Always looking for answers

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Looking at the "what has happened" posts, there is one thing that is clear when you look at this team with some of our previous teams who were more successful.

Defined roles. Again, we bristled when Calhoun said "Pitt was better than the sum of its parts". But we had parts that fit together. Worked together. Brandin was a tough leader at PG, good defender. J Page was incredibly athletic at the 2G, maybe not the best shooter, but a scorer and shutdown defender. Jaron Brown was as versatile as any player in the nation at the 3. DZ was maybe a flake, but a great rebounder and defender and inside/out player on offense. Torree Morris was a DT playing Center, Ontario Lett was a DE playing Center. We were one shooter away IMO.

Levance Fields was baller at PG, a stone cold killer in the clutch. Jermaine Dixon was a great defender, Sam Young was an All American at the 3, Tyrell Biggs was a versatile physical 4. The Big Fella owned the glass. Again, lacking a shooter, too bad Brad was only a FR then.

All of the teams, Wanamaker, Brown, McGhee, Gibbs, Robinson, all 5 distinctively different players.

This year, Jeter, Luther and Young are the same player. Jones, Johnson, Artis are basically the same type of player. No real Center. No PG to push JRob. Just a lot of similar players, no guys specific and good enough in a particular role or two to really make that a particular strength for the team. We got a lot of guys who have scoring mentalities, which is good. I would to add one of these guys to some of the above teams. But we don't have that defender, that rebounder, that versatile matchup nightmare (like a Wanamaker or Jaron Brown) who could do anything on the floor.

I think Jamie is trying to recruit the best talent, skill that he can. Instead of looking at the roster and saying "okay, I really need this".

 

[Fsgolfdr]

This isn't the roster he wants its the roster he's stuck with. Yes I know he's responsible for the roster. The transfers ,guys not working out ,losing out on your prime recruiting targets, filling holes with grad transfers and still not getting the ones he coveted. This is a stop gap roster at best . Adding five guys next yr and the next class will go a long way towards the direction of JDs legacy .

 

[pittbb80]

This isn't the roster he wants its the roster he's stuck with. Yes I know he's responsible for the roster. The transfers ,guys not working out ,losing out on your prime recruiting targets, filling holes with grad transfers and still not getting the ones he coveted. This is a stop gap roster at best . Adding five guys next yr and the next class will go a long way towards the direction of JDs legacy .

Whatever the reason hes missed on way too many players. Guys like JJ, DJ, too many bigs to mention, Newkirk, reaching on guys like Slim............

The 16 class appears to have some of the grit and athleticism that's needed. Gotta hope those guys pan out. The 17 class is huge for the program. The 17-18 season will need major contributions from the 17 class.

Said it before but this team would be much more competitive with a Gary McGee type at center or a legit Guard (either a PG or SG). With McGee they'd have the rebounding and inside presence that's missing that would take some pressure off of MY and JA. With a legit scoring threat from the guard position, again you take away the focus off of those two guys. JA and MY are good solid P5 players but neither are good enough to carry a team. They have zero help either inside or in terms of scoring. Hopefully when roster is turned over there will be more balance.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Looking at the "what has happened" posts, there is one thing that is clear when you look at this team with some of our previous teams who were more successful.

Defined roles. Again, we bristled when Calhoun said "Pitt was better than the sum of its parts". But we had parts that fit together. Worked together. Brandin was a tough leader at PG, good defender. J Page was incredibly athletic at the 2G, maybe not the best shooter, but a scorer and shutdown defender. Jaron Brown was as versatile as any player in the nation at the 3. DZ was maybe a flake, but a great rebounder and defender and inside/out player on offense. Torree Morris was a DT playing Center, Ontario Lett was a DE playing Center. We were one shooter away IMO.

Levance Fields was baller at PG, a stone cold killer in the clutch. Jermaine Dixon was a great defender, Sam Young was an All American at the 3, Tyrell Biggs was a versatile physical 4. The Big Fella owned the glass. Again, lacking a shooter, too bad Brad was only a FR then.

All of the teams, Wanamaker, Brown, McGhee, Gibbs, Robinson, all 5 distinctively different players.

This year, Jeter, Luther and Young are the same player. Jones, Johnson, Artis are basically the same type of player. No real Center. No PG to push JRob. Just a lot of similar players, no guys specific and good enough in a particular role or two to really make that a particular strength for the team. We got a lot of guys who have scoring mentalities, which is good. I would to add one of these guys to some of the above teams. But we don't have that defender, that rebounder, that versatile matchup nightmare (like a Wanamaker or Jaron Brown) who could do anything on the floor.

I think Jamie is trying to recruit the best talent, skill that he can. Instead of looking at the roster and saying "okay, I really need this".

I've made that point.

They have a team full of combo's, half PFs/SF and half SFs/2Gs.

Absolutely no post presence at all.

I keep posting, Young and Artis aren't bad core players, but Young is a bit like Charles Smith (obviously not that good) but he had jerome lane crushing the boards. Artis is a bit like Sam Young, but Sam had Blair crushing the boards.

Heck, put Gary Mcghee on this team and they are at 20+ wins now, not a final four team, but a safe make the NCAAs team.

There is no one, NO one who rolls up their sleeves on this team, to pound the board, to play defense, to scrap and make the little plays.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

slim isn't a reach..he's a high upside specialist who is a luxury on your bench. He either develops his game as he gets physically ready, and earns more and more PT (like Luther)...or he stays at the end of the bench.

Those are EXACTLY the kind of kids we want in the program for development.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Looking at the "what has happened" posts, there is one thing that is clear when you look at this team with some of our previous teams who were more successful.

Defined roles. Again, we bristled when Calhoun said "Pitt was better than the sum of its parts". But we had parts that fit together. Worked together. Brandin was a tough leader at PG, good defender. J Page was incredibly athletic at the 2G, maybe not the best shooter, but a scorer and shutdown defender. Jaron Brown was as versatile as any player in the nation at the 3. DZ was maybe a flake, but a great rebounder and defender and inside/out player on offense. Torree Morris was a DT playing Center, Ontario Lett was a DE playing Center. We were one shooter away IMO.

Levance Fields was baller at PG, a stone cold killer in the clutch. Jermaine Dixon was a great defender, Sam Young was an All American at the 3, Tyrell Biggs was a versatile physical 4. The Big Fella owned the glass. Again, lacking a shooter, too bad Brad was only a FR then.

All of the teams, Wanamaker, Brown, McGhee, Gibbs, Robinson, all 5 distinctively different players.

This year, Jeter, Luther and Young are the same player. Jones, Johnson, Artis are basically the same type of player. No real Center. No PG to push JRob. Just a lot of similar players, no guys specific and good enough in a particular role or two to really make that a particular strength for the team. We got a lot of guys who have scoring mentalities, which is good. I would to add one of these guys to some of the above teams. But we don't have that defender, that rebounder, that versatile matchup nightmare (like a Wanamaker or Jaron Brown) who could do anything on the floor.

I think Jamie is trying to recruit the best talent, skill that he can. Instead of looking at the roster and saying "okay, I really need this".

What you said is true. However, what is hurting this team more than anything is the lack of an offensive PG and any type of inside presence.

I'll give you an example. If we traded Robinson to VT for Seth Allen and Maia to Clemson for Landry Nnoko, we are a 4 seed in the NCAAT.....and those are average to slightly above average ACC players. We're "mid-major" at the 1, 2, and 5 and its killing us.

Having defined roles is big like you said but to me, it purely comes down to having lack of talent.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

This board bags all over Robinson for his lack of outside shooting when he's at around 35% on threes and you'd like to trade him for a guy who shoots around 28% on threes. This board bitches that Artis and Young turn the ball over too much when trying to make plays, yet Allen turns the ball over significantly more than either (to say nothing of comparing him to Robinson). If Seth Allen played for Pitt and played exactly the same way he plays for Virginia Tech HE would be the board whipping boy. He shoots a ton and makes a low percentage. He turns the ball over like crazy. Why on earth would anyone want that?

 

[KiwiJeff]

This board bags all over Robinson for his lack of outside shooting when he's at around 35% on threes and you'd like to trade him for a guy who shoots around 28% on threes. This board bitches that Artis and Young turn the ball over too much when trying to make plays, yet Allen turns the ball over significantly more than either (to say nothing of comparing him to Robinson). If Seth Allen played for Pitt and played exactly the same way he plays for Virginia Tech HE would be the board whipping boy. He shoots a ton and makes a low percentage. He turns the ball over like crazy. Why on earth would anyone want that?

It's no longer "looking for answers". It has become mass hysteria. If this site was real world, half the guys on here would start looting.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

This board bags all over Robinson for his lack of outside shooting when he's at around 35% on threes and you'd like to trade him for a guy who shoots around 28% on threes. This board bitches that Artis and Young turn the ball over too much when trying to make plays, yet Allen turns the ball over significantly more than either (to say nothing of comparing him to Robinson). If Seth Allen played for Pitt and played exactly the same way he plays for Virginia Tech HE would be the board whipping boy. He shoots a ton and makes a low percentage. He turns the ball over like crazy. Why on earth would anyone want that?

Again, I am not sure people got my OP. Before, our teams were like puzzles. Oddly shaped parts that somehow fit together. Specific parts that made it go. Now, too many of the same parts. That's all. That's all I have. Some posters then take this into "this player or that player", I am just saying in Jamie's attempt to upgrade recruiting, we lack serious role players who excel at certain things, and have a lot of players who basically have the same skill sets/size.

I liken it to those "recruiting class rankings", where a team recruits 5 kids who are 4/5 star RB's and they get a highly ranked class. But exactly how does this make the team better? Only one guy can carry the ball at a time. When we have Young/Jeter/Artis/Johnson/Luther/Jones, I mean they are all essentially similar players.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

This board bags all over Robinson for his lack of outside shooting when he's at around 35% on threes and you'd like to trade him for a guy who shoots around 28% on threes. This board bitches that Artis and Young turn the ball over too much when trying to make plays, yet Allen turns the ball over significantly more than either (to say nothing of comparing him to Robinson). If Seth Allen played for Pitt and played exactly the same way he plays for Virginia Tech HE would be the board whipping boy. He shoots a ton and makes a low percentage. He turns the ball over like crazy. Why on earth would anyone want that?

Sounds kinda like DeAndre Kane, huh? The "defenders of the program" didnt want him because he shot a low percentage. Pitt needs an offensive guard. Somebody, anybody. I dont care what Seth Allen's stats say. He's going to take bad shots and turn it over more than Robinson. He's also going to make plays and create.

I said a couple years ago that Robinson is Tino Sunseri. Or the poker player that continually folds. He's low risk, low reward. And for a team without a shooting guard and scorers at only 2 positions, thats not good enough. It was fine for TJM at Arizona. Pitt isnt AZ. Robinson has to do something.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

So rather than a low risk, low reward guy you'd rather have a high risk, low reward guy. Brilliant!

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Sounds kinda like DeAndre Kane, huh? The "defenders of the program" didnt want him because he shot a low percentage. Pitt needs an offensive guard. Somebody, anybody. I dont care what Seth Allen's stats say. He's going to take bad shots and turn it over more than Robinson. He's also going to make plays and create.

I said a couple years ago that Robinson is Tino Sunseri. Or the poker player that continually folds. He's low risk, low reward. And for a team without a shooting guard and scorers at only 2 positions, thats not good enough. It was fine for TJM at Arizona. Pitt isnt AZ. Robinson has to do something.

Kane wasn't eligible to play in the big East because the big East forbade partial qualifiers.

He was a partial qualifier out of school.
When he grad transferred Pitt wanted him.

Shut up

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

So rather than a low risk, low reward guy you'd rather have a high risk, low reward guy. Brilliant!

Are you surprised?

 

[Franb]

Sounds kinda like DeAndre Kane, huh? The "defenders of the program" didnt want him because he shot a low percentage. Pitt needs an offensive guard. Somebody, anybody. I dont care what Seth Allen's stats say. He's going to take bad shots and turn it over more than Robinson. He's also going to make plays and create.

I said a couple years ago that Robinson is Tino Sunseri. Or the poker player that continually folds. He's low risk, low reward. And for a team without a shooting guard and scorers at only 2 positions, thats not good enough. It was fine for TJM at Arizona. Pitt isnt AZ. Robinson has to do something.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

There is no one, NO one who rolls up their sleeves on this team, to pound the board, to play defense, to scrap and make the little plays.

Luther does this - but he is too inexperienced and lacks size to do it effectively. The problem w/ the Luther's and probably the freshman coming - these guys take years to develop.