Pitt rolled the Rams as expected. As the game was decided early, with J.J. Moore enjoying an outstanding game, much side conversation quickly turned to the status of John Johnson.
Johnson made his displeasure at not getting any playing time on Friday — and having Coach Jamie Dixon explain it away as him being a little under the weather. It surprised few that rumors swirled over the weekend that he was planning a transfer. Now it is official that he is doing so.
Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said he and Johnson talked several times and that he plans to help the Philadelphia native find another school. Minutes may have been hard to come by for Johnson, as this appears to be one of Dixon’s deepest teams.
“We’ve got a lot of good players and a lot of good guards,” Dixon said.
And that was the problem for Johnson. Despite his own confidence in his abilities, he isn’t as good or experienced as the guys in front of him.
I won’t say that I loved Johnson’s overall game. I flat out hated his defense. He would overextend, leaning too far himself trying to slap the ball away from opposing players without any thought to the situation, size, or skill of his foe. He got away with this in the non-con last year against lower-level talent, but getting into Big East play with bigger, smarter, better guards he was exploited. They could spin away from him and get room to drive to the basket or find an open man when someone had to help as Johnson tried to recover.
Yet, he was a fun, confident shooter who had no fear taking a shot from anywhere on the court at any time (for good and bad). He was an exciting player when his shot was on. He could be streaky with his shot at time, but that figured to improve as he matured. Eventually learning to pass more. But John Johnson was never going to be a primary piece. He could have developed into a vital cog in time, but he simply wasn’t satisfied with that.
The truth is that Travon Woodall is better than him and has more experience. James Robinson is bigger, better and fits the team’s offense and defense much better than Johnson. Trey Zeigler as well. Even Cam Wright, offensively challenged as he may be, plays much better in Pitt’s game as the emphasis returns to working the ball inside with much more frequency. Add in the fact that next year Pitt adds point guard Josh Newkirk, and Johnson won’t exactly see a growing role on the team.
This is probably a good situation for both sides. John Johnson wants to be more of an impact player. He wants more minutes and a primary role with this team, and that won’t happen at Pitt. For Pitt, it obviously frees up a scholarship for next year, but it also frees up minutes on what looks like a very deep squad.
It seems clear that Coach Dixon isn’t too concerned.
Johnson’s departure could mean more playing time for Durand Johnson, a redshirt freshman who scored eight points in his college debut against the Rams. It also means Trey Zeigler will be playing more point guard. Zeigler ran the point for the final five minutes or so after Dixon pulled his starters.
“Zeigler has played the point,” Dixon said. “He’s picked it up really well. He’s a great leader that the guys respect and trust. That gives us some real versatility. I think that’s something we can really use to our benefit this year.”
Zeigler had seven points and one assist. All of his points came after halftime.
Senior point guard Tray Woodall was asked about John Johnson’s departure, and he said the following: “Honestly, I’ve been here for a while, I always knew Pitt’s not for everybody. Some guys like it here but just don’t feel comfortable. Honestly, it’s just not for everybody.”
In the Fordham game, not only did J.J. Moore thrive as he embraces a spark-plug role off the bench and play at both forward spots. Durand Johnson got his first minutes and baskets. He got 8 points in 10 minutes as he can play both shooting guard and at the wing. Adding more size on the perimeter. The potential length on the court when desired this season is something unseen in the Dixon era.
Pitt went 10 deep in the rotation, and everyone had at least 10 minutes of playing time. Obviously the bench will shorten and minutes will shift as the competition improves and the season gets deeper. But right now, Dixon is giving everyone a chance to earn their playing time and see action.
The first test comes tonight. A good, experienced Lehigh team. How does Pitt contain a dynamic guard like C.J. McCollum and a solid inside player like Gabe Knutson? How does their perimeter defense do against a team that has shot better than 40% on threes to start the season (19-45 in the first two games)?
Pitt has handled the lower tiers of the NEC and A-10 with ease. Now it’s stepping up to the best of the Patriot League.
My guess is John Johnson ends up at Marshall with Herrion – who recruited him.
If Pitt was going to push anyone out, he makes the most sense. Good luck to him.
As for the team, BIG GAME TONIGHT. The first real test of the season. Team appears strong but time will tell. What a pleasant divergence from football.
HTP
Best of luck to him though. I wouldn’t be shocked to see JJ having one of his days and lighting it up on ESPN in some conference tourney next spring.
I’m actually shocked Woodall is playing the 2… and he shoots toooo much… forces up too many shots and doesn’t have a great FG%.
The problem will be next year… if Robinson gets injured… no experienced backup. Remember when Woodall got injured and we tried to have Gibbs run the point last year?
You can easily turn a PG into a SG….. but rarely does an SG become a good PG. They are just not accustomed to handling the ball that much whether in HS, etc.
Woodall’s job is to press the offense to score. The last thing we need is another swing pass around the wing to someone else less assertive and less talented than him. He’s come a long way with his game and when he’s not in, the offense looks waaay less effective. Hope he stays healthy.
Agree with Silver, JJ wasn’t a PG anyway. This does free up another scholarship for another power forward perhaps. I think Dixon has several in mind. Or you might opt for a big 2 guard, along the lines of Ziegler, since he’ll be a senior next year. Either way, you should be able to get a kid better able to compete in the ACC.
You get a real stud to play with Adams and this team could be something special.
Beat Lehigh, HTP !
On the other hand, Moore really does seem to be a “team player,” and if he continues to thrive as the 6th man/”super sub” then maybe it’s best to not change yet.
Translation…. Dixon starting Robinson to lure Beeja..
which is not a bad thing!!!
I’m actually glad to see John Johnson leave. He never really struck me as a pure point guard and he is terribly undersized as a two guard. I’d much rather his minutes go to Durand Johnson. The team is going to need another shooter and hopefully that will be Durand.
I think JJ Moore ends up starting for Zanna by the end of the year.
@Joe D John Johnson might have been thinking that Robinson was starting over him for political reasons but in the two games so far Robinson looks much better than John Johnson did at any point last year.
Moore may end up starting, he is matchup nightmare for other fours and can score in bunches, but Zanna will still get plenty of PT. Zanna is a better rebounder and defender. Moore may start if it makes more sense to play him with Adams. When Moore and Taylor are playing together, Pitt is too small. They struggle a little on the boards and on defense.
Expect a good game tonight, Lehigh is absolutely a step up in competition. But ultimately, Pitt’s size and bench will be the difference. Pitt wins going away.
yep… boubacar… deepest Pitt team I ever saw…
what did he mean explain please.
i know there will be several thoughts on this statement would like to hear them.
As for Anya, Indiana (where everyone assumed he was heading) has now stopped recruiting him, leaving NC State as his first choice. I’m sure Dixon is still recruiting him, and he would be a great fit, but since he crossed Pitt off his list a few weeks ago, it would appear to be long shot.
Someone mentioned above how much better Pitt’s offense runs with Woodall in the game. I think the same could be said for Adams. It seemed that when Taylor came in, the entry passes to the post stopped…no more inside out game. Taylor’s effort is good, but his hands and instincts are lacking, and the offense starts to revert to the model from the last few years when he is in there.
SG from christ the king ny.
why do that becuse there top target for 2014 is
6 foot 11 260 pound center andonis delarosa from
the same school.
unless beeja anya comes to pitt but it looks as if NCS has him locked up.
He’s very pleasant, likable, great guy in the community, and some might think him a big softie, with that boyish smile and such.
I don’t think he puts up with a lot of bullshit or selfishness.
He feels he told you when he recruited you, that “team” is first.
You start straying from that, probably in the dog house very quickly.
Hence, not for everybody.
they only have 4… Adams, Zanna, Taylor, Gilbert.. and should have 5 on roster..
I don’t count JJMoore as a “Big”…
I know Pitt has a PF in the 2013 class… but that replaces Taylor… need another one to make 5 and Adams may be a 1 and done.
Also, Moore, Patterson and Zanna are Juniors…
i was wondering if there was anything negative
in his statement.
you know the rough practice that KB talked abought or kids not talking to team mates.
was just a little worryed abought the statement.
it could be takeing as negative may be was talking abought the system dixon runs.
just wonderd what he ment.
from ny so as to have a better shot at his team mate andonis delarosa a 6 11 260 pound center from same school for 2014 they were recruiting
severe earley this year.
and andonis is there target for next year.
As for Gilbert, he has to be RS this year. I don’t think Adams has the chops or desire to be one and done, but if he is, then Gilbert would burn a year with no return for him or Pitt.
Dante is not an NBA player. His McDonalds status was placed on him years ago. He is a hard worker however and runs the floor well. I think he has been average thus far based on one game I saw in person against ST Marys.
Adams is far better in person than appears on TV so I stand corrected on just “not seeing it” with him. The guy is graceful and tenacious! 1 and done? Still don’t see that, but he ain’t gonna be here for the Junior Prom either.
and only 3 SR.
i guess 3 players will be run off.
then 24 hours away.
No… Pitt doesn’t need another SG… loaded with SG types or SF types…
If not another “Big”… then another “PG”…
PG can be converted to SG but not vice versa…
Look at it another way… if Adams is a one and done… the only “bigs” are: Gilbert and Zanna.. and incoming frosh..
That is why another “Big” is needed for 2013.
there are not many rated bigs left that we have a shot at for this year there is a 2 star we have benn talking to and a slow 7 foot 3 man not rated but not mutch else.
“When Pitt football gets me down (constantly), I look to Pitt basketball to lift my spirits.
Comment by TX Panther 11.13.12 @ 10:47 am”
plus, there’s alcohol too. i’m going to be able to catch the game tonight, looking forward to seeing adams in action, along with robinson. haven’t seen any live bball action since.. ummm… that cba thing
This kid’s biggest sin was being WILDLY overrated coming out of high school. By all accounts, he is a good kid, works hard, has a good attitude, tries hard but he is just not that good. His talent is very limited.
He is our 8th or 9th best player and a reliable BACK UP CENTER. He is the best back up center we’ve had, maybe ever.
Thank God that Adams appears to be the real deal (he changes the game) and we don’t have to rely on Taylor to be something he is not.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that Adams will be just good enough to help Pitt make a deep run in the tournament, but not soooo good that he HAS TO leave early NBA. Starting to believe that a 2nd year for Adams at Pitt is possible.
OK – Heading to the Pete – HTP!!!
That being said I agree with boubacar…he was extremely overrated coming out of HS making his expectations unrealistic. He has worked hard to improve his game and his body(Look at pictures from HS and now…he is in WAY better shape). He just isn’t that lottery potential talent that he was billed coming out of HS
Plus Lehigh has several good seniors, with one the PG McCollum being a definite NBA draft pick.
Somebody mentioned we’d be up by 5-6 at the half and then blow them out in the 2nd half.
One question whoever that was,,,,are you a tout ?
That was spot on.
Again low turnovers and keeping the other team from shooting a high % is the key. It’s nice to talk offense, but limiting your turnovers and keeping the other team below 40% is what wins you games (even when you have a poor shooting nite). Another nice game by freshmen Jimmy Robinson with again ZERO turnovers and Woody only had 1 turnover I believe. Big change Woody playing 2 guard where he is free to create and cause havoc in the lane off the dribble. Something Gibbs, while being a great outside shooter, couldn’t do at the 2. I hope Jamie takes note of how important it is and how it opens up the court to have a 2 guard who can take you off the dribble and get into the lane and then create. Zanna has benefited a lot from this with two 20 point games already. Talib is turning into a nice finisher.
While Woody is small for a 2 guard, he’s going to be quicker than most 2 guards he faces. And if the matchup is bad on occasion, we have Ziegler waiting in the wings to change that matchup in a heartbeat. I like flexibility a lot.
Actually I think Lehigh is better than Michigan, so other than a bigger school name on the jersey, PITT should have plenty to take them out as well.
How enjoyable to talk and discuss something other than football. Which emphasizes again, that we need to make a monetary investment like we did into basketball, into the football program.
But before blowing any large sums of money, we need to sever ourselves from stevie cornhole.
Hail to Pitt !
Veritas et Virtus !
Get Rid of Pederson !
If Michigan weren’t in the Big 10 plus whatever would they be ranked 5?
Play hard defense against Michigan and you will frustrate them.
Cyanide Steve must go. Wrote my check today for Pitt’s club sports.
What Blair didn’t have was the depth of this team. The bench is amazing. Robinson is the biggest surprise, his game is solid.
Going to be interesting to see how they compete against the big boys in the big east.
But first, bring on the Wolverines.
In the second half, while running what I call the continuity sets to run clock I would like to see them break off around 15 second mark and take it towards the lane off right hand dribble somewhat like Wanamaker use to do so they could shoot the lane jumper, dish outside/corner or dump off. They seemed to run it down until too far and take a long three last night – it worked but it is low percentage in my book.
Would like to see a little change up with Adams & JJ together and Dante & Zanna teamed up. We give some rebounds with Dante & JJ out there together and will against bigger teams.
Robinson is the real deal and can play serious defense. Ziegler needs to take a few lessons from him.
Michigan is very good and I hope we can keep up.
Pitt is more evenly match with Michigan from a personnell standpoint, even though I think Pitt is deeper. Both of these coaches know each other well from years of Backyard Brawls so I think it will be interesting how much that coaching familiarity and gameplanning will play into the result.
For those wondering…the next “round” of this “tournament” will be played on November 21 @ MSG. The game will either be on @ 7 on ESPNU or 9:30 on ESPN2…I am not sure which is the better slot here, but I am assuming Pitt v. Mich takes the cake over Delaware v. KSU
I thought it was really interesting that JD put D. Johnson in for Patterson early in the second half and left him in for a long stretch, and he produced! Nice to see a young guy take advantage of the opportunity.
Taylor actually did decent from a rebounding standpoint.. and finished one play with the most authority I have seen in years from him.. and no gang signs after.
James Robinson – wow.. this kid is a freshman ?
If this is the real Zanna this year.. then holy smokes… that front line will be amazing.
This team can play big or small.. and 10 deep.. really push on the D end. Very exciting to see the young guys develop and hopefully this season is a special one.
That said, we definitely look much better than last year. But let’s see how we do i nour first real contest – Michigan. That’ll be interesting and telling.
Adams is simply huge. He is also very athletic for a big guy. The team is so much better defensively with him in the game. If he can develop a post move or two, then he will be amazing. Given where he is right now, I can see him coming back for a second year. He will be a first round pick this year, but if he continues to improve he can be a top-10 pick after 2 years.
Ziegler didn’t play well yesterday. He has some game. I was impressed with him on Friday. He just needs to learn how to play within the system. He is pretty athletic. Dixon needs to get him more minutes. He is the type of guy that needs minutes to play well.
Zanna is really benefiting from playing with Adams. It opens up a ton of space for him. He is draining the 12-18 foot jump shot with ease. That shot will be there all year. If he can continue to knock it down, then he will have a big year.
Woodall and Moore are playing well. Patterson is struggling, but he will be okay. Durand Johnson got his first minutes and played well yesterday.
Taylor isn’t very good and hasn’t improved at all since he got to campus. Maybe he doesn’t have the talent. That isn’t his fault. However, I have not seen any improvement in his body or strength in 4 years. That doesn’t take talent, it takes hard work and discipline. Maybe he has been hurt, nevertheless he is the worst player on the team.
The team is pretty stacked. I’m officially excited about the season.
I’m intrigued by how things will continue to shake out. Is Durand surpassing Wright? I think that would be a great development. You can’t teach his size and athleticism at that 2/3 spot, not to mention the ability to hit from outside.
Really like this team.
Taylor will work as a serviceable back-up C all year.
Adams doesnt need post up moves yet, though they will come. For now, garbage buckets are plenty and he's already better at that than McGhee or Taylor. Big question will be how he fairs defensively against legit BE Centers posting up on him. If he's merely average, Pitt's a much better team than last year.
Love Moore as super-sub, love that Zanna seems to be flourishing now that he doesnt have the weight of Taylor as the other big man.
Guard play is just too deep to be too flawed.
But long way to go….
Taylor is playing well. But when Adams is in, the game is altered in our favor just by his presence- especially on defense.
Just like Beilein’s Hoopie teams this team seems to hoist up 15-20 3′s a game. So there could be a lot of long rebounds, so PITT will have to be quick to the ball and Woody & Robinson will have to scoop up those long bounds.
So our perimeter defense will get a real good test in this game. Adams will be going up against another freshmen (McGary) who averages 6 & 8 in 13 minutes per game. They haven’t been tested yet, as they’ve played 3 lightweights including Slippery Rock 
. The last blowout win was against Cleveland State.
We can immediately move into the Top 20 with a win over the #5 ranked Wolverines. And since MSG is more a home to us then them, we have a good chance !
HTP
With this being so early in the season and them playing lightweights so far, Beilein is obviously trying to get them up to speed early as they have us, K-State & NC State (which is #6 currently) in their next 3 games.
The TV networks are obviously hoping for a big early TV game of NC State & Michigan, both undefeated on Nov. 27th.
Let’s see if we can put a Monkey Wrench into that.
Taylor is not a good player. I have watched and played basketball my entire life. Taylor is one of the worst defensive big men I have ever seen. He is a good offensive rebounder. That is the best part of his game.
I will not agree with your assessment of Taylor. The defense is considerably worse when he is in the game. Driving lanes open up by the dozen. He is simply horrible on the defensive end.
Emel, you pretty much nailed it. Michigan is guard focused, but they are not by any means small. They are long and lean at every position. Kind of how UCLA used to be every year. I think they may be a little bit overrated in the first few weeks of November, but a very good team, nonetheless. As deep as we are.
Fortunately, we have the bodies to match up up front and we all know that Tray likes to go right at big guys. I think Ziegler will be a good matchup too and could be in for a breakout game. When’s the last time we had a 6’5″ scoring guard?????
Oh, and PS:
FU Big East for leaving us out of the Big East/SEC Challenge. Instead we’ve got a marquee, primetime game in our recruiting hotbed of NYC, at The Garden against #5 Michigan.
What an improvement. Look forward to Michigan.
I have a couple friends buy tickets a few days before the game and they were a few rows from the court behind the basket.
That said for a UConn game (the last one ever at the Pete probably) if there are any being sold, it won’t be very many so I wouldn’t count on getting tickets thru box office for that one.
Buyer beware……happen to some guys I was with at BE tourney a few years back when they started using barcodes. $200 for an invalid ticket that looked brand new.
The only bright side, I was able to trade my ticket for a CLUB ticket with a scalper for just a couple bucks. The CLUB is the best way to watch the game! HD TV for replays and to catch the Duke/KY game AND alcohol.
lmao
In Charlotte, lots of Upper Deck tickets for $1 against most opponents.
Don’t know how this league pays their players and owners apparently make money(or is it some sort of huge tax write off for these guys who own mulitiple businesses). Don’t see how.
TV ratings are very low as well. Which means commercials aren’t exactly high dollar ones.
Maybe it’s Gov’t funded, lol
Unfortunately you need to go with a couple drinks in ya since the games are kinda short.
TaXI !!!
@TX Panther – Heinz sells beer and wine in the club sections. I sat there for an 8pm game vs ND a few years ago. After tailgaiting for 4 hours and drinking in the club for another 3, I’m not sure how we walked across the bridge back to the hotel. However, I do remember that we won that night.
