Good article today on Pitt’s options at shooting guard.
Dixon has no fewer than five options to choose from when deciding who will replace Woodall, the team’s leading scorer last season (11.5 points per game) who moved to off-guard upon the arrival of Robinson.
There is junior Cameron Wright, who has 11 games of starting experience under his belt. There are three freshmen — redshirt Chris Jones and incoming players Josh Newkirk and Detrick Mostella.
And then there is a reserve small forward who would like an opportunity to prove he can win the job as well.
Yes, Durand Johnson envisions himself as being in the mix.
I’m not dismissing it out of hand, because it is tempting to have someone as long as Johnson playing at the 2. Not to mention since Johnson has more of a preference to be firing away from outside, there is a reasonable fit
Need, however, probably keeps him at the small forward spot. Chris Jones will also be likely to see time playing at the 3.
“Right now, it’s all about what coach wants to do,” Johnson said. “Whatever he wants me to do I’m fine with that.”
But Johnson made it clear he would relish an opportunity at shooting guard. While Wright is the best defensive option, Johnson is the more-talented offensive player. Beyond his 3-point shooting, Johnson is one of the better athletes on the team and could score more in transition if given the opportunity.
Johnson knows he must improve two aspects of his game if Dixon is going to trust him in the backcourt.
Oh, there are several choices for this.
“My main thing is ball-handling and decision-making,” he said. “If I get those two things down I’ll be a [heck] of a player. I feel like it will be hard to guard if I can create for my teammates.”
Those are fine answers. We also would have accepted “more consistency as a shooter” and “defense.”
The reality is that if Johnson improves his ball-handling and decsion-making he will see more action on the court. Regardless of whether at the 2 or 3. Especially if Pitt is going to up the tempo.
Patterson isn’t out there at the 3 because he is an exceptional defender or a particularly outstanding shooter. Patterson just does a little bit of everything without making a lot of mistakes. Patterson’s biggest weakness is that he is too deliberate. Too cautious.
I have liked Patterson a lot. You talk about a player that really works hard to do everything to get better, and Patterson has been one of the hardest workers on the team.
That said, he is also one of the primary culprits for just how slow Pitt was on offense last year. Holding the ball too long for stretches. Waiting too long on making passes inside — or even on the perimeter — for fear of a turnover. Hesitating that a post player was not absolutely open for the pass, rather than showing more trust that Adams or Zanna (or Taylor) would be free enough from the defender to catch the pass. Deliberate to the point of paralysis.
Patterson’s greatest weakness is a lack of decisiveness. There’s a fine line between deliberate and indecisive. Reflecting on this past season over this summer, I keep coming back to Patterson’s role. As important a player he is to Pitt, he gets too concerned with mistakes or negative plays on offense.
Even by Pitt’s standards, last year was really, really slow tempo. This was the slowest paced Pitt team in Dixon’s ten years. Slower than both Georgetown and Notre Dame. I mean slow. You have to go all the way back to the 2003-04 season to get close to how slow last year’s squad was.
Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of good choices last year at small forward. Both J.J. Moore and Durand Johnson viewed the small forward position more as a shooting guard spot. Hoisting whenever they could. Not to mention less than acceptable ball-handling. Trey Zeigler was no where close to being a possibility. That put additional responsibilities on Patterson.
Johnson and Jones will have opportunities, especially since I really do believe Pitt will play at a swifter clip this year. No, not any run and gun. Just not even realistic. But more along the tempo Pitt had when Fields was running the point. Robinson will be more experienced and in control of the offense, and I just think the team will have better balance to be more attacking and decisive on offense.
and spot on!!
I’ve said before, I’d love to see Patterson as the 6-man with Johnson the starter at SF. If they want to play small, Patterson could sub-in for PF.
I don’t see Newkirk starting at SG. It would be the same problem as last year playing 2 PG’s. Newkirk is a PG first and foremost. Perfect backup for Robinson that could be change of pace/tempo person.
Funny, last year was the lowest tempo in Dixon 10 years, yet he had a 10man rotation that was athletic enough to run the floor and blow the doors off teams. I guess Jamie didn’t get the memo on that analysis.
Next question.
But in actuality, Young, Patterson and Johnson will share the 3 and 4 with Patterson moving back and forth between the 3 and the 4. All three will get plenty of playing time.
Wright will start at shooting guard, but Mostella will get more and more playing time, as he learns Jamie’s system.
The problem now seems to be the lack of depth behind Zanna and Young. Plus we are really counting on Young to be the real deal. When those two get into foul trouble, we will be playing with four guards so they better practice that from the get go.
The wild card is Uchebo and if Jamie pulls a last minute rabbit (Big) out of his hat (ass).
LOI issues even though he has been fully released he has to wait a year to sign with another team.
Well, at least that is my interpretation of the rules.
He has not been officially announced by Pitt nor did you read anything about Mostella signing a Pitt LOI. (or least not that I know of)
If either Newkirk (possibly) or Mostella (unlikely) can develop defensively, I don’t see Wright having a significant role.
If neither develops defensively, Pitt SG spot will once again be undermanned.
He could also be useful in transition if there is any desire to increase the tempo.
If he had played 30 minutes in W.S. (3-4) minimizing Woodall’s damage (10 minutes) and taken advantage of Adams dominance we could have Pitt W.S. and who knows from there.
….as molasses.
Only good thing was you could get a few winks while PITT was on offense.
I know it won’t happen, but if you want to speed things up, sit Patterson, let them play uptempo and if it needs someone to calm things down and shift it back down to 2nd gear, you can bring Patterson in.
They were starting to play a little faster until Patterson started getting more minutes and as Chas notes, Patterson was Mr. Molasses. When ever he touched the ball, the motion offense ground to a halt, with his lack of quick decision making. This might have had something to do with JD’s ‘quick hook’ if someone made a mistake.
Which could become scary this year, with more choices for JD at the 2 and maybe 3.
But you can’t have someone that indecisive touching the ball so much in a ‘motion’ offense.
As it suddenly becomes……a ‘motionless’ offense
Since they both missed the May signing period, they won’t sign a LOI until the fall after they enroll for classes. And of course if they’re already enrolled, a LOI isn’t necessary.
Thx for the daily doom & gloom, Joe D. lol
Comment by gc 07.10.13 @ 10:22 am
@ gc
Don’t forget about the stiff (er kid) we got from Rutgers. If nothing else he’s another big body.
Think he’s like 6’8″ about 250.
And from what I’ve heard he will be eligible this season.
He will have 2-3 games where his shot is on.
Other than that, he shouldn’t be on the court much unless the opposing 2 Guard is torching us.
We also played better that stretch when Wright didn’t play for 4-5 games. Until some damn reporter brought it to JD’s attn.
Wright will be a Redshirt Junior this season. That’s not exactly young would you say. He’s already been in the system for 3 years, this will be season #4. He’s averaged 2.2 ppg and 4.3 ppg and had 2 games last season with double digits (10).
Since we don’t get much scoring from the Robinson (6.1 ppg) it’s absolutely IMPERATIVE you get scoring from the 2G.
And Wright is not going to give you that scoring.
I think JD knows that much.
Before Mostello was signed, JD was going to use 2 PG’s a lot, like last year in the game at the same time, with Robinson & Newkirk this year as opposed to Robinson & Woodall last year.
Again you need scoring from the 2G, even moreso when you have a PG who isn’t a scorer. Newkirk might become one if JD takes the reigns off.
I forgot about the Rutgers trade. Hopefully he does provide some rebounds and putbacks, we will need them.
Wright will get minutes because he is a physical player, on short supply with this team. Hopefully Young will be physical, but he is a freshman.
The rest of them are going to get tossed around like ragdolls, other than Robinson who was strong but a little slow on d against the elite guards.
Hopefully Zanna has put on a few pounds and has learned a little about leverage. I have never seen a big man on the ground as much as him. Hopefully he will keep his feet underneath him a little more often this year.
Good question by Emel, where will the points come from?
Then of course you have Artis (who I bet is gonna just be a PF but I have not seen him play), and Jones, who is the same size as Johnson.
Johnson, Newkirk and Mostella would seemingly fit well in the up-tempo Atlantic Coast Conference, Pitt’s new home after 31 years in the Big East.
“Coach said he wants to run,” Johnson said. “He’s been talking about getting up and down, so I feel like he will change his style and be more run and gun.”
Now…..is JD serious, or was this just a line he fed to the kids to keep them happy.
Because you can’t micromanage the fast break and an uptempo game. And God knows we know JD is keen on micromanaging EACH and EVERY possession.
HTP !
From an Okie State source:
Francisco Liriano pitched a gem ! Finally scored a few runs, although only 1 was needed.
Beat em Bucs !
What I find interesting is that his family is Pitt season ticket holders, but apparently did not offer him according to the recruiting sites.
I’ll be honest, I never even heard of Consentino before he committed to FSU, and from what I hear he didn’t really have a BCS caliber season last year. My first reaction, whether it is fair or not, was that there has to be a family or friend connection between the Consentino family and Sal Sunseri (FSU LB coach and CC Grad).
I’m sure he’ll be a project at FSU. The difference being the mix of incoming players … Pitt would seem to have more projects. While this may not be prefereable, it is reality .. and just may work out in the long run.
I follow WPIAL football closely and never heard of the kid and then all of the sudden he’s commmitted to FSU and is given 4 stars. Just seemed to me that with Winston for the next 3 years, FSU just needed a depth QB to hold the clipboard for this years class, who happens to be a marginal recruit from PCC recruited by Sal Sunseri. They’ll start recruiting for post-Winston next year.
I’ve actually heard better things about Consentino as a punter. I’m not trying to knock the kid, but the situation struck me as odd.
Good point about him being a punter. Coaches see past what they play in high school. They project the players into other positions. Safeties to LB, etc.
MariettaMike
I did notice ‘tino’ was part of his name, yikes.
Dixon may not understand hair styles, but he gets basic math. If Johnson hits 38% of his three point attempts, that is equal to shooting 57% of twos. Plus having a three point threat opens up things for everyone else.
Reports from some credible sources have said that Wright is playing VERY well this summer. He’s a big, tough, psychically mature player, he’ll be 22 by the time ACC games start. Jamie also likes the older guys. But he’ll never be a long range threat.
Also, there were rumors about Wright transferring. Those rumors almost always turn out to be true. Wright stayed. It would be reasonable to assume that Dixon convinced him to stay, granted that was before Mostella committed.
My guess, Wright starts at the two initially. Johnson will be the first sub in. If Durand can be responsible with the ball, keep the turnovers low and show that he can adequately defend big guards, then he’ll get starters minutes spread between the 2and3 and will eventually start. His shooting ability will win out.
Have no idea yet where Mostella fits in. He’s not a shooter. He is lightning quick off the bounce and can finish at the rim. It will probably take some time for him to adjust to how Pitt wants him to play.
Chris Jones is the other wildcard. I think he does a lot of things well, but nothing spectacularly well. He is not fast. I can’t imagine Jamie playing Patterson, Robinson and Jones together. Talk about molasses?
And yes, Mostella IS a shooter.
Other than that, good comments.
Google Detrick Mostella Shooting and the YouTube clip of his shooting warm up will come up.
Pgh Central Catholic ran the ball well – but struggled with pass
some stated the Central JV QB looked better at times
Cosentino has aparently looked good in camps this year
yes – Cosentino has a leg and it appears to be a Div1 leg; he boomed his punts at the games I attended
.
What did he do limit his minutes all season especially in non-conference. Did not make him the focus of the offense early to help his development and confidence. And ruined his confidence by not permitting him to use his jump shot that destroyed Noels. Inside/outside my ass.
If he coached last years team, even with the limited athleticism of the team except at the 5 they could have run and used Adams ability to beat any center in college down the court.
Actually Pitt doe not have the talent to run this year. Too small underneath cannot run in basketball unless you can control the boards – with Zanna this team cannot control the boards even in a nonphysical ACC conference.
“Strengths:
There aren’t many kids in the country who can score the ball as well as Detrick. He really excels shooting from the mid-range, whether it be on the catch, or off-the-dribble. From the three-point line, he is deadly because of his quick release. Not to mention how efficient he is from both levels. He also has athleticism that is almost unparalled on the high school level.
Weaknesses:
His body is what hurts him the most when talking about his future in the game. For a shooting guard, 6’1″ is considered quite small, regardless of how high he can jump. He also is extremely skinny and hasn’t shown a willingness to play solid man-to-man defense.
College Projections:
High Major Plus
Complete Rankings:
Player Grade: 96 (4-Star)
National Rank: 40
Position Rank: 10
State Rank: 3
Skills Review:
Shooting: Excellent
Dribbling: Good
Passing: Average
Rebounding: Good
Intangibles: Good”
Reality say we will find out soon enough…
Go figure !
Duh !
