** And so it begins … another season of what many of us love so much …Pitt Basketball!
** For most of us, I’m sure a season with much higher expectations is a most welcome return. But there are downsides to this too.
** When expectations are lower, it seems it’s easier to enjoy anything good we encounter in the early going, while simply dismissing the not so good as merely meeting expectations.
** That said, I suppose we fans should be nothing short of pleased with a 40 point opening win. And make no mistake, there was plenty that was pleasing.
** But when expectations are higher, this also invites greater scrutiny trying to decipher the differences between the pretty good of where we are and the really good of where we think we can be.
** So let’s start with some of that really good. Jaland Lowe and Ish Leggett were really, really good.
** It’s a little difficult to find something in either’s game this day that wasn’t at a high level.
** Jaland’s finishes sometimes defy description with how pretty and effortless he makes them look. Additionally, he commands the ball on the offensive end with a tremendous understanding of what he wants to do with it.
** Ish’s finishes are often the complete opposite, filled with strength and toughness. This also won’t be the first time Ish gets double digit rebounds, and he might be the odds on favorite to lead his team in the category.
** Both really got after it on the defensive end too, which really sets the tone for the entire team.
** These two are primed for combo season at the highest level we’ve seen from a pair of Pitt guards in a long, long time.
** Maybe Julius and Brandon? How about Jason and Sean? Maybe even better than both. We will know in time, but at the moment, it’s hard not to dream, and such thoughts aren’t out of the question.
** Behind our first pair would appear to be a really good second pair too. I was a little worried after Damian’s quiet first half, but he found his stride in the second half. He a quality guard, and I suspect there will be plenty of moments and matchups that will call for Mr. Dunn to back down a weaker guard for an easy 5 footer in the lane.
** Beebah has plenty of game as well. What we can tell about Mr. Cummings is that he knows how to score. But he also showed a little later in the game that he can be a bit loose with the handle when he tries to do a bit too much. For example, it’s going to take some time for him to learn that it’s a little harder to split screens with the dribble like he could in high school.
** The key for both is to find how they best compliment Jaland and Ish. This seemed to be a bit of an issue in the first half until it all came together in the second 20.
** Knowing that Amsal joins the fray soon enough, and he slates as a guard, this is a very deep and talented team at the 1-2-3 spots.
** Having said all of this, it’s probably fair to suggest that the difference between the pretty good and really good this year will be with how we progress at the 4 and 5 spots.
** We all know we have plenty of length and that will serve us well at times. Still, I left this contest a bit discouraged with how we defended down low. Both Cam and GDiaz were muscled in the paint, and allowed more baskets one on one than you’d like to see against a team like Radford.
** Granted, we never helped or doubled in the paint, and I’m sure that will be part of the defensive game plan at times later in the season.
** Both Cam and GDiaz have some needed offensive skill that was sorely lacking last year. This will certainly help, but both need to be more judicious on when to use it. Early on, it looked to me that Cam was looking to shoot the ball a little more than might be healthy for the greater good. And GDiaz really did not look good during his few attempts to put the ball on the floor and drive. There may be times for these actions, but the overall team’s offensive chemistry will depend on both filling their respective roles a bit better.
** Zach smartly didn’t force his offense, but we’ve learned to expect more on the defensive end than we got today. This was especially true on the defensive glass where he simply needs to claim more than one carom. The same can be offered to Cam and even Jorge to an extent.
** Clearing the defensive glass seemed like something that needs to be improved for the whole team. It even seemed like there were moments when Radford wanted it a little more.
** Despite overall concerns about interior defense, the defensive pressure from the guards was enough to hold Radford to 31% shooting for the game. And they hit about a half dozen of really tough, well defended shots.
** So I am I being a little too tough on our Panthers after a 40 point season opening win? Perhaps. But for this campaign with higher expectations, I hope our Panthers will concentrate on what it takes to be a really good team instead of a pretty good team.
** Really good teams leave no doubt. To me Capel’s crew learned in the opener tonight that there are still areas that need a little work to remove any doubt.
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