Oh, happy days. Basketball is back.
Pitt starts the season in Okinawa, Japan in the Armed Forces Classic against the number 9 team in the country, Gonzaga. The game is slated for a 7pm (but pushed to 7:40) start on ESPN. That is assuming no disruptions by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 in Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan — some 763 kilometers away — didn’t disrupt things. (It didn’t.)
Pitt is the obvious underdog in this game.
It’s interesting. As much as Pitt has a huge roster turnover from last year to this, the players from last year had a huge number of minutes. Pitt has a returning as possession minutes perecentage (%RPM) of 74%. (Insider subs)
I know, what the hell?
To measure experience, I use a handy item I call possession-minutes. Basically it’s the percentage of minutes that a player is on the floor, multiplied by the percentage of possessions he used last season (as seen at KenPom.com). I add those products up for each player on a given team from last season, and calculate what percentage of that total number is returning as possession-minutes (%RPMs) for this season. For 2015-16, the average major-conference team will return about 60 percent of its possession-minutes from last season.
The number 10 team in %RPM is Vandy at 79%. Running through the list, somewhat carelessly, the rough estimate that Pitt is somewhere in the top-50 in %RPM. Which, really, only indicates just how much of a load James Robinson, Jamel Artis and Michael Young were carrying last year. Other players that would be included would be Sheldon Jeter and Chris Jones with a little from Ryan Luther and Cam Johnson.
I think the thing I will be watching very closely is the center position as handled by the graduate transfer duo of Rafael Maia and Alonzo Nelson-Ododa. From what I have heard, the staff wants to redshirt JUCO transfer Rozelle Nix — to get him in better condition and ready to play at the higher level. That does, require, though, Maia and Nelson-Ododa to be decent. And by decent, I don’t simply mean better than Randall and Uchebo.
(1/2-0, 0-0 away)
(9) Gonzaga 35
(0-1/2, 0-0 home)
Looking at this score will always be better because of Luther. Thank you Ryan.
That was one damn nasty face-plant Robinson took. Glad he didn’t end up with a concussion. I really liked seeing what I saw in the first 20 minutes of the new season.
family about the game. I think they were shocked PITT played so well
My wife kept saying the game should be “called” all during the first half; the poor conditions.
I wish Dixon would have said something to that effect during half time. It would have shown his concern for the team. Looks like the guys like him; at least Young.
I think we may have a decent team. I don’t care what Gonzaga is rated they are always good and we played right with them and all their tall “timbers” (Spokane area is big lumber country.)
Dixon can coach no matter what some of you guys may say.
Comment by Old Pitt Grad 11.13.15 @ 10:07 pm
Honestly. After UNC/Duke/UVA, the ACC isn’t very impressive to me this year. Not buying the hype into Miami and FSU.
And we sort of got stuck in mostly a halfcourt game, as Pitt didn’t press much, or very aggressively maybe to due to the court conditions.
I think if Artis doesn’t get into foul trouble and Ododa plays more at Center, Pitt could have had a double digit lead and at times it was close to that. They got at least 10 points on just tossing the ball over Luther to their big. Funny he got the 3 point play at the end, could be his only one of the year.
So overall this has to be BIG BOOST…for the confidence of the team.
Didn’t like Bilas’ sudden about-face on the dangerous court but he had some very good comments about Pitt’s play. He is a bit smug, but fairly good analyst IMO.
Based on interviews on the topic I think Dixon’s counter to recruiting is going to be the grad transfer and experience route. It’s a new era and grad transfer season is huge now.
I like a lot of people are sort of pre-occupied with the moslem terrorist attack on Paris.
But hey thanks for taking some mis-aimed potshots at me….. whoever you are.
Again I only listened, but very encouraged. My boss hooked me up with club seats next Friday against Detroit. Looking forward to a Pitt filled weekend, don’t get to many hoop games, haven’t missed attending a Pitt football game since the mid 90’s.
Again, very encouraged by the effort tonight. Lady Panthers won and had a nice crowd. Let’s beat Duke in their digs tomorrow and as always…
Hail to Pitt!!!!
Hail to Pitt!!!!
Looked like he was & had a noticeable limp.
I think Nix has potential.
Jamie take notes and watch that film. We should beat more teams in the ACC than we lose to. Last night’s performance was encouraging.
Nice team – very deep. The best player (Wilson) did not play due to injury.
HTP!
Did I really hear that or am I mistaken?
I just heard Geraldo say “Let Russia bomb them (ISIS) out of existence”. His daughter was at the France vs Germany soccer game – she did not get hurt.
No one commented this morning about Dookie Bilas’ Pitt pat on the back last night: “if these guys are then 10th best team in the ACC, it must be a helluva league!” I almost fell off my couch!!
Some of you guys continue to drill Jamie about having to bring in transfers and grads, because he can’t recruit 4* & 5*s. But if the really good freshmen only hang around for two years, (and we can’t get them to come to (and/or stay at) Pitt, why not get two year players with experience who can fit right into the system?
Based on what we saw last night, compared to the last couple of years, my that’s off to Jamie. Of course this is based on 1\2 a game, but I’m very impressed, and quite hopeful for the season. Loved the 3s, the D, and the inside play!
Looking for a W today – and I think the D gets it for us. Although the DL is in bad shape, I think PN will”junk it up”, and the blitzes get to the QB – taking pressure off the DBs. Chaney still won’t revert to our obvious strength on the ground – diabolical misuse of a garage full of road graders! My surprise prediction is: Pitts turns his head, and gets a pick 6 – rather, a “Pitts 6”!!
H2PN. 7-3!!
Having a lead on a quality team like zag will be a big boost to their confidence moving forward. This was a big plus.
The boxscore says that starters Nelson-Odada and Jamel Artis only played a total of 7 minutes in the first half (due to each getting two quick fouls), yet the Panther bench was strong enough to outscore one of the best teams in the country.
Cameron Johnson played so well that Dixon left him in for 15 minutes out of 20. That says a lot, because Dixon won’t let anyone play this year unless he is playing good defense. He’s a Red Shirt Freshman. We could have four more years with him on the team. That’s something to look forward to. Wow!
And the depth should get even better once senior transfer Rafael Maia gets into shape after his injuries and once 4-star freshman point guard Damon Wilson recovers from his hamstring.
I am a salty watcher most of the times with severely tempered expectations in both football (pleasant surprise this year) and definitely basketball, but everyone sounds like whiny little pouts. I usually side with these pouts, but that was just obnoxious.
We looked good I thought and taking it into halftime with the lead shows that this jigsaw puzzle team we have this year is already playing above expectations and with decent chemistry out of the gate.
