Gametime: 7pm
How to watch: ESPN3.com (internet only)
There are two reasons I am doing this as an open thread tonight. The first is that the game is on ESPN3.com. This means tying up the computer watching the game, and I don’t feel like doing 2 computers at once. The second is that the Beef O’Brady Bowl is at 8pm, and I will probably have that on as well (note: there will be a second open thread for the Cristo-Bowl). Need to watch a possible future coach do his thing. So there will not be total attention to the second half.
I’ll be checking in here and on Twitter.
I do find it interesting that Zeise has been missing in action since Sunday. I know there hasn’t been much to report, but he has to have heard some chatter, right???
Zeise is doing most of his speculating on Twitter. No sense throwing out the same unsubstantiated drivel as the rest of the press on the newspaper site, I suppose. Said he will be doing a post tonight. He’s actually been trying to sift through fact vs. fiction, apparently.
I am convinced Mario is coming to Pitt
That said, it is obvious that the team needs to work on staying a little tighter even in the blowouts against the weak teams… Or else they will learn why the hard way in conference play.
Sorry about this folks. I meant to post the Beef open thread before the game.
Here it is.
I’m still an Austin man
But why is Nas playing against the likes of St. Francis. Did I not read more than several times that his knee (which was operated on like 5 weeks ago) is bothering him.
WHY IS HE NOT BEING RESTED AND LETTING HIS KNEE, you know the one that is bothering him, that was just operated on, GET SOME TIME OFF TO HEAL.
Just to make this clear, we don’t need Nas to beat St. Francis. We need him to beat Syracuse or Marquette or Uconn or WVU. Not fuckin St. Francis.
Anybody care to explain to me why Nas is playing against a scrub team?????
Good
+JJ Moore and Lamar Patterson playing together. Patterson is a good play maker and was able to do a good job guarding a two. Gibbs is playing too many minutes, Wright is not a threat to shoot in the halfcourt offense. Teams are really sagging off him and its hurting the offense. Moore is too talented (batshit crazy – but talented) not to be getting minutes
+Zanna – played very good defense, looks confident comfortable at both the 4 and
+Post play on offense – Pitt is getting the ball inside and getting good results
+Team Rebounding – A big concern coming into the season, will end up being a real strength. Everyone rebounds
+Malcolm Gilbert’s post defense. This kid will cash an NBA paycheck
+Steve Adams’ Tatoo
Bad
+Gibbs at point. His on ball defense is embarrassing. His lack of effort is astonishing. He causes problems for the rest of the team having to make up for deficiencies. He is not a playmaker. Can’t believe I’m typing this…we need Woodall back desperately.
+Cameron Wright’s reluctance to shoot.
+Isiah Epps
The Ugly
+Pitt’s health – they are way too banged up heading into the big east especially for a team that just went thru a…..
+CUPCAKE pre-conference schedule. We’ll see what happens in Mid January. But this schedule didn’t prepare them
+The whole Khem Birch situation
Glad to see Gilbert playing and contributing. I predict he’s going to have a big game or two against some of the top-tier Big East teams.
I saw Gilbert in person against SCS and the Old Goat (er…I mean “Groat”) said what I thought…Gilbert has the wing span of a 767. He eats space and has good footwork. I agree, he will cash an NBA paycheck.
Moore and Patterson on the floor is lovely. The two get to compete against each other during the game and both improve their play.
Gibbs is out of position, but he knows he has to do it. Thank God he is not some head case…if he can’t play in the NBA he will certainly play overseas….European women are much sexier anyway.
Wright is battling between his ears and those fights can end quickly of continue for years.
Zanna’s interview in the PG and his play after the departure of Birch make me like him even more. Funny, but with such a soft touch from the free throw line he has stone hands on interior passes.
I ilke our depth and am glad we open on the road against ND…We could go into the Syracuse game with a helluva record but gotta play them one at a time.
He has called him “Marcus” repeatedly. Dixon finally had to correct him.
What really makes me mad is that Dixon does nothing about it. He screams at the younger players and pulls them out of the game, but says nothing to Gibbs. You can’t preach defense the way Jamie does and let your “best player” get away with such an obvious lack of effort.
Jamie must have made the calculation that Gibbs’ shooting (and what it opens up for everyone else) more than makes up for his piss-poor defense. And he’s willing to live with it.
Not sure I agree.
Jamie needs to cut Gibbs minutes, and not just for defensive reasons. 38+ mins/gm is just too many. He’s not giving the effort when he’s out there. And I’m afraid he’s going to breakdown at the end of the year when he’s most needed.
Give some of his minutes to Johnson, Patterson and Wright. All three are at least capable.
it infuriates me that gibbs, taylor, etc. are beyond reproach because they are upperclassmen. the upperclassmen are playing terrible defense. pitt’s best defense of the night came with gilbert and moore on the floor. that is how we got to 27-4.
anyone who says that moore doesn’t play defense is jumping to a conclusion that simply isn’t true. i’ve watched every game this season. the kid gets lost, but so does everybody else. he tries harder than most of our starting 5 on defense. it’s unfair and jamie needs to evolve as a coach. just because your are junior or redshirt sophmore doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be yanked from the game when you don’t play hard.
