1st half deficits

[pitt08]

In their last 11 games vs. major-conference opponents, Pitt has trailed by at least 6 in the 1st half. It seems like a bad strategy to me, but remarkably, they are 6-5 in those games.

Game	1st Half Deficit	Outcome
vs. North Carolina	10	W
at Syracuse	9	W
vs. Clemson	12	L
at Florida State	8	L
vs. Louisville	6	L
at Duke	10	L
vs. Stanford	9	W
vs. California	16	W
at Virginia Tech	8	W
at Mississippi State	22	L
at Ohio State	12	W

 

[Blair_45]

Yea that has to stop here moving forward. You can’t continuously fall behind by 10 points or more like they have been doing here pretty consistently especially in these upcoming road games at Wake, UNC, and SMU. Those teams aren’t Virginia Tech or Syracuse and if you fall behind on the road against anyone of those teams by 10 points or more you’re probably not coming back and winning anyone of those games.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

In their last 11 games vs. major-conference opponents, Pitt has trailed by at least 6 in the 1st half. It seems like a bad strategy to me, but remarkably, they are 6-5 in those games.

Game	1st Half Deficit	Outcome
vs. North Carolina	10	W
at Syracuse	9	W
vs. Clemson	12	L
at Florida State	8	L
vs. Louisville	6	L
at Duke	10	L
vs. Stanford	9	W
vs. California	16	W
at Virginia Tech	8	W
at Mississippi State	22	L
at Ohio State	12	W

Up 18-10 with the ball vs Louisville and then be down 24-18 was totally uncalled for.

 

[JD1976]

I think it can all be tied to Lowe, who for whatever reason just struggles to get any rhythm going early in games.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Basketball is dictated so much by human nature. Way more so than any other sport, because it's a back and forth game of constantly alternating possessions (unlike baseball and football), and points are so attainable (unlike hockey). Teams get complacent with leads and become hyper-focused when they're trailing...which leads to heavy fluctuations in adrenaline and huge momentous swings.

Give me a B-level team and a good hypnotist/sports psychologist tandem, and we might win a national championship.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

If we fall behind by 10 or more in the first half against most (all?) of the remaining teams left on our schedule, it probably won't be good for Pitt. We can't count on a team being as generous with turnovers as UNC was last night. That was a big part of why we won...points off their turnovers and our lack of turnovers.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Basketball is dictated so much by human nature. Way more so than any other sport, because it's a back and forth game of constantly alternating possessions (unlike baseball and football), and points are so attainable (unlike hockey). Teams get complacent with leads and become hyper-focused when they're trailing...which leads to heavy fluctuations in adrenaline and huge momentous swings.

Give me a B-level team and a good hypnotist/sports psychologist tandem, and we might win a national championship.

Roy Chipman used a hypnotist with his teams, and it seemed to work for him.

 

[20-20Hindsight]

Roy Chipman used a hypnotist with his teams, and it seemed to work for him.

Didn't they use a deprivation tank to try to get the late Darrell Gissendanner to calm down?

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Didn't they use a deprivation tank to try to get the late Darrell Gissendanner to calm down?

I don't recall that. Interesting if true. I remember Dr. Chipman trying all kinds of psychiatric methods to get his kids to play more focused.

 

[SteelBowl70]

The number of turnovers on the opening few possessions is maddening considering how few possessions they have after that

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Pitt has trailed by at least 6 in the 1st half. It seems like a bad strategy to me, but remarkably, they are 6-5 in those games.

During the Duke - NC State game on Monday they showed that Duke's 12 point deficit in the first half was their second largest first half deficit of the season, trailing only when they were behind Louisville by 13.

Duke beat NC State by 10, and they beat Louisville by 11.

It's almost as if being behind by 6 or 8 or 10 points in the first half isn't that big of a deal. I mean it's certainly not ideal. But teams overcome deficits like that pretty much every night of the season.

And look at last night for the reason why. We are down 10 late in the first half, and then a minute and a half later we actually have the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead. All it takes is make a couple threes and get a couple stops and you are right back there again.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

My main issue w/ Capel is his starters are logging too many minutes. I'm pretty sure you can fall behind by double digits with your backups in there just as easy. You give starters a blow in the FIRST HALF. I am at a loss here.