1pm syndicated on the ACC Network and ESPN3.
We all know UNC is good. They were the preseason #1. But how good they are has remained an open question. There have been injuries, but they have also simply come unglued at times — even when they have won (beating BC by only 3?). Other times they look like they could blow through the field in March.
They could destroy Pitt by 20, or Pitt could come away with a win. Or somewhere in between. Even in Chapel Hill. I just don’t know. Odds aren’t good for a Pitt win, though, as UNC hasn’t lost at home this year. Even their shaky wins were on the road.
We will see how Pitt responds after that disheartening finish to the Miami game.
We will see if UNC is caught looking ahead to Duke in a few days.
Pitt won’t have a chance if Artis and Young play like they did against Miami. Obviously. Also obvious is that Pitt will need a big game from at least two other players to have a chance. Sheldon Jeter, Sterling Smith, Ryan Luther, Cam Johnson, Chris Jones and James Robinson. Any pairing from there. Pitt will need some threes to fall if Pitt wants to get to the basket — and the foul line.
Dhuffdaddy, very easy to question the coach when you are losing. I hope you are wrong about these guys leaving. I think they have both gotten better each year and are extremely frustrated, so who knows. JR was never a good passer, if they work with Wilson over the summer, he has the potential to make them both better prospect for the next level.
According to the recap of the NC game Michael Young did not start — isn’t that unusual? What’s going on here?
I support Pitt athletics and am upset when they don’t compete. Of course, I’d like to see Pitt win but if there is an honest effort I can accept a loss. The above statistics are indicative of a team that does not care or the coach is not coaching his team properly. No team, how bad they are, should not shoot under 75% from the FT line. Just my opinion.
I’m hoping Pitt can get a few more W’s. Hail to Pitt!
Wilson is the wildcard. He needs to play, now. JD messed this up in the pre-season in my opinion because he didn’t look forward. He knew what he had in JR and also knew the rest of the core.He failed to get Wilson immersed in the program.
The question is, does Barnes think that it can be fixed with Jamie at the helm?
The problem is then complicated by the contract.
In any case the status quo has to change.
But within what time frame?
“But it is no secret that this team is frustrating Dixon because they just don’t have any interest in playing the way he wants them to on the defensive end. They say it, they have the company line down pat but the reality is there are too many guys on this team who just aren’t interested in grinding out possessions and being tough physically and mentally like Dixons teams generally have been. ”
“This team though is hanging together by a string – it is one bad loss (ahem, Wake Forest) away from imploding. There are some chemistry issues, there is friction between some of the players and Dixon, there is a resistance to some of what he is asking them to do – it is one of those things that the ultimate test of character within a team comes in the adversity of a losing streak.”
So let’s revisit yesterday’s starting line up by Dixon.
JR starting and Mike Young on the bench… RUFKM???
To me this is a silly desperation move to regain some control over a team that has lost any respect for him!
Another notch in the belt for those recruits who are told ” you don’t want to play for Dixon!!! “
I believe the turning point was Khem Birch coming early and leaving, causing a loss of a Jamie type player and creating a hole at center and the pipeline that has never been fixed. Next came Adams, played for one year, left Jamie high and dry in the inaugural ACC season.
The misses at guard have been even more disastrous. Thought he had a star in Robinson and an up and comer in Newkirk. Two swingmen in DJ and Jones that didn’t pan out defensively.
He has had to play guys that should be waiting their turn on the bench too much for the last four years. For the last two, desperation with senior transfers because no good young guys want to come.
He has lost almost every high value target he has recruited for the last three years.
Wake Forest is coming tomorrow thinking this is one they can win.
perhaps Barnes is willing to ride out Jamies contract and just focus on football.
Exactly what is done here in Tally. Leonard Hamilton is a longtime member of the Bum of the Month Club….yet the AD keeps him. He is going into his 12th year i believe.
Basketball is a placeholder here. Maybe Barnes looks at Pitt hoops the same way?
Let’s see – how did things work out for him after he “escaped” from the “puppet master?”
Khem Xavier Birch is a Canadian professional basketball player who currently plays for U?ak Sportif of the Turkish Basketball Super League. He played college basketball at Pittsburgh and UNLV before going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft. Wikipedia
dhuffdaddy – I was discussing the softness issue with someone just yesterday, and it’s my opinion that if someone isn’t physically tough, rebounding, general defense, even fouling, by the time they reach college, then it’s always going to be a weakness. I’m not saying guys can’t improve in that area, just that its always going to be an uphill battle with a fairly low ceiling if they don’t have ‘it’ by the time they reach college.