I did not see last night’s 92-72 win over Robert Morris. That leaves the box score info and media recaps to base the discussion.
The first thing that jumps out from the recaps is Coach Jamie Dixon really wasn’t enthusiastic about playing Robert Morris.
One of Rice’s reasons to play Pitt was for the sheer fun of it. Where’s the fun in losing, like the Colonials have to Miami (Fla.) and Xavier, ranked teams that appeared prior to Pitt on the schedule? Rice quickly pointed to the 12-1 second-half surge that nearly brought the Colonials back against a team which could win a national championship.
For the record, Dixon didn’t want to play Robert Morris. Doesn’t want to again, or at least while Rice is there.
“Mike really wanted to do it,†Dixon said.
If he does not want to play an assistant who was there for a year — two years ago — then maybe he’s being sincere about not liking the idea of facing Howland at UCLA if at all possible. This matters not just for the Arizona talk, but because Oregon is looking increasingly likely to make a change. Or it could be coaching paranoia about facing an assitant that might still have a good feel to plan against the players.
I have to say, if Pitt keeps building and sending assistants to new jobs, he’s going to have to change the philosophy and embrace it. There’s a bit of a coaching tree in the works.
Robert Morris shot extremely, extremely well in the course of the whole game.
Robert Morris shot even better than Pitt, hitting 57.4 percent from the field, the best of any Pitt opponent this season. Fields credited Rice’s offense.
“They did a good job,” Fields said. “They played real hard. They executed all the plays (Rice) called. They kept fighting. Every time they got an open shot, they didn’t miss. Some teams get open shots and they miss. Every time they had a chance, they made it.”
Pitt shot 66.7 percent from the field in the first half and led 53-33 the break. Pitt was 18 of 27 from the field and 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
Turnovers and rebounds, however, were a decided advantage for Pitt.
But unforced turnovers — the Colonials had 19 — and Pitt’s dominance on the boards — the Colonials only had two offensive rebounds and were outrebounded, 33-21 — started their demise.
“I thought we moved the ball well and we showed the versatility that we do have in the second half,” Rice said. “It’s difficult against the size, strength and discipline Pitt has.”
The size and strength of Pitt was on display with Pitt getting 33 FT attempts to RMU’s 15. After going 10-12 in the first half, Pitt was only 12-21 in the second.
Sam Young had a solid shooting night against the Colonials. Going for 23 points on 8-13 (and 7-8 on FTs) and no 3-point shots. It isn’t something to really take too seriously yet. You hope it sparks him out of the slump going forward.
Coach Dixon would not publicly rip his team — as his approach has generally been — but there is definitely something in the underlying words suggesting that the uneven effort in this game will not be acceptable going forward.
Jamie Dixon said he would have liked for his team to finish the game better than they did, but attributed the lackluster second-half effort to a variety of things, including a quick turnaround after playing Saturday with the Steelers winning the Super Bowl in between.
“We had a 20-point lead in the first half,” he said. “In some ways you’d like to make it another 20 in the second half. But they played hard and made shots. They’re very good offensively. I’m glad to see they’re doing so well.”
Unsaid was the defensive effort, or lack of it at time.
In the past couple games, Ashton Gibbs has gotten confident in taking shots not yet in the press conference.
Ashton Gibbs sat alongside Levance Fields in the postgame press conference, and the hot spotlights made the usually gregarious Pitt guard a little nervous.
Meanwhile, Fields, the old pro at this seemingly daily Q-and-A, dribbled away with answers and perspectives and suggestions.
Clearly, Gibbs didn’t belong up there with Fields.
But after another solid performance in Monday’s 92-72 win over non-conference and crosstown opponent Robert Morris at the Petersen Events Center, Gibbs is showing why he belongs in Fields’ backcourt.
Gibbs had three 3-pointers in 15 minutes, making that 22 points in two games for the true freshman.
“Getting in the gym every day and practicing hard made me more confident in my game,†he said, his only words into the microphone all night.
Know your cliches. Trust them. They are your friend.
