9pm
ESPNU.
Pitt has yet to win a conference road game and it now stretches back to February 8, 2017 at Boston College. That’s 15 straight conference road losses. 1-21 over the last 2+ seasons.
No pressure.
January 29, 2019
January 28, 2019
I didn’t get to watch the Louisville game this past weekend. Instead it was spent at a Boy Scout weekend “Klondike.” As I stood there early that Saturday morning. In 10 degree weather, contemplating the snow that was falling and just how cold I was. There was that realization that just a few degrees can be the difference between the quiet, picturesque beauty of a light snowfall in the forest; and really fucking miserable, cold, bone-soaking drizzle.
It’s not the neatest metaphor for where Pitt basketball is at the moment, but I’m still waiting to get feeling back in my toes.
January 22, 2019
9pm.
ESPN.
Big night at the Pete. There may be some subplots that will get cliched into the ground during the broadcast.
I want to say that Pitt will win, but that isn’t realistic. I would like to say that Pitt can win, and while true, is not something I really believe.
Does that mean I won’t hope? That I won’t let irrational excitement overwhelm if Pitt keeps it close? If they come out hot? I’ll be as delusional as I want to be. Hell, I’ll probably have a dark period where I’ll start “what if/if only”-ing the game.
That’s the joy of being a fan. Of what this team has done this year. They have so far to go, but they have moved so far beyond what we saw last year; that I can sort of believe. That there is hope.
Let’s have some fun tonight.
January 19, 2019
2pm.
Some RSNs, especially on the East Coast. Otherwise, ACC NE/WatchESPN.
Even if Pitt wasn’t 2-2 in the ACC. And instead was 1-3 or even 0-4, I would be thrilled with what I’m seeing from the team and the direction they are heading. The actually winning ACC games makes it easy to love this team and this coaching staff; but what stands out for me is the visible improvements, the adjustments and growth, from game-to-game.
Pitt started ACC play with a complete and utter beatdown at the hands of UNC. The Tarheels forced Pitt outside and the defense — zone, a bit of packline and soft man-to-man that kept the Pitt guards from getting directly to the rim. Knowing Pitt is not a consistently good outside shooting team.
So, what happened the next game? Against Louisville, Pitt was relentless about attacking the basket. There was not nearly so much settling for outside shots. The Panthers kept attacking and it forced the officials to make foul calls. Pitt set the tone the entire way for that game.
January 14, 2019
7pm.
ESPNU
When the hope is that Pitt might have a chance because FSU had a quick turnaround from Saturday with a heartbreaking loss to Duke and then a road trip. That’s not much to peg the hopes upon.
Now if you just wanted to say, it’s a Leonard Hamilton team and history has shown they can lose to anyone. Then we’re talking.
FSU is a very talented team — which is something frequently said about Leonard Hamilton teams, but rarely much else. And they are big. They are one of the bigger teams nationally. They have a 7-4 player coming off the bench. Their leading scorer, Mfiondu Kabengele, is 6-10 and averages under 20 minutes a game to get there. They have big men who kind of have to be drooling a little bit after seeing what Funderburk for NC State did. To say nothing of Enoch for Louisville.
January 12, 2019
12 pm.
Raycom Network affiliates or ACC DN/WatchESPN.
A little annoyed that the actual Raycom owned station in the Cleveland is opting for Virginia-Clemson for reasons that escape me.
This NC State team is actually good? It seems so strange to type that. I mean we’ve seen bad NC State teams. We’ve seen very talented NC State teams. But a very good NC State team? One that is well-coached, talented and focused? That escapes my memory.
January 9, 2019
8pm.
Raycom affiliates or ACC NE/WatchESPN.
It’s been quite a while since Pitt beat Louisville. Pitt hasn’t beaten Louisville since the Cards joined the ACC. The Panthers have lost 12 straight to Louisville. The last win came in March 2008. Almost 11 years. Yikes.
Rick Pitino isn’t running things anymore. Louisville is in the midst of a transition of their own. Albeit with Chris Mack, late of Xavier, now running things.
January 7, 2019
You know, in my relief over Shawn Watson’s dismissal, I forgot to mention one other aspect of the firing. The timing.
In prior years, when staff has turned over, it hasn’t been filled quickly and/or the change happened later.
Obviously with the early signing period, these days that alleviates some of that. Yet, that didn’t seem to matter last year when changes were made to the coaching staff. They came later in the cycle and took a while to fill.
January 5, 2019
12pm.
The good news is that this game is a sellout. The clearest evidence to date that the fanbase is optimistic about this team going forward under Head Coach Jeff Capel.
The bad news: the disparity of talent and experience on the court.
January 4, 2019
I’m not saying this is Nostradamus level stuff, but let me have a little fun.
I guess I am hoping for a little symmetry. Ten years ago, Pitt went to the Sun Bowl. The QB had a bomb of a game and Pitt couldn’t generate enough offense against a Pac-12 (10 at the time) that was missing their top running back and had other injuries. The complete offensive ineptitude forced the defensive-minded coach to make a change at OC. Let’s find out if history repeats.
And in one of Pitt’s briefest press releases that doesn’t announce a player being dismissed from the team…
January 2, 2019
The loss to Stanford in the Sun Bowl could be something of a microcosm for Pitt this year.
The struggles to move the ball to start the game. There was that solid surge in the second and third quarter where Pitt was moving the ball and looked like the more dominant team. Then that fade to black in the fourth quarter. Where the team couldn’t finish and/or couldn’t make the plays.
It’s one of those things. If you look back on Pitt’s 2018 season, just in terms of wins and losses, the Panthers were right around where they were expected to be. Excepting the UNC game, they lost the games you would have expected them to lose. And they won the games you would have expected them to win, other then Syracuse.
It’s the way they lost those games, though. Oh, is it the way they lost those games.
