Updated: Mar. 16, 2005, 1:28 AM ET
Team's plane developed mechanical problems
<!-- end pagetitle --><!-- begin bylinebox -->By Andy Katz, ESPN.com
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline -->Stanford has the farthest trip from Palo Alto to Charlotte, but no team is expected to have a longer journey in the first round than Pittsburgh did Tuesday getting to Boise.
Pittsburgh left at 9 a.m. ET Tuesday by charter for Boise. The Panthers' traveling party of 87 -- which included the team, coaches, administrative staff, cheerleaders, band and mascot -- stopped in Sioux Falls, S.D., to refuel.
Ten hours later, they were still waiting to leave.
Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon told ESPN.com by phone Tuesday night that a mechanical problem developed with the plane and parts were flown in twice to no avail. The team had to wait for a new plane, which finally arrived at 11 p.m. ET, 11 hours after the Panthers left Pittsburgh.
"We've had pizza for three meals here," Dixon said. "There's no food left in the airport."
Dixon said the team couldn't leave the airport to find a practice site so they improvised and did a walk-through in the airport.
"People were walking through it but we just used them as screens," Dixon said.
Dixon said they passed the time by watching tape, scouting, doing homework and playing cards.
Pittsburgh boarded a plane at midnight ET and was expected to take off for Boise.
The Panthers have had their travel problems this season. When Pittsburgh played at Connecticut, the Panthers had to change hotels on game day because of a snowstorm and had a police escort to get out of the snow after the game.
Last week, the Panthers missed the Big East banquet in New York as well as their practice time because of a snow storm. Dixon said they circled LaGuardia Airport for three hours before returning to Pittsburgh. They then flew to Philadelphia and rode a bus to New York.
Pittsburgh, a No. 9 seed, will play No. 8 Pacific on Thursday in Boise in the first round.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com
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Team's plane developed mechanical problems
<!-- end pagetitle --><!-- begin bylinebox -->By Andy Katz, ESPN.com
<!-- begin presby2 -->
<!-- end presby2 -->
<!-- end bylinebox -->
<!-- begin text11 div -->
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline -->Stanford has the farthest trip from Palo Alto to Charlotte, but no team is expected to have a longer journey in the first round than Pittsburgh did Tuesday getting to Boise.
Pittsburgh left at 9 a.m. ET Tuesday by charter for Boise. The Panthers' traveling party of 87 -- which included the team, coaches, administrative staff, cheerleaders, band and mascot -- stopped in Sioux Falls, S.D., to refuel.
Ten hours later, they were still waiting to leave.
Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon told ESPN.com by phone Tuesday night that a mechanical problem developed with the plane and parts were flown in twice to no avail. The team had to wait for a new plane, which finally arrived at 11 p.m. ET, 11 hours after the Panthers left Pittsburgh.
"We've had pizza for three meals here," Dixon said. "There's no food left in the airport."
Dixon said the team couldn't leave the airport to find a practice site so they improvised and did a walk-through in the airport.
"People were walking through it but we just used them as screens," Dixon said.
Dixon said they passed the time by watching tape, scouting, doing homework and playing cards.
Pittsburgh boarded a plane at midnight ET and was expected to take off for Boise.
The Panthers have had their travel problems this season. When Pittsburgh played at Connecticut, the Panthers had to change hotels on game day because of a snowstorm and had a police escort to get out of the snow after the game.
Last week, the Panthers missed the Big East banquet in New York as well as their practice time because of a snow storm. Dixon said they circled LaGuardia Airport for three hours before returning to Pittsburgh. They then flew to Philadelphia and rode a bus to New York.
Pittsburgh, a No. 9 seed, will play No. 8 Pacific on Thursday in Boise in the first round.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com
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