnovers directly aided the visiting team’s cause, as George Washington converted those turnovers into 20 points.

Pitt junior point guard James Robinson couldn’t pinpoint precisely why

9

the team struggled the way it did with holding on to the basketball.

“I wish I knew [the cause of the turnovers],” Robinson said. ”We were kind of careless with the ball, especially early. It led to baskets for them in transition.”

Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon also expressed his displeasure in the team’s propensity for mistakes.

“We’re a low turnover team, and tonight we weren’t,” Dixon said. “Some of the passes, some of the decisions we made were not what we normally do.”

The Colonials opened the second half hot, scoring the first four points of the period and extending their lead to nine — their largest of the evening.

Pitt began to show some life later in the half, as sophomore forward Jamel

“I feel like we just didn’t get it done.”

Michael Young

M Hoops

Below Expectations

13 Michael Young drives against George Washington. Meghan Sunners | Staff Photographer

While Pitt’s entire team shouldered its NIT loss on Tuesday night, several players underperformed compared to their season scoring averages.

Player

Tuesday

Season Average

Jamel Artis

10

13.8

Michael Young

8

13.5

Chris Jones

7

8.5

Josh Newkirk

3

6.0

10 COLUMN

March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Top-seed Kentucky faces difficult region in tournament Jeremy Tepper Staff Writer

Usually, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament is rewarded for its success in the regular season and given the easiest path to the final four. In this year’s case, however, the selection committee gave Kentucky the top seed after going undefeated, though it is tasked with the toughest region.

In the Southwest region, Kentucky faces the most difficult two through seven seeds in this year’s tournament.

The committee gave Kansas the No. 2 seed in the region after finishing 24-7 and losing to Iowa State in the Big 12 championship. Spearheading Kansas are junior forward Perry Ellis and sophomore guards Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden Jr. The Jayhawks’ biggest strength is their defense, as they finished with the seventhbest defensive efficiency rating, according to kenpom.com.

Notre Dame is the No. 3 seed, after finishing 26-5 and beating North Carolina in

the ACC championship game. The Fighting Irish have succeeded behind their offense, as they finished 12th in the country in points per game and second in field goal percentage. Senior guards Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton lead the Irish.

Grant is one of the best players in the ACC, after averaging 16.8 points and 6.6 assists per game. Connaughton is one of the more unique guards in the country, as he averaged 7.4 rebounds a game to go along with 2.6 threes.

Rounding out seeds four through seven are Maryland, West Virginia, Butler and Wichita State. At 27-6, Maryland is perhaps the hottest of these four teams after winning eight in a row — until they lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. Maryland sports one of the best backcourts in the country with senior Dez Wells and freshman Melo Trimble, who averaged 15.4 and 16.3 points, respectively, during the season.

The region becomes even tougher

Column

12 Kentucky freshman Trey Lyles takes a shot against SEC foe Arkansas. TNS

March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 9

SIDEBAR “It’s frustrating,” Pete Swauger said.

“You wonder how much they really care about the game.”

Trailing 28-23 at half, the fourthseeded hosts put forth their thirdlowest scoring output of the season, behind only 50 against NC State in January and 49 against Virginia last month.

But they also made close to half of their shot attempts, going 2245 from the field.

Turnovers stood out as the cause of their ills, amassing their second-highest, single-game number all season with 16. Junior point guard James Robinson, who finished with nine points and seven rebounds, was left pondering the cause

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of the uncharacteristic sloppiness.

“Just kind of got contagious for us, we were kind of careless with the ball, especially early,” Robinson said. “It came back to hurt us.”

Booing, though unclear whether in response to officiating, the action on the court or both, began to echo through the arena with GW (22-12, 10-8 A-10) up by five with just over three minutes remaining.

Though the 32-team NIT possesses a literal runner-up status to the 68-team NCAA Tournament, Robinson said he and his teammates didn’t lack motivation for this game and had practiced well leading up to it.

“No, not at all. We prepared well for the game,” he said. “We just didn’t get

“You wonder how much they really care about the game.”

Pete Swauger

Sidebar

12 Pitt did not win 20 games for the first time in Jamie Dixon’s career as head coach.

Meghan Sunners | Staff Photographer

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COLUMN when you factor Wichita State and Butler, two teams with notorious NCAA Tournament success, into the equation. Despite receiving a No. 7 seed, Wichita State finished 28-4 this year, behind the efforts of junior guards Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker.

Right below Kentucky’s Midwest region is the West region, which looks to be the weakest of the four. Wisconsin earned

March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com a well-deserved No. 1 seed after finishing 31-3 and beating Michigan State to win the Big Ten tournament. Wisconsin finished with the top offensive efficiency rating in the country, largely because of senior forward Frank Kaminsky and junior forward Sam Dekker. Kaminsky is one of the top players in the country, averaging 18.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during the season, and is a finalist for National Player of the Year.

Arizona is the No. 2 seed in the region after finishing on an 11-game winning

streak and winning the Pac-12 tournament. They’re an apt No. 2 seed, though the region goes downhill after the Wildcats.

The three through seven seeds are Baylor, North Carolina, Arkansas, Xavier and VCU. Baylor is a quality team, finishing 24-9 this year, though it’s probably not No. 3 seed caliber, as the AP top 25 poll ranked it as the 16th best team in the country.

North Carolina is a talented team, sporting a quality mix of guards and forwards. Its play, however, doesn’t live up to

the talent, as UNC finished 24-11 this year.

Though Arkansas’ 26-8 record is solid, being ranked No. 21 in the country, it was rarely challenged in the weak SEC outside of games against Kentucky.

Xavier, on the other hand, finished only 21-13 this year and sixth in the Big East conference.

Still, upsets happen every year in the NCAA Tournament, and, as March Madness continues on, the tournament seeds will mean less and less. It all comes down to how they perform on game day.

FROM PAGE 11

SIDEBAR it done.”

The visitors led for the majority of play — 27:26 to Pitt’s 8:17 — and never trailed after halftime. George Washington’s junior guard Kethan Savage finished the match with a game-high 14 points.

“We definitely don’t want our season to end. We have a lot to play for still,” Savage said. “Getting up for this game was no problem for any of us.”

Coming late in the first half, Pitt’s largest lead was five points.

Head coach Jamie Dixon said he felt that his team’s focus was where it needed to be, and that its energy was high against the fifth-seeded Colonials. He cited the victory of the rebounding battle (41-35) over the Atlantic 10 school as well as coming back to tie the score at 36 with 14:30 left after trailing by nine just four and a half minutes before. He said both were usually indicators of competitiveness.

“It’s not like the team ever quit,” Dixon said. “There was definite frustration during the game. [But] It was not, like, a lack of intensity.”

Young agreed.

“We just didn’t get it done,” Young said. “We just didn’t get it done.”

March 18, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 9

M HOOPS Artis connected on his third consecutive basket to cut GW’s lead to 36-34 with 14:55 remaining in the game.

Jones amped up the sparse weeknight crowd 25 seconds later, converting a layup to tie the game at 36-36, but that was the closest the Panthers came to regaining the lead.

The team inched closer with time winding down, as Artis converted one of two free throws with just over a minute of play left, bringing his team within two points. But Savage found an open look on the Colonials’ next possession, receiving a gratuitous roll on his jumper with :43 seconds remaining, effectively icing the game for George Washington.

Pitt struggled mightily from the freethrow line after intermission, shooting an abysmal 7-16, 43.8 percent .

“The free throws wore on us, as far as not knocking them down,” Dixon said.

In his final game, Wright struggled from the charity stripe, shooting just 3-9. He did, however, shoot 4-6 from the field, leading Pitt with 11 points.

Neither team shot particularly well in the game, as George Washington shot 34 percent from the field compared to Pitt’s 49 percent. The Colonials won the game, however, partly because of a 14-6 differential in offensive rebounds.

George Washington also recorded 10 steals compared to Pitt’s one.

Savage led all scorers with 17 points.

George Washington’s junior guard Patricio Garino chipped in with 14 points as well.

“We’re a better team than how we played,” Dixon said. “But as I told the guys, this is how we performed.”

With the loss, the Panthers finished the season with a 19-15 record, the worst mark ever by a Jamie Dixon team. It is also the first time in Dixon’s career that his team did not win more than 20 games in a season. Pitt had multiple chances to accomplish that goal, but it ended the season on a five-game losing streak, including a loss in its first ACC Tournament game to North Carolina State.

Pitt opens the 2015-2016 season in Okinawa, Japan, as the team will take part in the Armed Forces Classic against Gonzaga on Friday, Nov. 13.

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