Missouri Game & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** I wish I could be more clever this evening. I wish I could be more insightful.

** But sometimes this game of basketball we all love so much is pretty simple. That is, to win, you have to shoot the ball into the basket.

** Accordingly, I see our defeat this night as a result of too many jump shots that didn’t go in.

** Along the same lines, I can’t say we defended poorly, nor would I say we played poor offense overall. But at times, our offense relies too much on hitting jump shots. We missed too many.

** At the 16:32 mark, Blake Hinson made a dunk on the break to put the Panthers up by 2, 44-42.

** From that spot until the 3 minute mark, the Panthers hit just two field goals, scoring just 12 points in that stretch. That’s just not how a team can win games.

** Before the aforementioned stretch, I fretted quite a bit about the Panthers’ ability to make stops. But our defense wasn’t the issue during those fateful 13+ minutes. It was our inability to hit shots.

** Allow me to offer all due credit to Blake for almost putting the team on his back in the last momentsand nearly willing them back to a win. But in those final three minutes, our defense finally let us down giving up some easy ones.

** This loss offered a look at the warts we have worried about as of late. These being, a lack of inside scoring, an additional gun beyond Blake, Ish and Bub, and trouble with physicality in the paint.

** Most notably, the points in the paint tell the tale in this contest. I believe the number was something like 30-12.

** But it wasn’t just points in the paint. It was shots in the paint from our offense. Fede had just 2. Zach had 1. GDiaz had 1. Maybe I’m missing a couple, but not many. This night, like I’ve mentioned, it was mostly jump shots, and not enough went in.

** I’m certainly discouraged by this loss. It could be too troubling of a benchmark of where this team stands among it’s better peers trying to gauge if we have a legit shot at the NCAA Tournament.

** But I’m also of the belief there’s still plenty of room for this team to improve. Sure, other teams are getting plenty of film on how to beat our Panthers. But our Panthers are also getting plenty of film on themselves too.

** I see many opportunities to improve where we can score. And we aren’t always going to shoot as badly as we did tonight either.

** Additionally, it appears we aren’t getting enough opportunities on the fast break. Just one or two blown chances there could have made a big difference tonight.

** And like many of us have been saying all along, we need another reliable gun beyond our top three. Especially when two of those top three go a combined 1-12 from distance. I'm still holding out hope it's there.

** There’s little doubt that Sunday’s game against Clemson is very important as an even more critical benchmark about where this team can go this year.

** So again, it’s pretty simple. I still think this team can be pretty good. We just need to find a way to hit more shots.

 

[gary2]

** I wish I could be more clever this evening. I wish I could be more insightful.

** But sometimes this game of basketball we all love so much is pretty simple. That is, to win, you have to shoot the ball into the basket.

** Accordingly, I see our defeat this night as a result of too many jump shots that didn’t go in.

** Along the same lines, I can’t say we defended poorly, nor would I say we played poor offense overall. But at times, our offense relies too much on hitting jump shots. We missed too many.

** At the 16:32 mark, Blake Hinson made a dunk on the break to put the Panthers up by 2, 44-42.

** From that spot until the 3 minute mark, the Panthers hit just two field goals, scoring just 12 points in that stretch. That’s just not how a team can win games.

** Before the aforementioned stretch, I fretted quite a bit about the Panthers’ ability to make stops. But our defense wasn’t the issue during those fateful 13+ minutes. It was our inability to hit shots.

** Allow me to offer all due credit to Blake for almost putting the team on his back in the last momentsand nearly willing them back to a win. But in those final three minutes, our defense finally let us down giving up some easy ones.

** This loss offered a look at the warts we have worried about as of late. These being, a lack of inside scoring, an additional gun beyond Blake, Ish and Bub, and trouble with physicality in the paint.

** Most notably, the points in the paint tell the tale in this contest. I believe the number was something like 30-12.

** But it wasn’t just points in the paint. It was shots in the paint from our offense. Fede had just 2. Zach had 1. GDiaz had 1. Maybe I’m missing a couple, but not many. This night, like I’ve mentioned, it was mostly jump shots, and not enough went in.

** I’m certainly discouraged by this loss. It could be too troubling of a benchmark of where this team stands among it’s better peers trying to gauge if we have a legit shot at the NCAA Tournament.

** But I’m also of the belief there’s still plenty of room for this team to improve. Sure, other teams are getting plenty of film on how to beat our Panthers. But our Panthers are also getting plenty of film on themselves too.

** I see many opportunities to improve where we can score. And we aren’t always going to shoot as badly as we did tonight either.

** Additionally, it appears we aren’t getting enough opportunities on the fast break. Just one or two blown chances there could have made a big difference tonight.

** And like many of us have been saying all along, we need another reliable gun beyond our top three. Especially when two of those top three go a combined 1-12 from distance. I'm still holding out hope it's there.

** There’s little doubt that Sunday’s game against Clemson is very important as an even more critical benchmark about where this team can go this year.

** So again, it’s pretty simple. I still think this team can be pretty good. We just need to find a way to hit more shots.

Pitt Layups 3 of 11 - Missouri Layups. 11-18.

Agree about the break. We will have 2 out and running and the guy with the ball will keep it and dribble until he crosses half court line.

StatMonitr Stat Feed

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[Protes]

** I wish I could be more clever this evening. I wish I could be more insightful.

** But sometimes this game of basketball we all love so much is pretty simple. That is, to win, you have to shoot the ball into the basket.

** Accordingly, I see our defeat this night as a result of too many jump shots that didn’t go in.

** Along the same lines, I can’t say we defended poorly, nor would I say we played poor offense overall. But at times, our offense relies too much on hitting jump shots. We missed too many.

** At the 16:32 mark, Blake Hinson made a dunk on the break to put the Panthers up by 2, 44-42.

** From that spot until the 3 minute mark, the Panthers hit just two field goals, scoring just 12 points in that stretch. That’s just not how a team can win games.

** Before the aforementioned stretch, I fretted quite a bit about the Panthers’ ability to make stops. But our defense wasn’t the issue during those fateful 13+ minutes. It was our inability to hit shots.

** Allow me to offer all due credit to Blake for almost putting the team on his back in the last momentsand nearly willing them back to a win. But in those final three minutes, our defense finally let us down giving up some easy ones.

** This loss offered a look at the warts we have worried about as of late. These being, a lack of inside scoring, an additional gun beyond Blake, Ish and Bub, and trouble with physicality in the paint.

** Most notably, the points in the paint tell the tale in this contest. I believe the number was something like 30-12.

** But it wasn’t just points in the paint. It was shots in the paint from our offense. Fede had just 2. Zach had 1. GDiaz had 1. Maybe I’m missing a couple, but not many. This night, like I’ve mentioned, it was mostly jump shots, and not enough went in.

** I’m certainly discouraged by this loss. It could be too troubling of a benchmark of where this team stands among it’s better peers trying to gauge if we have a legit shot at the NCAA Tournament.

** But I’m also of the belief there’s still plenty of room for this team to improve. Sure, other teams are getting plenty of film on how to beat our Panthers. But our Panthers are also getting plenty of film on themselves too.

** I see many opportunities to improve where we can score. And we aren’t always going to shoot as badly as we did tonight either.

** Additionally, it appears we aren’t getting enough opportunities on the fast break. Just one or two blown chances there could have made a big difference tonight.

** And like many of us have been saying all along, we need another reliable gun beyond our top three. Especially when two of those top three go a combined 1-12 from distance. I'm still holding out hope it's there.

** There’s little doubt that Sunday’s game against Clemson is very important as an even more critical benchmark about where this team can go this year.

** So again, it’s pretty simple. I still think this team can be pretty good. We just need to find a way to hit more shots.

Obviously, we didn't shoot well. But the bad stretch after the 44-42 lead wasn't fueled by missed J's. It was fueled by: Fede being unable to convert at the rim, a careless turnover by Ish, and a bad foul by Bub leading to a 3-point play. That was followed by Ish missing a 3 and Carrington committing another careless turnover. A couple of possessions later, Ish inexplicably passed up an open look after a nice feed, instead driving the baseline only to get stuffed by the 7'5" center on the other side of the basket.

Not to get on Ish - I do think he put too much pressure on himself in this one - but he was brutal tonight.

At this point, the only way I see this team improving is if the twins and Jaland make strides. I think the twins have good chemistry when in there together, and I think they have offensive potential. I don't think Fede or Austin are the answers short or long term. We may be better off seeing what the twins can do with more PT.

Of course, I don't expect JC to make that change right now. But if things continue in this vein, I think it's a move he should make.

 

[PittPoker]

** I wish I could be more clever this evening. I wish I could be more insightful.

** But sometimes this game of basketball we all love so much is pretty simple. That is, to win, you have to shoot the ball into the basket.

** Accordingly, I see our defeat this night as a result of too many jump shots that didn’t go in.

** Along the same lines, I can’t say we defended poorly, nor would I say we played poor offense overall. But at times, our offense relies too much on hitting jump shots. We missed too many.

** At the 16:32 mark, Blake Hinson made a dunk on the break to put the Panthers up by 2, 44-42.

** From that spot until the 3 minute mark, the Panthers hit just two field goals, scoring just 12 points in that stretch. That’s just not how a team can win games.

** Before the aforementioned stretch, I fretted quite a bit about the Panthers’ ability to make stops. But our defense wasn’t the issue during those fateful 13+ minutes. It was our inability to hit shots.

** Allow me to offer all due credit to Blake for almost putting the team on his back in the last momentsand nearly willing them back to a win. But in those final three minutes, our defense finally let us down giving up some easy ones.

** This loss offered a look at the warts we have worried about as of late. These being, a lack of inside scoring, an additional gun beyond Blake, Ish and Bub, and trouble with physicality in the paint.

** Most notably, the points in the paint tell the tale in this contest. I believe the number was something like 30-12.

** But it wasn’t just points in the paint. It was shots in the paint from our offense. Fede had just 2. Zach had 1. GDiaz had 1. Maybe I’m missing a couple, but not many. This night, like I’ve mentioned, it was mostly jump shots, and not enough went in.

** I’m certainly discouraged by this loss. It could be too troubling of a benchmark of where this team stands among it’s better peers trying to gauge if we have a legit shot at the NCAA Tournament.

** But I’m also of the belief there’s still plenty of room for this team to improve. Sure, other teams are getting plenty of film on how to beat our Panthers. But our Panthers are also getting plenty of film on themselves too.

** I see many opportunities to improve where we can score. And we aren’t always going to shoot as badly as we did tonight either.

** Additionally, it appears we aren’t getting enough opportunities on the fast break. Just one or two blown chances there could have made a big difference tonight.

** And like many of us have been saying all along, we need another reliable gun beyond our top three. Especially when two of those top three go a combined 1-12 from distance. I'm still holding out hope it's there.

** There’s little doubt that Sunday’s game against Clemson is very important as an even more critical benchmark about where this team can go this year.

** So again, it’s pretty simple. I still think this team can be pretty good. We just need to find a way to hit more shots.

If Fede and the twins play like they have been all season Pitt will be a bottom tier team in the ACC. I was expecting strides in all 3 bigs this season but unfortunately it's been the complete opposite. It looks like all 3 regressed. I mean I don't even recognize the Fede that we've seen most games, he can't make easy bunnies, can't hold onto the ball, and is missing way too many FT's.

So yeah it's early but you aren't gonna win many games when you get literally 1 or 2 baskets a game from 1 of your big men. Just not gonna cut it. I also wish Capel would actually coach more instead of letting his players play streetball and do whatever the heck they want all the time. I see way too many players just dribbling trying to take on 2 or 3 or 4 guys and then shoot a jumper. With an occasional drive by Ish or Blake or Bub. If that's all this offensive scheme is this team will not go anywhere.

 

[WillyDavis33]

I don't think we attacked them enough going to the basket. Our guards looked tentative.

 

[pittizit]

If Fede and the twins play like they have been all season Pitt will be a bottom tier team in the ACC. I was expecting strides in all 3 bigs this season but unfortunately it's been the complete opposite. It looks like all 3 regressed. I mean I don't even recognize the Fede that we've seen most games, he can't make easy bunnies, can't hold onto the ball, and is missing way too many FT's.

So yeah it's early but you aren't gonna win many games when you get literally 1 or 2 baskets a game from 1 of your big men. Just not gonna cut it. I also wish Capel would actually coach more instead of letting his players play streetball and do whatever the heck they want all the time. I see way too many players just dribbling trying to take on 2 or 3 or 4 guys and then shoot a jumper. With an occasional drive by Ish or Blake or Bub. If that's all this offensive scheme is this team will not go anywhere.

Yea but he is always smiling

 

[Kaywood105]

I don't think we attacked them enough going to the basket. Our guards looked tentative.

Our young guards are struggling with the tight man to man D , they just aren’t strong enough to do that.
Ish can do it but he had a bad night.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

The first four games gave us the false hope that this team could be special , the Florida game and last night’s game unfortunately showed us that while this season can still be successful there’s major holes in this roster .

You can only play the guys who are healthy and still on your team , but losing Dior and Papa sure look like significant loses at this point .

Interior play has been an issue , Florida Gulf Coast exposed that , the Gators and the Tigers hammered home the point .

Everyone wanted the twins to put on weight and get stronger ,but we all forgot about Fede . He’s showing us he’s not strong enough to defend legitimate 5’s . Fede and the twins have the length to block and alter shots but so far this season have shown not the muscle to man the inside on both ends of the floor .

Of the returning players the one Pitt needed most to make a giant leap forward was Fede , so far ……need I say more .

The guy I think this season hinges on is Austin . He needs to become active offensively and hit wide open shots . We know Wil cannot help enough offensively and a lineup with Lowe , Ish and Bub just won’t get it done ( defensively or rebounding ) I wouldn’t be against starting one of twins if Austin continues to struggle offensively.

Bub is special and will be a great player , but he’s also showing he’s an 18 yr old freshman . He’s not a triple double machine .

Blake kept Pitt in the game last night and Lowe‘s starting to look more comfortable .

Last yrs team had 5 guys who could score at will at times and when they all got hot look out , but this yrs team relies on three guys and there’s no Nike coming off the bench to create a spark . I’d like to see the twins getting more involved in putting up 3’s when they get a chance .

Last night Missouri played better and deserved to win , give them credit . Unlike Pitt they hit their shots .

 

[Fredact]

** I wish I could be more clever this evening. I wish I could be more insightful.

** But sometimes this game of basketball we all love so much is pretty simple. That is, to win, you have to shoot the ball into the basket.

** Accordingly, I see our defeat this night as a result of too many jump shots that didn’t go in.

** Along the same lines, I can’t say we defended poorly, nor would I say we played poor offense overall. But at times, our offense relies too much on hitting jump shots. We missed too many.

** At the 16:32 mark, Blake Hinson made a dunk on the break to put the Panthers up by 2, 44-42.

** From that spot until the 3 minute mark, the Panthers hit just two field goals, scoring just 12 points in that stretch. That’s just not how a team can win games.

** Before the aforementioned stretch, I fretted quite a bit about the Panthers’ ability to make stops. But our defense wasn’t the issue during those fateful 13+ minutes. It was our inability to hit shots.

** Allow me to offer all due credit to Blake for almost putting the team on his back in the last momentsand nearly willing them back to a win. But in those final three minutes, our defense finally let us down giving up some easy ones.

** This loss offered a look at the warts we have worried about as of late. These being, a lack of inside scoring, an additional gun beyond Blake, Ish and Bub, and trouble with physicality in the paint.

** Most notably, the points in the paint tell the tale in this contest. I believe the number was something like 30-12.

** But it wasn’t just points in the paint. It was shots in the paint from our offense. Fede had just 2. Zach had 1. GDiaz had 1. Maybe I’m missing a couple, but not many. This night, like I’ve mentioned, it was mostly jump shots, and not enough went in.

** I’m certainly discouraged by this loss. It could be too troubling of a benchmark of where this team stands among it’s better peers trying to gauge if we have a legit shot at the NCAA Tournament.

** But I’m also of the belief there’s still plenty of room for this team to improve. Sure, other teams are getting plenty of film on how to beat our Panthers. But our Panthers are also getting plenty of film on themselves too.

** I see many opportunities to improve where we can score. And we aren’t always going to shoot as badly as we did tonight either.

** Additionally, it appears we aren’t getting enough opportunities on the fast break. Just one or two blown chances there could have made a big difference tonight.

** And like many of us have been saying all along, we need another reliable gun beyond our top three. Especially when two of those top three go a combined 1-12 from distance. I'm still holding out hope it's there.

** There’s little doubt that Sunday’s game against Clemson is very important as an even more critical benchmark about where this team can go this year.

** So again, it’s pretty simple. I still think this team can be pretty good. We just need to find a way to hit more shots.

It’s not just hitting shots, sometimes it’s the opponent missing shots, too. In the first half especially, I felt Missouri hit a bunch of shots that normally don’t fall, often very late in the shot clock.

 

[GaryMcgheeForThree]

Deflating, but not hopeless, loss. It came easy against inferior opponents, but when forced to play teams that match or exceed Pitts athleticism and physicality, they get out of sorts. Similar to last year’s team, they can look inward for a lot of those solutions.

Here’s what I want to see more of moving forward:

• That cold stretch you mentioned involved Blake getting 1 shot attempt. That’s a complete joke. Blake clearly had it going last night and the guards/coaches need to recognize this. He’s an absolute weapon and needs to be the focal point when he’s “on.”
• Bub is struggling HARD as defenders clamp down and focus on him. This leads to forced shots and wasting 10-15 seconds at the start of many possessions. I don’t mind the pick and roll/ 1-on-1 offense, but not when he’s clearly incapable of creating separation from his defender, like last night. I want to see him play off the ball more often. Ish and Lowe are better against faster guards than Bub is. This will only help him get more chances to operate in space, and get to his spots. I think to do this, Ish and Jaland need to spend more time as the primary ball handler. Ish won’t have another 6 TO game again. Bub also needs to match the strength of his defenders and not fall/flop to the ground, as this won’t fly against better defenders.
• What to do about bigs. I think the coaches have to keep Fede and GDG fresh by rotating them in and out more, but I don’t really know- something isn’t clicking for Fede specifically at this point. I do think by starting every possession with a pick from one of them, the ball is not going to the right places as much as it can.

Big game on Sunday!

 

[PittMan 72]

** I wish I could be more clever this evening. I wish I could be more insightful.

** But sometimes this game of basketball we all love so much is pretty simple. That is, to win, you have to shoot the ball into the basket.

** Accordingly, I see our defeat this night as a result of too many jump shots that didn’t go in.

** Along the same lines, I can’t say we defended poorly, nor would I say we played poor offense overall. But at times, our offense relies too much on hitting jump shots. We missed too many.

** At the 16:32 mark, Blake Hinson made a dunk on the break to put the Panthers up by 2, 44-42.

** From that spot until the 3 minute mark, the Panthers hit just two field goals, scoring just 12 points in that stretch. That’s just not how a team can win games.

** Before the aforementioned stretch, I fretted quite a bit about the Panthers’ ability to make stops. But our defense wasn’t the issue during those fateful 13+ minutes. It was our inability to hit shots.

** Allow me to offer all due credit to Blake for almost putting the team on his back in the last momentsand nearly willing them back to a win. But in those final three minutes, our defense finally let us down giving up some easy ones.

** This loss offered a look at the warts we have worried about as of late. These being, a lack of inside scoring, an additional gun beyond Blake, Ish and Bub, and trouble with physicality in the paint.

** Most notably, the points in the paint tell the tale in this contest. I believe the number was something like 30-12.

** But it wasn’t just points in the paint. It was shots in the paint from our offense. Fede had just 2. Zach had 1. GDiaz had 1. Maybe I’m missing a couple, but not many. This night, like I’ve mentioned, it was mostly jump shots, and not enough went in.

** I’m certainly discouraged by this loss. It could be too troubling of a benchmark of where this team stands among it’s better peers trying to gauge if we have a legit shot at the NCAA Tournament.

** But I’m also of the belief there’s still plenty of room for this team to improve. Sure, other teams are getting plenty of film on how to beat our Panthers. But our Panthers are also getting plenty of film on themselves too.

** I see many opportunities to improve where we can score. And we aren’t always going to shoot as badly as we did tonight either.

** Additionally, it appears we aren’t getting enough opportunities on the fast break. Just one or two blown chances there could have made a big difference tonight.

** And like many of us have been saying all along, we need another reliable gun beyond our top three. Especially when two of those top three go a combined 1-12 from distance. I'm still holding out hope it's there.

** There’s little doubt that Sunday’s game against Clemson is very important as an even more critical benchmark about where this team can go this year.

** So again, it’s pretty simple. I still think this team can be pretty good. We just need to find a way to hit more shots.

@DT_PITT Yeah that wasn’t pretty. Several blemishes exposed. Does Pitt have the makeup to cover them up? And do so consistently?

Hard to tell. But some observations:
- There’s enough video and intel on Bub out there by now that teams are better prepared. The opponents are really getting up into him. Trying to be very physical with him and to not let him get where he wants to with the dribble. He’ll have to keep working to learn and adjust to that and keep from getting frustrated. He is going to have to be counted on heavily as a scorer, playmaker and rebounder. Some increased minutes and production from Lowe is probably going to have to be gradually ramped up, too. To take some of the heavy load off of Bub and Ish.
- The Pitt front court is going to HAVE to be better. In all phases: offense; defense; rebounding. They weren’t good enough last night at any of them. The 7’5” grad transfer impacted the game more than I expected. Carter was also effective inside for the Tigers. While the Pitt D in general wasn’t awful, they let Sean East get where he wanted too often. And to his credit, East converted.
- The jump shooting. Unless the bigs start to have some sort of unseen to now transformation, Pitt is likely going to have to continue to rely heavily on jumpers. And as we saw last night, there are games where those jumpers may just miss. Hopefully there won’t be a lot of games where only 1 player can make them. But if/when that does happen again, Pitt is going to need to do a much better job of finding other ways to score. It’s up to the Panthers to devise and execute ways to do that. OR’s and put backs? Dribble drives? Pick and rolls? Fast breaks when available? Doing that will require MUCH more involvement from: FF; the twins; Austin. Those 4 combined for just 13 points in 78 total man minutes.

About the only good thing for me last night was the extremely fast trip on my 65 mile drive home. Made it back in record time. The sooner I got to sleep the better to get the game thoughts out of my mind. Need a bounce back ACC win on Sunday, for sure!

 

[JS School]

If Fede and the twins play like they have been all season Pitt will be a bottom tier team in the ACC. I was expecting strides in all 3 bigs this season but unfortunately it's been the complete opposite. It looks like all 3 regressed. I mean I don't even recognize the Fede that we've seen most games, he can't make easy bunnies, can't hold onto the ball, and is missing way too many FT's.

Fede and the twins are who they were last year. But our expectations of them has increased, and the experience of their teammates has decreased.

 

[JS School]

Bub is special and will be a great player , but he’s also showing he’s an 18 yr old freshman . He’s not a triple double machine .

And last night he played against a handful of 5th year seniors. Sometimes his inexperience is going to show.

 

[Chairman Moe]

I watched the after game press "conference". Hinson was the only player there, and he defended his teammates who were called out by the reporters present. Without going into every detail, Blake said that this will be a good learning experience for the 18-year olds (#7 and #15)

Coach gave all the proper answers, but repeated several times how wide open our missed shots were. Not taking anything away from Missouri and how they played, but Pitt's shooters missed a lot of wide open (uncontested) shots

My biggest take from last night was how little "energy" the ball had. Bub seemed to spend a lot longer time getting the ball distributed, and our transition game was non-existent. Those two elements are a credit to Missouri; the plethora of missed shots is not

As a final thought, it amazes me how certain posters on this board are now "convinced" that this year's team will not be an NCAAT team, or perhaps even, and NIT team. They've played 7 games and are 5-2. The potential is there as well as (to a sometimes hidden degree) the talent. The game on Sunday vs Clemson is not one where Pitt will be favored nor expected to win. Again, 1 game out of 20 conference games. I am going to at least give this team 15 games into the season to personally decide whether they are tournament worthy. 10-5 or better will be encouraging

 

[gary2]

I watched the after game press "conference". Hinson was the only player there, and he defended his teammates who were called out by the reporters present. Without going into every detail, Blake said that this will be a good learning experience for the 18-year olds (#7 and #15)

Coach gave all the proper answers, but repeated several times how wide open our missed shots were. Not taking anything away from Missouri and how they played, but Pitt's shooters missed a lot of wide open (uncontested) shots

My biggest take from last night was how little "energy" the ball had. Bub seemed to spend a lot longer time getting the ball distributed, and our transition game was non-existent. Those two elements are a credit to Missouri; the plethora of missed shots is not

As a final thought, it amazes me how certain posters on this board are now "convinced" that this year's team will not be an NCAAT team, or perhaps even, and NIT team. They've played 7 games and are 5-2. The potential is there as well as (to a sometimes hidden degree) the talent. The game on Sunday vs Clemson is not one where Pitt will be favored nor expected to win. Again, 1 game out of 20 conference games. I am going to at least give this team 15 games into the season to personally decide whether they are tournament worthy. 10-5 or better will be encouraging

Well said

 

[Pittisit4me]

Fede played a stretch of basketball from the start of the ACC season to about the middle of the ACC season where he was literally one of the best defensive players in the country. He was blocking shots, defending pick and roll, and playing as physical as possible. He even frustrated the living he'll out of Armando Bacot in Chapel Hill. It's like somebody kidnapped the real Fede and put a look alike in his uniform. He hasn't looked like the same player he was last year at all. You can have a 5 that is weak at the offensive end, but he can't be weak on defense as well.

 

[New York Panther]

If Fede and the twins play like they have been all season Pitt will be a bottom tier team in the ACC.

This ties in with Capel's comment when Kante went down that he was a big loss.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Fede played a stretch of basketball from the start of the ACC season to about the middle of the ACC season where he was literally one of the best defensive players in the country. He was blocking shots, defending pick and roll, and playing as physical as possible. He even frustrated the living he'll out of Armando Bacot in Chapel Hill. It's like somebody kidnapped the real Fede and put a look alike in his uniform. He hasn't looked like the same player he was last year at all. You can have a 5 that is weak at the offensive end, but he can't be weak on defense as well.

He has gone from people saying maybe the DPOY to not even a good defender. FGCU ate him alive, made Samuel look like Shaq, and now Mizzou

 

[Islanderpanther]

Fede and the twins are who they were last year. But our expectations of them has increased, and the experience of their teammates has decreased.

Well….maybe… I tend to agree that offensively they are about the same. As regards rebounding and defense they don’t strike me as playing at quite the level they did at the end of last year, Fede in particular. I am shocked at how easily guys. 6’8” and above have scored over him.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Isn't Fede hurt? That may be limiting his movement, especially on the defensive end.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

** I wish I could be more clever this evening. I wish I could be more insightful.

** But sometimes this game of basketball we all love so much is pretty simple. That is, to win, you have to shoot the ball into the basket.

** Accordingly, I see our defeat this night as a result of too many jump shots that didn’t go in.

** Along the same lines, I can’t say we defended poorly, nor would I say we played poor offense overall. But at times, our offense relies too much on hitting jump shots. We missed too many.

** At the 16:32 mark, Blake Hinson made a dunk on the break to put the Panthers up by 2, 44-42.

** From that spot until the 3 minute mark, the Panthers hit just two field goals, scoring just 12 points in that stretch. That’s just not how a team can win games.

** Before the aforementioned stretch, I fretted quite a bit about the Panthers’ ability to make stops. But our defense wasn’t the issue during those fateful 13+ minutes. It was our inability to hit shots.

** Allow me to offer all due credit to Blake for almost putting the team on his back in the last momentsand nearly willing them back to a win. But in those final three minutes, our defense finally let us down giving up some easy ones.

** This loss offered a look at the warts we have worried about as of late. These being, a lack of inside scoring, an additional gun beyond Blake, Ish and Bub, and trouble with physicality in the paint.

** Most notably, the points in the paint tell the tale in this contest. I believe the number was something like 30-12.

** But it wasn’t just points in the paint. It was shots in the paint from our offense. Fede had just 2. Zach had 1. GDiaz had 1. Maybe I’m missing a couple, but not many. This night, like I’ve mentioned, it was mostly jump shots, and not enough went in.

** I’m certainly discouraged by this loss. It could be too troubling of a benchmark of where this team stands among it’s better peers trying to gauge if we have a legit shot at the NCAA Tournament.

** But I’m also of the belief there’s still plenty of room for this team to improve. Sure, other teams are getting plenty of film on how to beat our Panthers. But our Panthers are also getting plenty of film on themselves too.

** I see many opportunities to improve where we can score. And we aren’t always going to shoot as badly as we did tonight either.

** Additionally, it appears we aren’t getting enough opportunities on the fast break. Just one or two blown chances there could have made a big difference tonight.

** And like many of us have been saying all along, we need another reliable gun beyond our top three. Especially when two of those top three go a combined 1-12 from distance. I'm still holding out hope it's there.

** There’s little doubt that Sunday’s game against Clemson is very important as an even more critical benchmark about where this team can go this year.

** So again, it’s pretty simple. I still think this team can be pretty good. We just need to find a way to hit more shots.

We had a chance to go on an even bigger run than the 7-0 run to put us up 44-42, but Fede was too slow to get to the hoop and was swatted on our next trip and then it looked like Ish was going in for a layup or at the very least a foul and he lost it off his leg out of bounds. Maybe if we get up 6, we carry that momentum.

Also, down 10, we get a bunch of stops in a row, but Fede missed 2 front ends of one and ones that could have cut it from 8 to 6 or 4 before Blake’s heroics.

Overall, I thought Blake gave his all tonight on defense and rebounds and thought he almost willed us to a victory.

Carrington has to be more than just a jump shooter. He needs to be able to get into the lane and get to the rim.

 

[rockypanther]

The first four games gave us the false hope that this team could be special , the Florida game and last night’s game unfortunately showed us that while this season can still be successful there’s major holes in this roster .

You can only play the guys who are healthy and still on your team , but losing Dior and Papa sure look like significant loses at this point .

Interior play has been an issue , Florida Gulf Coast exposed that , the Gators and the Tigers hammered home the point .

Everyone wanted the twins to put on weight and get stronger ,but we all forgot about Fede . He’s showing us he’s not strong enough to defend legitimate 5’s . Fede and the twins have the length to block and alter shots but so far this season have shown not the muscle to man the inside on both ends of the floor .

Of the returning players the one Pitt needed most to make a giant leap forward was Fede , so far ……need I say more .

The guy I think this season hinges on is Austin . He needs to become active offensively and hit wide open shots . We know Wil cannot help enough offensively and a lineup with Lowe , Ish and Bub just won’t get it done ( defensively or rebounding ) I wouldn’t be against starting one of twins if Austin continues to struggle offensively.

Bub is special and will be a great player , but he’s also showing he’s an 18 yr old freshman . He’s not a triple double machine .

Blake kept Pitt in the game last night and Lowe‘s starting to look more comfortable .

Last yrs team had 5 guys who could score at will at times and when they all got hot look out , but this yrs team relies on three guys and there’s no Nike coming off the bench to create a spark . I’d like to see the twins getting more involved in putting up 3’s when they get a chance .

Last night Missouri played better and deserved to win , give them credit . Unlike Pitt they hit their shots .

Bub may end if being special but he isn’t there yet.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Bub may end if being special but he isn’t there yet.

I still think he’s best looking freshman I’ve seen at Pitt since Charles Smith .

 

[rockypanther]

I still think he’s best looking freshman I’ve seen at Pitt since Charles Smith .

Better than Dejuan?

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Better than Dejuan?

Blair was a stud , but through 7 games I’m taking Bub . We‘ll see just how good he is if he adjusts to the physical attention he’s getting .

The Big Fella had a much better supporting cast.

 

[PittPoker]

Blair was a stud , but through 7 games I’m taking Bub . We‘ll see just how good he is if he adjusts to the physical attention he’s getting .

The Big Fella had a much better supporting cast.

You're nuts.

 

[Millerton24]

I still think he’s best looking freshman I’ve seen at Pitt since Charles Smith .

Blair

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Better than Dejuan?

Right now with what I've seen of Bub, both Dejuan and Smith were better as freshmen. So was Sean Miller. But it's still early and Bub might have something new to show us yet. I sure hope so because we'll need it to get back to the NCAAT.

 

[MajorMajors]

I’d like to see Jorge get more minutes and take more shots. Tough to be a good shooter when you only get a couple shots in a game.

Go Pitt.

 

[pittbb80]

I watched the after game press "conference". Hinson was the only player there, and he defended his teammates who were called out by the reporters present. Without going into every detail, Blake said that this will be a good learning experience for the 18-year olds (#7 and #15)

Coach gave all the proper answers, but repeated several times how wide open our missed shots were. Not taking anything away from Missouri and how they played, but Pitt's shooters missed a lot of wide open (uncontested) shots

My biggest take from last night was how little "energy" the ball had. Bub seemed to spend a lot longer time getting the ball distributed, and our transition game was non-existent. Those two elements are a credit to Missouri; the plethora of missed shots is not

As a final thought, it amazes me how certain posters on this board are now "convinced" that this year's team will not be an NCAAT team, or perhaps even, and NIT team. They've played 7 games and are 5-2. The potential is there as well as (to a sometimes hidden degree) the talent. The game on Sunday vs Clemson is not one where Pitt will be favored nor expected to win. Again, 1 game out of 20 conference games. I am going to at least give this team 15 games into the season to personally decide whether they are tournament worthy. 10-5 or better will be encouraging

Great post. Have you center read a game thread. Posters go from saying a player is the best ever to being a bum in 20 minutes.

I agree. The loss was a let down for sure but there are still reasons to be optimistic As noted if they hit some of the easy looks they had we are discussing a win.

Carrinton and lowe being true frosh will grow up a bit and adjust to this level and improve. Ish had his worst game. I don’t think we’ll see many bad performances like that again. I do think Fede and the twins will elevate their games. I’m still fairly optimistic

 

[Fsgolfdr]

You're nuts.

We’ll see . Now if Blair had any shooting range I’d agree .

After watching Adams at Greentree I’d would’ve said him , but his freshman season wasn’t anywhere near as dominating as I thought it would be .

 

[Protes]

We’ll see . Now if Blair had any shooting range I’d agree .

After watching Adams at Greentree I’d would’ve said him , but his freshman season wasn’t anywhere near as dominating as I thought it would be .

Well, he was great at hedging.

 

[JS School]

After watching Adams at Greentree I’d would’ve said him , but his freshman season wasn’t anywhere near as dominating as I thought it would be .

Carrington may well have a better freshman year than Adams, but I don't think he gets drafted as high after only one year. The NBA is full of guys that look like Bub. They draft those guys looking for a Lexus, but the NBA streets are full of Hondas, Chevys and Kias. But if they need a 3/4 ton pickup for the ranch the options are far more limited, so they grab them as soon as possible.

 

[JS School]

Right now with what I've seen of Bub, both Dejuan and Smith were better as freshmen. So was Sean Miller.

Are you trying to get on SMF's good side?

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Carrington may well have a better freshman year than Adams, but I don't think he gets drafted as high after only one year. The NBA is full of guys that look like Bub. They draft those guys looking for a Lexus, but the NBA streets are full of Hondas, Chevys and Kias. But if they need a 3/4 ton pickup for the ranch the options are far more limited, so they grab them as soon as possible.

They don’t make too many humans like Adams that’s for sure !

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Are you trying to get on SMF's good side?

LOL! I knew when I posted that, someone would think that. But no, it's too late for that.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Are you trying to get on SMF's good side?

Imagine Bub playing along side Charles Smith , Jerome Lane , D Gore , Jason Mathews , Bobby Martin , D Porter Rod Brookin ….man I’d have looked pretty good playing with those guys .

That was far and away the most talented Pitt team I’ve ever seen with B Shorter sitting out . Had he been eligible they win it all .

Not that Sean Miller wasn’t good he was the perfect pg for that team , but I’d take JRob as a freshman over Miller . JRob just never got any better .

 

[JS School]

Not that Sean Miller wasn’t good he was the perfect pg for that team , but I’d take JRob as a freshman over Miller . JRob just never got any better .

I always thought JRob would have been a great PG on a team with a lot of offensive talent. He just came along at the wrong time.

 

[Rupart33]

Imagine Bub playing along side Charles Smith , Jerome Lane , D Gore , Jason Mathews , Bobby Martin , D Porter Rod Brookin ….man I’d have looked pretty good playing with those guys .

That was far and away the most talented Pitt team I’ve ever seen with B Shorter sitting out . Had he been eligible they win it all .

Not that Sean Miller wasn’t good he was the perfect pg for that team , but I’d take JRob as a freshman over Miller . JRob just never got any better .

They weren’t even close as freshmen. Miller could actually shoot.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

They weren’t even close as freshmen. Miller could actually shoot.

Sean was a very good player , could shoot from the top of the key and hit his FTs , but nobody ever schemed to stop him .

NBA scouts never came to see Sean !