9:00 CBSSN (it’s a real channel, dammit).
I’m sick. Have that whole mucous running down the back of my scratchy throat, stuffed nose, bloated head feeling. It’s probably just a cold that has been long overdue.
And yet…
There was this game yesterday…
I’m not saying that Pitt’s performance last night against UNC is responsible. I’m the the first to say that correlation does not equal causation. I’m just not willing to rule it out either.
So, Pitt basketball. Are you the cure for what ails me? Are you going to temporarily make me feel better even as I don’t go to bed early like I should?Just to stay up and watch you?
In other words, I’m using my not feeling well to half-ass this open thread.
Hail to Pitt.
I actually like them both.
I have to say I kinda like this team. Stallings may get something going in a couple years.
Too many defensive possessions that the rotations are too slow.
I don’t think those problems are because of lack of effort or ability. I think those issues are something more reps should help.
Overall, they are playing much better than I expected.
I expect a losing record, but not as bad as I had feared.
On the road against a veteran team that will be close to 20 wins this season is a tough assignment for 11 new players. Craig Meyer had a nice write up in the post about how this amount of turnover has only happened twice this century. The first couple years for both programs were not pretty. IU ending up in a Sweet 16 in year 4, however. So it’s possible. Not sure I can trust Stallings to get Pitt there but it’s not unprecedented.
The only two players that I was disappointed in happened to be the two returning players. Go figure. I did like Stallings giving Milligan the nod as the starter as a shout out to his family’s connection to the Navy. I’m not sure I’ve ever used class act with Stallings but that was pretty classy.
I guess Parker Stewart was a little bit of a let down but he passed the look test. Good form and in position. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and let him grow into his role.
I loved Stephenson elbowing the kid. Some fight we haven’t seen a few years. Going forward, teams will be trying to get him to snap though. He just drew a big target the rest of the season. Hopefully, it was isolated or intended to send a message vs. hot headedness. I guess we’ll find out. A little crazy can be a good thing though … If you can control it.
Carr passed the look test. He looks like he’ll be a legit ACC PG. Wilson-Frame will have a nice season. I’m a little worried he always goes right. The announcer picked up on it too. Hopefully, it’s not one of the bad habits Stallings mentioned because it’s pretty glaring.
I’m not worried about the free throws. I think they’ll proved themselves a good free throw shooting team.
They are going to get pounded inside all season. That’s just the reality of this roster and will be their achilles heel. Next season, they’ll get some much needed height but it’s going to be tough in the paint for the foreseeable future.
Overall, it was a much more athletic team than I expected. As the announcers mentioned, for the most part, they ran the offense really well. They’ve been listening to the coaches. That much showed.
They struggled on defense, which I guess is to be expected. I didn’t see anything that was super concerning though. I’m willing to bet by the end of the year, it’s a much better defensive team than we’ve seen the last couple of years. That’s admittedly not saying much though.
I think it will still be a struggle to get to 12 wins but the team will be competitive against the bottom half of the ACC.
Dokish had a pretty reasonable tweet this morning about fan expectations. With the amount of new players, expectations should be tempered to steady improvement this season. Next year, it’s not unreasonable to expect an NIT birth. In year 3, the NCAA’s. He, obviously, hasn’t met Upitt.
The recruiting will be interesting though. I’m more optimistic now than when Dixon was at his height…and that is a sad commentary on Dixon’s recruiting game.
Navy’s players were trash talking all game. Their ability to draw fouls by Davis, Shamiel and even Kene’s lone foul showed the immaturity (inexperience). This is an issue that can be solved, in and with time.
I too agree that giving hard fouls is something that has been sorely missed since Coach Dixon started recruiting more athletic player for the ACC.
@Jackagain you contradicted yourself on Luther in this very thread. You’re glad he stayed but he’s no help? Deep conflict?
Apparently the extremely low bar really makes things seem very favorable. Pitt lost by 9 to a Patriot League team that was 16-16 last year and 10-8 in conference (an 1 bid conference). Pitt was beaten on the glass and shot 29% from 3 on 28 attempts. Navy shot 42% from 3. However Pitt passed the eye test and everybody sees a bright future?
Stallings CHOSE the rebuild. He didn’t have to sign the kids he signed last year if he didn’t see the fit. He proved this year that he had no
problem signing guys into the summer. He also made no effort to develop the guys he inherited last year. He barely played them in the non-con.
I’m not sure what the great recruiting outlook is about. JWF is a junior who apparently likes to shoot a lot of 3s, not rebound and turns the ball over. Parker Stewart, who had the rep as a shooter, was 0-5 on 3s. Carr played 31 minutes and had all of 4 assists (to tie Luther).
TT and Jackagain are the anti-Upitt! Dokish is a total homer. It’s completely misplaced to use him as a benchmark for a reasoned outlook.
This season was always going to be a rebuild. Maybe not to the extent it’s ended up being but Dixon or no Dixon, 2017 was going to be a fresh start with a bunch of kids leaving the program.
Barvo – did you watch the game? The box score doesn’t give you the full picture. It’s more about 11 kids playing together for the first time and not only resembling a team, but looking like they’ve played together for a while. I do not like Stallings but his staff did a good job getting these kids ready for the season. That was pretty clear.
Yes, JWF shoots a lot of 3’s. If’ he’s going to hit about 40% of them on the season … that’s perfectly acceptable. No, I wouldn’t expect a lot of rebounds or assists from him … he’s going to be Pitt’s #1 scoring threat after all … but he also plays hard on defense. If he scores and plays defense, I’m fine with the rest of the team picking up the rebounding. Besides, he’s a shooting guard … emphasis on shooting.
Luther’s stats don’t tell the entire story. He was very uninspiring, especially for being the senior leader on the floor. He’ll be fine but the other kids definitely have upside you don’t see with Luther. He’s playing out of position at the 5, so that’s part of it. I get that. But as far as being a leader on the court, he was clearly 3rd in the pecking order behind Carr and JWF. That’s not what you really want when he’s one of two returning players and the only one out of those two that will get significant minutes.
It was game 1 with a completely new team on the road against a veteran team that will probably win 20+ games this season. Let’s see if they build on it. Based on what I saw, I think the team may be more competitive than I realized. I enjoyed watching the game. I liked the flow of the offense. The hustle on defense. They were outmatched down low … and will be all season. But I was surprised how much I liked the team.
All things considered, Pitt played pretty well. I’m not really concerned with what the box score says … yet.
Dokish is a homer. No doubt … but he’s not wrong here.
Just read Craig Meyer’s piece. He’s not a homer …
Indiana, St. John’s and Colorado all lost 11 players from a squad the previous season.
1st year records:
IU: 6-25
St. Johns: 13-19
Colorado: 7-20
I’m not sure what other expectation you should have, Barvo.
I’m anti-Stalling but we’re stuck with him. At least this season, most likely next the two seasons as well.
I’ve just accepted that.
.I don’t see one-look Dinuzzi having much success.
Ugh.
On a positive note, the team is in good physical shape. Tough to go against a well played matchup zone in your first game.
Maybe the best point guard play I’ve seen on a Pitt team in years. Still 4-20 is about what to expect.
After watching the Navy game, I do like the kids he brought in, however. Easy group to root for. When you’re going to be bad, that’s all you can hope for. Kids you feel good about cheering for and hoping they develop and progress.
Clancy – A housecleaning was definitely in order. This is the first rebuild in 20 years. It was probably overdue. I wish Stallings wasn’t in charge of the rebuild but if he can build a solid base, which it appears he has, then all is not lost. In just the first game, it was a refreshing attitude on the court. Who knows if that holds up with the beatings they’ll take but it was refreshing nonetheless.
Upitt – I will. I enjoy rooting for Pitt. I’m not drinking any Kool Aid either … I just like my school. Pitt hasn’t sold me on a vision since I was first a student in 1993 … it’s not really their strong suit. Through thick and thin, I’ll be right there. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment but I love my alma mater. HTP!
Maybe it’s because I’ve had enough luck/success with my other teams I played for or follow that I don’t have that void some seem to have. I just don’t get that upset. During, and immediately after a game? Sure … but the feeling doesn’t linger. On to the next game or season or sport… and I’m always looking forward to it.
If you don’t like Pitt, stop pretending to care. I’ve never understood that about you. Most people who get down on Pitt here and the POV do it because they care. You just don’t care though. You don’t watch games. You don’t attend games. You’ve just developed this odd camaraderie (that I can’t fathom to explain) with other grumpy posters. Most of those other grumpy posters care though so I at least respect what they have to say. And they, often times (okay most time) do have some validity. You do too, unfortunately. But your’s ring hollow. There’s no substance to them because it’s coming from a troll. They’re just empty barbs that mean nothing and might as well be coming from WVU or Penn State.
What makes u think we will average 5K?
I suspect it will be less, especially if the losing continues.
That said, i like Stallings and want to see this play out.
HCPN, on the other hand, with his stop-the-run defense and burning Pickett’s redshirt, but not playing him, is by far more of a troubling enigma.
Perhaps the Vols might have an interest in him and will take him off our hands.
BTW, another 4* player for Stallings. On a last place ACC team and he already our recruits Dixon.
TT, Barvo is just still butthurt over seeing his boy Dixon leave. So he hates Stallings by default, even though Dixon left on his own and Stallings had nothing to do with it.
Dixon left the cupboard bare for Stallings, so it is what it is. My hope is Stallings can get better players to come to his system at a better ACC team without the academic requirements that Vandy had.
Alcofan, it isn’t going to matter because kids are souring to Narduzzi and he can’t coach or recruit.
But misplaced aggression complex against those wanting change here is misplaced indeed. Of course Dixon was among us who wanted change, so….
Good luck to him in TCU, but he was in a rut of bad recruiting (HS players knew why) and post season failure made the BB season a bore for most. Even the individual games were getting boring IMO.
