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January 12, 2015

Open Thread: CFB Championship Game

Filed under: Uncategorized — Chas @ 6:15 pm

Thankfully my son hasn’t asked for any Buckeye gear. I was legitimately worried about that living in Ohio and the lead-in to to tonight. I think the saving grace was school being cancelled from Wednesday to Friday last week. Meant not having any of the perfidious peer pressure brought to bear for the whole week. Instead, just one day back and the game tonight.

Have to break out the ladder and clean the satellite tonight. The snow today, seems to have disrupted the signal. Usually it hasn’t been a problem, but of course tonight there is an issue.

Presumably most of us will be watching the game on ESPN2 so we can hear Pat Narduzzi talk about the game with some other coach whose agent tried to use the Pitt job for leverage in another job. Along with Chris Speilman and and Tom Luginbill.

I still want Narduzzi to use the time to announce another coach he’s hired. Just for fun.





Looking over tonite’s opponent, Florida State’s top 3 scorers are ALL Guards.

And they’re all big guards.

Aaron Thomas 6’5″ 15ppg
Montay Brandon 6’7″ 13ppg & 6 rpg
Xavier Mayes 6’4″ 12.5 ppg & 4.5 apg

Just our luck, as our guards can’t defend most anyone. Well maybe the guards from Holy Cross.

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 12:39 pm

A quick take from looking into the Twitter tea leaves….

….

Illinois’s Tim Salem & Akron’s OL coach John Peterson have started to follow a myriad of Pitt Twitter accounts -possible hires? We shall see

Comment by Pittscript 01.14.15 @ 12:41 pm

gc, Robinson’ is a distributer first and foremost. With a good inside game or good offensive production from the 2 guard or the wing it wouldn’t be a problem. This team doesn’t have a Lamar Paterson or Durand Johnson who is going to give the offensive punch from the wing, either driving to the hoop or shooting from outside. They also lack the inside game they need.

Comment by Justinian 01.14.15 @ 12:42 pm

FSU looks to go about 10 deep and do have two (2) 7 footers.

Both of them are stiffs, but they’ll probably look like All-Americans tonite against our soft soft interior and overall defense.

1) Boris Bojanovsky 7’3″ 5.3 ppg & 3.5 rpg
2) Michael Ojo 7’1″ 300 lbs. 2.9 ppg & 2.3 rpg

Bojanovsky had 10 points in his last outing against Syracuse.

If Jamie is going to play Young at the 5, he should have Young out on the wing, to pull these giant centers AWAY from the hoop and where Young can use his speed/agility against these giants.

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 12:47 pm

The whole offense went thru Lamar last year, as Robinson is not up to that kind of role.

No Lamar this year or no one else to run the offense thru. Only when Newkirk is in the game and given free reign is when we have any semblance of an offense.

Which is what your point guard is supposed to do.
Robinson is better at the 2 guard, but he’s only shooting 40% fg and worse at 3’s, 27%.

And he can’t defend any quick guard.

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 1:00 pm

So he’s basically a liability as Dan72 has pointed out more than a couple times.

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 1:02 pm

John Fox is OUT of a job.

Pitt should have waited. haha

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 1:11 pm

Late tipoff at the Pete…9pm

The Zoo should be in good form. Hopefully they’ll have something to cheer and go wild.

Game on ESPN3

Chances of Jamie, changing the offense, away from a halfcourt game.

My guess is: 20%

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 1:33 pm

Latest ACC Power Poll.

link to theacc.com

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 1:40 pm

Justinian, what is a distributor? He certainly isn’t a great passer ala Brandin Knight, or Lamar Patterson. He does not get to the hoop any better than he did as a frosh. His shooting percentages are abysmal, except from the foul line. And as Emel points out, he can’t defend quick guards.

Yes we have big problems at other positions, but as an upper classman, his game has not improved as others have in the past.

A point guard is your field general, I think Jamie needs to give that job to Newkirk, he has more of the tools and a hiring ceiling.

The mantra of better rebounding and defense may be true, but scoring the ball is an option. Robinson is not getting it done.

Comment by gc 01.14.15 @ 1:40 pm

Look to see a smaller crowd tonight with a late game and lackluster team. Pittsburgh fans only support winners, so I think we will see a rapid decline in attendance, if this team does not improve.

Comment by gc 01.14.15 @ 1:44 pm

It’s still hard to fathom that our BBall team is this average (at best). It appears the writing is on the proverbial wall that we will finish near the bottom of the ACC. Or, am I missing something and we are really better than I think??? I would love to be wrong! Can anybody provide an argument that explains that we will do better then it appears at this time? Maybe smoke and mirrors will work?
May Day! May Day! Our ship is sinking……

Comment by pittman4ever 01.14.15 @ 1:49 pm

gc, The Panthers have no inside game. Last year they had Talib Zanna inside and Lamar Patterson on the wing.

Comment by Justinian 01.14.15 @ 2:07 pm

link to theacc.com

Other RSN’s besides ESPN3 including Fox Sports Carolinas in Charlotte

Comment by PITT-Cocks fan 01.14.15 @ 2:17 pm

among other things, the upperclassmen always stepped up to the leadership roles. As noted, Patterson and Zanna did this last year.

Thus far, Cam had been injured or inconsistent. Robinson has been more proactive this year but has his limitations.

The rest of the team are sophomores and freshmen, who are inconsistent and reluctant to take charge.

Comment by wbb 01.14.15 @ 2:21 pm

Pitt – FSU also on Comcast Sports Net (CSN)

Comment by Frank MD 01.14.15 @ 2:27 pm

Every de commit from this class opens up another scholly for Narduzzi either in this current class or in 2016. Have no fear. Help in the recruiting dept is on the horizon. As I’ve mentioned previously, I feeling a couple surprises arise for Pitt come LOI Signing day. We will all know for sure soon enough.

Comment by Dr. Tom 01.14.15 @ 2:47 pm

Pittscript 01.14.15 @ 12:33 pm, Daust was a rumored DC candidate, and it sounds like Narduzzi wanted to Conklin more, I can’t imagine Daust stayed a DL position coach at Sryacuse instead of being a DC.

I would still not be at all surprised if Siatras is the DL coach here soon. just my opinion though. That being said, all the early reports were based on examining Narduzzi’s coaching tree whereas his actual hires so far have not been based on that, except Rob Harley.

Comment by PittHW 01.14.15 @ 2:47 pm

We have an OL coach ladies and gentlemen
Akrons John Peterson

link to twitter.com

Comment by PittHW 01.14.15 @ 2:54 pm

@ Dr. Tom, excellent point!! on the recruiting.

@pittHW, right… it is amazing how this guy is just out interviewing and hiring the best interviewee… rather than buds he drank beer with!

Hey, seems confirmed

John Petersen is the OL coach. I linked is bio above last night.

… also will post of video of him…. the dude is freak’n intense!!!

Comment by Pittscript 01.14.15 @ 2:54 pm

@pittman4ever

Maybe smoke and mirrors will work?
May Day! May Day! Our ship is sinking……

Jamie is saving our secret weapon until March.

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 3:00 pm

@ Pitt-cocks

Good deal, we’re on Fox Sports Carolinas a lot.

Guess they want to make sure everyone see’s how bad we are now 🙁

Please come to Pitt….Mr. Diallo. And bring your other buddy as well.

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 3:07 pm

Akron had better coaches then us last year.

No wonder they kicked our ass.

Better not happen in Sept !!!

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 3:09 pm

Emel, maybe we are on a roll. Stevie fired .. new, aggressive HC ….. bigger budget

Maybe we will finally get that stud big man

Comment by wbb 01.14.15 @ 3:12 pm

Yep wbb

Got to get better than last years recruiting class.

If Diallo or Spellman, Herron probably stays committed in 2016. If not…..

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 3:16 pm

^we land^

Comment by Emel 01.14.15 @ 3:17 pm

Justinian, I agree we are not strong underneath, even more reason we need guards that can score. Robinson plays the most minutes and shoots the most, but has terrible results. Newkirk has even given passes to Uchebo for lay-ups. A good point guard should also be your assist leader setting up easy baskets to your bigs, this is not happening either. When Robinson drives the lane he usually ends up getting blocked and never has the ability to dump it down for a layup. This should not be happening in his junior year. He only plays at two speeds, slow and deliberate.

Comment by gc 01.14.15 @ 3:51 pm

Pittscript 01.14.15 @ 2:54 pm, awesome can’t wait to watch the video.

Comment by PittHW 01.14.15 @ 4:20 pm

Robinson does look better with the weight loss. If things don’t pan out for Jamie in the next couple of years he can always open the Dixon Daily Weight Loss Clinic! ????

Comment by pittman4ever 01.14.15 @ 4:30 pm

There is absolutely no way that Robinson should have played 137 more minutes than Newkirk so far. Especially with Wright out for the non-com.

Jamie needs to get Newkirk, Jeter, Uchebo and Randall on the floor more and let them play through their so-called defensive struggles.

I don’t see any superior defensive play from anyone, anyway.

If we are going to see wide open threes and uncontested lay-ups all year, at least put some guys out there that can score and rebound.

Pitt used to known for strong physical play, suffocating defense and rebounding and fighting for every loose ball. That era was over five years ago, we don’t have those type of players on this team. Jamie needs to adjust his thinking and play to the strengths of the players he has now. If they have any.

Comment by gc 01.14.15 @ 4:36 pm

Made a mistake on Pitt BB tonight. In MD DC area Pitt game on TCN just after ND – GT..

Comment by Frank MD 01.14.15 @ 5:14 pm

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