-This team can really pass as a team. Its simply fun to watch. And it starts with our big men, Young and Artis. These two together are going to pose matchups problems for opposing teams all year long. Because not only can both score, not only can both shoot, but both can pass the ball and find the open man time after time. This might be the best passing team since... Im not sure where to conclude that sentence, but we look really good moving the ball. Im not ready yet to make a who's more lethal post between Young / Blair vs Artis / Young, but I am warming up to that idea quickly. This duo is going to have a very big year.
-Sticking with offense, which is where our engine is running full speed. Pitt had and still has the number 1 overall raw offense in the entire country right now in terms of efficiency and the #6 scoring offense in the country through tonight. Im not using Pomeroy's "adjusted" rankings, Im using raw numbers. We can shoot the 3 with the new team additions, as we are making 9 three's a game, what a reversal from last year! We are (29-59) from 3 our last 3 games, which is just under 50%, which is blistering Elite hot and 2nd best in the country.. And this has done what I said all along what it would do, spread the floor for Artis and Young to completely dominate on offense. And well, that is what those 2 have done. Their shooting percentages, scoring percentages, and assist numbers speak for themselves. Im not even sure how to guard us right now, we are going to spread out defenses all year long with this offensive attack we have and it will be difficult for anyone to contain.
-Great bounce back game for James Robinson. When he plays like this, we will be very hard to beat. His dribble penetration into the paint for dumpoffs to open players worked time and time again. He is getting wide open shots every single game because of the offensive firepower from the rest of our team spreading the floor and moving the ball with crisp passing and penetration. He will get these same open looks all year long. It is up to him to make the baskets count.
-Sticking with guards, Sterling Smith had his best game as a Panther. For the first time all year he looked more than a spot up 3 point shooter. He hit the glass and made some nice passes.
-Im not concerned with rebounding as much as I am with forcing turnovers. We are 9th in the entire country for total turnovers in general at 9 per game, which is great. We are, cough, 281st in the entire country at creating forced turnovers, at 11 per game. This is simply bad, bad, and my goodness bad. We have athletes and speed on this team. Its simply unacceptable to be this bad. We are almost dead last for all power 5 conference teams. We simply do not put enough pressure on opposing teams on defense. With our offense we need to continue to try and speed the game up if possible.
-Sticking with defense, the biggest problem against Kent State was not so much man to man or even zone. It was our transition defense, where Kent State continued to burn us over and over. Players not getting back, guys jogging down the floor, a few sloppy turnovers on offense which gave them free points. All this is correctable, but this starts with defensive effort. We are simply not giving enough effort here. This isn't so much a skill problem.
-Rafael Maia looks really slow to me. I know he is out of shape, but he looked over matched today.
-Cam Johnson needs to hit the weight room. He got pushed around and beat on the glass multiple times. He is going to be pretty good player down the line. But he looked like a freshmen today
-The Chris Jones miss at the end of the game. No, No, No, I do not want Chris Jones pulling the ball back out and playing stall ball milking the shot clock. NO!!!!! Jamie ball, as I refer to as stall ball, cost us the game in the NCAA Tournament when Pitt lost as a 1 seed against Butler playing this same old Bill Cowher non aggressive approach to win the game. Bull Shit. Keep the dam foot on the gas and keep trying to score when you get a wide open shot look. I applaud Jones for taking the wide open shot, as he should have. Ive said it from day 1, this team will go as far as the offense outscoring other teams. We are built to score, not play 50-50 low scoring brick laying track meets milking the clock at the end of the game. Keep firing guys, and force the other team to beat us by outscoring us.
-4-0, great start to the season. We look good. Bring on Purdue, we will be ready.
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-Sticking with offense, which is where our engine is running full speed. Pitt had and still has the number 1 overall raw offense in the entire country right now in terms of efficiency and the #6 scoring offense in the country through tonight. Im not using Pomeroy's "adjusted" rankings, Im using raw numbers. We can shoot the 3 with the new team additions, as we are making 9 three's a game, what a reversal from last year! We are (29-59) from 3 our last 3 games, which is just under 50%, which is blistering Elite hot and 2nd best in the country.. And this has done what I said all along what it would do, spread the floor for Artis and Young to completely dominate on offense. And well, that is what those 2 have done. Their shooting percentages, scoring percentages, and assist numbers speak for themselves. Im not even sure how to guard us right now, we are going to spread out defenses all year long with this offensive attack we have and it will be difficult for anyone to contain.
-Great bounce back game for James Robinson. When he plays like this, we will be very hard to beat. His dribble penetration into the paint for dumpoffs to open players worked time and time again. He is getting wide open shots every single game because of the offensive firepower from the rest of our team spreading the floor and moving the ball with crisp passing and penetration. He will get these same open looks all year long. It is up to him to make the baskets count.
-Sticking with guards, Sterling Smith had his best game as a Panther. For the first time all year he looked more than a spot up 3 point shooter. He hit the glass and made some nice passes.
-Im not concerned with rebounding as much as I am with forcing turnovers. We are 9th in the entire country for total turnovers in general at 9 per game, which is great. We are, cough, 281st in the entire country at creating forced turnovers, at 11 per game. This is simply bad, bad, and my goodness bad. We have athletes and speed on this team. Its simply unacceptable to be this bad. We are almost dead last for all power 5 conference teams. We simply do not put enough pressure on opposing teams on defense. With our offense we need to continue to try and speed the game up if possible.
-Sticking with defense, the biggest problem against Kent State was not so much man to man or even zone. It was our transition defense, where Kent State continued to burn us over and over. Players not getting back, guys jogging down the floor, a few sloppy turnovers on offense which gave them free points. All this is correctable, but this starts with defensive effort. We are simply not giving enough effort here. This isn't so much a skill problem.
-Rafael Maia looks really slow to me. I know he is out of shape, but he looked over matched today.
-Cam Johnson needs to hit the weight room. He got pushed around and beat on the glass multiple times. He is going to be pretty good player down the line. But he looked like a freshmen today
-The Chris Jones miss at the end of the game. No, No, No, I do not want Chris Jones pulling the ball back out and playing stall ball milking the shot clock. NO!!!!! Jamie ball, as I refer to as stall ball, cost us the game in the NCAA Tournament when Pitt lost as a 1 seed against Butler playing this same old Bill Cowher non aggressive approach to win the game. Bull Shit. Keep the dam foot on the gas and keep trying to score when you get a wide open shot look. I applaud Jones for taking the wide open shot, as he should have. Ive said it from day 1, this team will go as far as the offense outscoring other teams. We are built to score, not play 50-50 low scoring brick laying track meets milking the clock at the end of the game. Keep firing guys, and force the other team to beat us by outscoring us.
-4-0, great start to the season. We look good. Bring on Purdue, we will be ready.
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