this is not a good coaching job at all.

Yeah, lets let em shoot wide open 3s…that’ll get it done.

JD calls a press and 3 guys go back to play zone…another 3 by the snakes…this one FFFugly!

Miss ANOTHER fuckign layup….what are we worse at, shooting layups, shooting FTs, or shooting 3s?

When we were getting called for EVERYTHING in the first half, no one was bitching…soon as they start calling WVU for all their bullshit, non-stop whining…STFU

If Ramon doesn’t want to shoot just sit him on the bench. He can’t guard my sister. To try to hide him they play that horrible zone. When will Pitt run Ramon of a pick? Pitt can’t shoot.

We have some timing issues out there as well. At this point there is nothing to be timid about, just shoot and play your game.

Nice move by Wannamaker…

That was a goaltend on the Flowers block of Fields.

Thats not a goaltend?

i agree sit ramons ass on the bench. brown only needs to miss 14 more threes and he will be on fire!!!

I think it was goaltend. The official was looking at Alexanders nuts.

Young is done…oh well…

This season is starting to remind me of when Pitt lost to Pacific in the tourney. Without the total gift given to them at Syracuse, they would have lost 5 out of 6 going into the DePaul game and playing terrible basketball as such. I don’t think anyone can argue that this team is playing awful right now. Defense is the worst I’ve seen by a Pitt team in a long time. No one can shoot. I am not putting blame – just trying to be a realist. Maybe the guys are just getting tired from being outnumbered for most of the year. Making the tourney is a good accomplishment when you consider the injuries, but right now, I can’t see Pitt doing anything except losing in the first round, probably in the BET and NCAA both. I don’t even remember watching games and being as frustrated as I have been the past month. Right now, we just aren’t very good.

Replay i see Young getting the ball…another shitty whistle…imagine that…Burr and Higgins? How the fuck do either of them have a job?

Time for Jamie to make “The Speech…”

i think i’m gonna go watch the pitt-wvu football game highlights on ondemand

Disgusting. This team just doesn’t seem to have what it takes. I don’t know if it is the injuries or what. the defensive desire hasn’t been there for the last 10 games.

How can we be so out of position on every defensive possession?

We’re not going ot get anywhere with this zone….just letting them shoot open shot after open shot…we need to get back to real man D and stop playing like a bunch of pussies.

I guess Burr and Higgins are ust looking to get out…

Wannamaker looks good. Too bad we’re getting our asses kicked.

Well, i guess that ends our streak of owning them…guess now they can tell us how one win in basketball in the last two years makes up for us destroying their entire football program and embarassing them in basketball…

Just keep plugging and plugging. Wanamaker driving like he should, that’s a positive.

Not a shot we need to be taking when down 15…

Jesus Christ. Pitt’s a LEGIT bad team right now. A borderline awful team. I know that a.) it’s senior night at a tough arena; b.) Pitt’s exhausted mentally and physically; c.) the refs were silly – but Pitt’s recent wins look suspect and losses look like a troublesome trend.

Trouble rebounding AGAIN.
Awful defense AGAIN.
Opponent’s stud dropping a career (close to it) game on Pitt AGAIN.

Shit – Pitt’s defense was so awful Dixon spent a large portion of the game in zone. When’s the last time Pitt played a significant amount of zone? Can we REALLY not stop guys off the ball? Ahh…sadly, I have to say YEAH.

I mean…look at the last few wins…arguably should have lost to WVU at home. Beat a crap Providence team. Beat a crap Cincy team (in an ugly game that they had to come back in) at home. Got SUPER lucky against Syracuse. The wins look ugly or lucky. Lumped in there are a few losses where Pitt got outright dominated: L’ville (they were never going to win that game), ND, Marquette and tonight.

I mean…this is exasperating. I know this team has had a ton of injuries and they’re worn down and it was a tough game on the road…but this team had regressed SEVERLY since…wait, really, it’s been a slow, steady erosion since the Duke game. They’ve shown no reason to think they can fix their flaws in the upcoming post-season.

I hate to say it – but they’re straight fucked. They’re dead men walking. And I have a hotel booked for Weds. – Sat. in NYC next week. Shit.

MAKE A FUCKING FREE THROW….jesus christ…we suck so bad at shooting…

Oh – did I mention the foul shooting?

I don’t think Pitt’s defense was always this awful – it seems to me to have just began in the past seven to eight games. I can’t remember the last time Pitt got a wide open layup out of their half court offense, yet teams now get five to seven wide open layups a game against Pitt. What has changed? It makes no sense.

CG, you’ll be fine. When we make it to the finals again, you’ll be singing a different tune.

Honestly? I have no idea whats up with this team. Seems to to be a mental problem. They are told how to play D – they just look lost half the time…

Once again, its our D that lets us down…i can’t wait until they get that turned around…

And hypothetically, if the college game ever banned the high ball screen, what exactly would Pitt’s offense look like? I mean, anymore, that is all they do, have Fields dribble around and then set a high ball screen. It wasn’t always like this either. So much has seemed to change over the past seven to eight games. It’s baffling.

Oh, I’ve been blessed. I’ve seen, what, 5 Finals appearances in 6 years at the B.E.T.? Or is it 6 in 7, I forget. Seriously. Which, yes, is awesome.

But watching this team as closely as all of you do….I’m the only one who thinks they’re screwed? “Pitt’s defense has only been bad the past 7-8 games…” Uhm – THAT’S A LONG TIME. And, IT’S THE END OF THE SEASON WHEN YOU NEED TO PEAK, NOT FALL APART.

Sorry, boys – get ’em a body bag. Pitt’s cooked. I can’t help but wonder if it would have been different if Cook didn’t get hurt…I actually thought splitting minutes with Gil Brown and KB was an upgrade at the time…but, now, it doesn’t look like it.

I’m just hoping they get the 7 seed in the BET so I get to see a night game on Weds…

Stuart, I agree. It’s not like Jamie is changing his philosophy or anything, or using different strategies(except for the desperation 2-3 zone). They just look like they don’t listen. It’s the same problems every game – help defense, ball screens, not challenging shooters, poor rebounding. I don’t blame Jamie – I don’t blame anyone. It is just really confusing to see this. Maybe we should run that press more. Can’t be worse that what we’re seeing now.

This team can’t afford to play more than two games at BET or they will totally melt down in their first NCAA game. They need a rest. I just don’t see a run in them, but hope I’m wrong.

Outrebounded and awful D. These kids have the skill and coaching – they’re either worn the fuck down or have mental problems.

Hopefully they rest up these next 5 days, cause they only get 2 days rest between depaul and the tourney.

C.G. – I think they are locked into the 7 seed now (that might be assuming a win against DePaul) but problem is I think we get Syracuse, as long as they beat Seton Hall. Originally I was happy to hear they would play at night because I wouldn’t have to miss the game at work. Now I am not so sure.

Something about NY brings the best out in Pitt, but I don’t know how they can go from where they are right now to putting together a three or four game run of great basketball.

Oh I’m terrified they’ll get Syracuse – a team that’s not afraid of them and wants a rematch BIG TIME (in addition to keeping their NCAA hopes alive).

Add that to the fact that ‘Cuse is the only other team that arguably has NYC magic comparable to Pitt’s and, lastly, Syracuse fans at the BET are the WORST assholes (followed closely by UConn fans and G’town fans)and it’s a nightmare match-up. Ugh.

The only good thing about that match-up is, let’s face it, Syracuse isn’t very good, either.

One last note: who’s really counting the DePaul game as an automatic W at this point???!!! REALLY? RUTGERS, people. Rutgers. And Pitt blowing dick right now. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

The hoopies just punched their ticket to the dance. Sometimes you just run into a guy who is hot like Alexander. No big deal. Just beat DePaul and get ready for the BET!

Right. Lots of guys ‘got hot’ against Pitt this year. I think Yuri Demetris could have dropped 30 on these guys.

Jaron Brown is rolling over in his grave.

This team is totally spent. Blair is flat worn out, Ramon and Browmn are hurt, Fields is gutting it out and Young is looking for stats. They have played way to many minutes and it is showing. No legs left to gut out rebounds and make defensive stops. We need a W on Sunday but it won’t be easy. Although the refs sucked losing this way is not good. Bubble anyone?

This season will be ending long before we thought it would. Disappointing!!!

By the way, was that Joe Alexander or Tyler Hansbrough playing for WVU.

Why does it seem that every team has a guy who has a record-setting night when he plays Pitt? Guys who do next to nothing all year, then look like an NBA lottery pick against us? Not saying Alexander hasn’t produced all year, but give me a break!!

Agreed, J.P. Agreed. Dixon blew the load of this team a month ago. Not that he had much choice, I guess. But they’re spent.

I hate to say this but when does footbal season start.

Relax. They will step it up in NYC. They always do. How quickly we forget what happened the last time they played up there….

This truly was a confusing game. The refs did change the complexion with all of those ticky tack fouls, but we were getting good looks inside and nothing would go down.

On defense, can we please stop playing zone and, for the love of [insert deity of your choice], give up on the motherf@#$ing hedge? Young, Blair, and Biggs obviously don’t understand how to do it or are too tired to pull it off at this point in the season. We give up easy hoop after easy hoop on it, or, in turn, we have nobody in position to rebound. Not that Sam Young ever keeps his ass on somebody to get a rebound.

If Dixon wants to change up the D, the zone clearly isn’t working. If it did work here and there, it would be a good idea, but it doesn’t, so scrap it. A half-court press might be a nice change of pace, create some turnovers, get some easy hoops.

In the end, the consistency of the problems during these last 8-10 games suggest that this team is mentally and physically spent. I think that’s why the D stinks, in particular. They were probably playing so much zone because Dixon was just trying to burn clock and get the game over with.

But, damn, that just sucked.

“A half-court press might be a nice change of pace, create some turnovers, get some easy hoops.”

Yeah, that’s a great idea to do to a shorthanded team…make em play even harder, and give up a bunch of easy 3s to the other team.

Here is the deal, everyone is tired, not all teams have a rotation as dixon has used….in the past the rotation has not helped we still lose in the ncaa tourney, so screw that idea….here it is…WE ARE NOT THAT TALENTED. We dont have size at any position, our big men are pathetic rebounders. Our offensive execution stinks so we turn to rucker ball, no passes, take your man. and obviuosly we have no shooters. Good players have career nights, does not matter the team or position, when other players play pitt they know it is an oppurtunity to get on the big man on campus list. this team plays with heart, they are good kids, but cannot match up. As i have been saying, this is where recruiting has shown its ugly face. Heart can only take you so far. regardless, this year or next, win or lose, i will always back this team, i am a supporter and season ticket holder and will continue to be, we all want so bad to get there, just one trip to the final four. We did beat Duke, and i will always remeber that one. Hail to PITT.

drgags, a right on post. I also believe with our inability to rebound, we continue to play with three smallish guards. With our tremendous size inside, we can afford to play three ultra quick athletic guards. LOL If anyone thinks rest is going to help this bunch, you are on something. Like I said before, this team is overrated!!!!! They have come down to earth and until reinforcements show up, get used to these performances. Furthermore, Jay Bilas was kind to Pitt tonight, he should have flatout said we stink, but he didn’t. And if anyone thinks Diggs and McGee are going to be the answers inside for the future, you are one beautiful dreamer.

A half-court press is no more taxing than a tough man-to-man D, and just using it for two possessions here and two possessions there, for a change of pace, to make the opponent have to change tactics for a second, get them out of rhythm, can lead to easy hoops for Pitt – a la the Syracuse game (which was a full-court press, I know).

I’m not worried about open 3s, b/c we seem to give those up no matter what D we’re playing.

[…] year, the Mountaineers pounded Pitt in Morgantown, 76-62. Pitt played poorly, Blair and Young fouled out. It was admittedly, right in the midst of a Pitt […]