PITTSBURGH -- Plenty of the numbers from Pittsburghs breezy 99-80 victory over Gardner-Webb looked pretty.And none of them mattered to coach Kevin Stallings. Sure shooting 54 percent and never being challenged on Monday night was nice, especially three days after needing double-overtime to hold off Eastern Michigan in Stallings coaching debut with the Panthers. Yet Stallings is more concerned about whether his team is ready for a far sterner test on Thursday against SMU at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Classic.You look at our defensive numbers, they were indicative of a team that was not really wired into play, he said. Thats my fault. Thats my job.Cameron Johnson scored 18 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts for Pitt (2-0). Michael Young put up 18 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes after being held out of the starting lineup for only the second time in his career due to a minor violation of team rules. Sheldon Jeter added 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.Still, the Panthers led the Runnin Bulldogs trade baskets early in the first half and for long stretches in the second. Stallings wonders if his players are getting a little too caught up in the free-flowing offense Stallings brought with him from Vanderbilt.Maybe Ive sent the wrong message about tempo and offense and things like that, Stallings said. Were not ready to beat anybody thats equivalent to us in terms of talent because we dont sustain any type of defensive intensity.At one point in the first half, Stallings pulled the entire starting five off the floor in frustration.I think he just wanted more effort and energy, Johnson said. He cited a lack of focus for that.Not that much was required over the final 30 minutes after a 10-0 burst that included a pair of 3-pointers by Johnson to give the Panthers a 30-14 lead that was never threatened.RUNNIN WITH THE PANTHERSLaQuincy Rideau finished with a career-high 23 points for Gardner-Webb (0-2) while adding eight rebounds and six assists. David Efianayi scored 20 points and Liam OReilly chipped in 14. The Runnin Bulldogs spread the floor to provide Rideau with room to slice his 6-foot-1 frame through the lane.I felt there was little more space where maybe we could attack the paint off the dribble, Gardner-Webb coach Tim Craft said. The problem is we werent converting. Some of the finishes were a little wild.BIG MAN DEBUTPitt junior Rozelle Nix made his long-awaited debut after missing last season with a foot injury. The 6-foot-11, 300-pound Nix entered with just over 4 minutes left and finished with four rebounds and on emphatic block on Gardner-Webbs DJ Laster that sent Nixs teammates erupting off the bench.He got me once like that once, Jeter said. Im not ashamed to admit it. Im not afraid to admit it.BIG PICTUREGardner-Webb: After managing just 44 points in a lackluster loss to SMU in the opener last week, Gardner-Webb was happy to try and keep pace with Pitt in what Craft called a learning experience for a young team that will rely on Rideau and Efianayi -- both sophomores -- to carry some of the scoring load.Pitt: Despite the defensive issues, the Panthers seem to have quickly embraced what Stallings wants to do on the other end of the floor. The Panthers made 13 of 26 3-pointers and finished with 29 assists on 35 field goals.UP NEXTGardner-Webb: plays Eastern Michigan in Indianapolis on Friday.Pitt: faces SMU on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Air Jordan NZ Online . 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The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Air Jordan Store NZ .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back.Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham are being inspired by a set of family values in their quest to secure a first league title for 55 years. Spurs can go top of the Premier League on goal difference with 10 games to play if they beat West Ham on Wednesday night.Leaders Leicester stumbled on Tuesday as they were held 2-2 by West Brom at the King Power Stadium and that has left the door open for Pochettinos men to seize the initiative. A win against the Hammers would cap a remarkable rise for Spurs under Pochettino, who only took over in May 2014, and the Argentine pointed to his teams spirit and rules for their resurgence.I think we start to feel we are a real family, he said. For me it is key because always the supporters are very important. For the players they are very important to feel the support from them. Mauricio Pochettino refused to comment on their chances of winning the title The team shows respect - it is not about winning or losing, it is about showing respect for the club and a love of the badge. That is special because our supporters love Tottenham and our players respect that so we create a big link.The potential is massive. This season we start to create a basis for the future of the club. We are in the beginning of a great period.The 44-year-old from Santa Fe has done a remarkable job of changing the culture at White Hart Lane in just 21 months and has got them in a strong position as they enter the home straight in the title race. Tottenhamm fans are increasingly confident theyll win the Premier League He froze players like Andros Townsend, Emmanuel Adebayor and Aaron Lennon out of the first-team picture when they failed to meet his high standards.ddddddddddddThat sent a message to others in the squad but Pochettino is confident everyone at the club has now embraced the changes he has implemented.They are now not my rules, today we share the rules, he added. We share the rules, not just on the pitch but out of the pitch too. Maybe from the beginning we feel they were rules but today the players share the values. Slaven Bilic thinks Tottenham are the best team in the Premier League One routine Pochettino introduced involves hand-shaking before training, a ritual he believes promotes camaraderie and togetherness.Every morning we shake hands with everyone, Pochettino said. Maybe this means this was a rule but it wasnt a rule, just respect to each other and showing how you feel in the morning when you meet.It is just small things but it means a lot to create in the end a real team. You feel your team-mates, you feel your people. It shows youre interested in people when you shake hands. It shows youre interested a lot. Harry Kane celebrates scoring a penalty for Tottenham Things like this are important to apply so we can show the team are ready to fight for each other. We have that collective and it is a big achievement for the squad and we need to protect that. I believe in my players. I show belief in them from the beginning of the season. Today it is easy to ­believe. The most important thing was to believe from the first day of pre-season. Thats the reason they behave like this today. They have a very strong mentality not only to play in the derbies, but for every game.Follow West Ham v Tottenham and all Wednesdays Premier League action on Soccer Special - SSNHQ from 7pm - or via our live blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps. Also See: Pundits: Spurs to stumble West Ham v Tottenham preview Spurs favourites for first time Premier League questions ' ' '