Boston College Game & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** Right before tonight’s tip off, my Son was talking about how much he really likes this team because he really feels like they all really want to be here at Pitt.

** It sure looks like it.

** My son added that even going back to the later Dixon days, there were certain players who just didn’t always give the want to be here vibe.

** Maybe more than just wanting to be at Pitt, it really looks like they want to be together on the court. Even during the first game of the year against Tennessee Martin, I recall @Chris Peak remarking how much fun it looked like the guys were having on the court.

** Other than a little bit of a slow start, our guys looked like they had as much fun today as they did that day in November. So for this pair of fans tonight, the game was another complete blast to watch.

** Much of the fun was generated by the usual suspects like the freely flying threes and flowing fast breaks. But what I really liked today was a superior and focused effort on the other end. I had fun watching our guys seemingly really wanting to play defense.

** And without question, we were led defensively by the simply splendid work standing tall in the paint by Federico Federico. I'm convinced now that he should indeed be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He's playing that well.

** Actually, let’s not just restrict Fede’s defensive work to the paint. This is because Fede might be the most effective hedge defender we have ever seen at Pitt. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I just cannot think of anyone who hedges or traps the ball as well on the perimeter, while recovering as quickly to the post as he does.

** BC’s Quentin Post fought some foul trouble, but otherwise Fede most often rendered him pretty useless this night. Don’t forget that Post is a guy who was averaging 21 PPG in his last 7 ACC games.

** Fede had some help, especially when we doubled in the post, or when we disrupted on the perimeter. Sure, we lost shooters at the three point line about a half dozen times, but it was mostly because of some really nice execution by BC.

** But overall, even though BC is not a good offensive team, the Panthers can certainly hang their hat of holding the Eagles to just making 1 of 3 shots on the night.

** Early on, it did appear a bit like the Panthers might need to win this game on the defensive end because little seemed to come easily offensively. Jamarius wasn’t hitting, we suffered a couple sloppy turnovers, and we could only muster 11 points in our first 9 minutes of so. It was just one of a few moments we've had of late where it was a little tough to know where points might come from.

** So of course, enter Nelly Cummings to hit three shots to seemingly start the Panther engine.

** And once Blake and Greg started hitting bombs, it was no longer a question of if we would win but by how much. From about the 8 minute mark of first half to around the 4 minute mark of the second (a 24 minute stretch), we outscored BC 57 to 25.

** It was a super stretch, but what may have made it most pleasurable was watching how much the players were enjoying it. They even seemed to have a little fun with each other after a few of their choppier turnover moments.

** My only regret for the night was last that we didn’t get to see Aiden Fisch score in the final minutes as his proud parents were sitting right in front of us. Nonetheless, we cheered his rebound to get him on the scoresheet.

** OK, it wasn’t my only regret. I’m sorry to dwell, but it still pains me to see the Pete as empty as it was considering we sit atop the ACC. I’m guessing it was only somewhere between 3 and 4 K in the seats tonight, including a mostly packed Zoo. Sure, it was a 9:00pm start, but still …

** Therefore, I sure hope many more Hoop fans will come out next week for the final two home contests. Our guys are a blast to watch because they really want to be here playing for the Pitt. They deserve our fullest support.

** In the meantime, we’ve got a tough one on Saturday in Blacksburg. I’ll stop short of making any predictions, but it’s certainly a game we can win. And I’d love to see us return to the Pete while still in first place in the ACC.

** For now, Congrats to our First Place Pittsburgh Panthers!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

** Right before tonight’s tip off, my Son was talking about how much he really likes this team because he really feels like they all really want to be here at Pitt.

** It sure looks like it.

** My son added that even going back to the later Dixon days, there were certain players who just didn’t always give the want to be here vibe.

** Maybe more than just wanting to be at Pitt, it really looks like they want to be together on the court. Even during the first game of the year against Tennessee Martin, I recall @Chris Peak remarking how much fun it looked like the guys were having on the court.

** Other than a little bit of a slow start, our guys looked like they had as much fun today as they did that day in November. So for this pair of fans tonight, the game was another complete blast to watch.

** Much of the fun was generated by the usual suspects like the freely flying threes and flowing fast breaks. But what I really liked today was a superior and focused effort on the other end. I had fun watching our guys seemingly really wanting to play defense.

** And without question, we were led defensively by the simply splendid work standing tall in the paint by Federico Federico. I'm convinced know that he should indeed be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He's playing that well.

** Actually, let’s not just restrict Fede’s defensive work to the paint. This is because Fede might be the most effective hedge defender we have ever seen at Pitt. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I just cannot think of anyone who hedges or traps the ball as well on the perimeter, while recovering as quickly to the post as he does.

** BC’s Quentin Post fought some foul trouble, but otherwise Fede most often rendered him pretty useless this night. Don’t forget that Post is a guy who was averaging 21 PPG in his last 7 ACC games.

** But Fede had some help, especially when we doubled in the post, or when we disrupted on the perimeter. Sure, we lost shooters at the three point line about a half dozen times, but it was mostly because of some really nice execution by BC.

** But overall, even though BC is not a good offensive team, the Panthers can certainly hang their hat of holding the Eagles to just making 1 of 3 shots on the night.

** Early on, it did appear a bit like the Panthers might need to win this game on the defensive end because little seemed to come easily offensively. Jamarius wasn’t hitting, we suffered a couple sloppy turnovers, and we could only muster 11 points in our first 9 minutes of so. It was just one of a few moments we've had of late where it was a little tough to know where points might come from.

** So of course, enter Nelly Cummings to hit three shots to seemingly start the Panther engine.

** And once Blake and Greg started hitting bombs, it was no longer a question of if we would win but by how much. From about the 8 minute mark of first half to around the 4 minute mark of the second (a 24 minute stretch), we outscored BC 57 to 25.

** ** It was a super stretch, but what may have made it most pleasurable was watching how much the players were enjoying it. They even seemed to have a little fun with each other after a few of their choppier turnover moments.

** My only regret for the night was last that we didn’t get to see Aiden Fisch score in the final minutes as his proud parents were sitting right in front of us. Nonetheless, we cheered his rebound to get him on the scoresheet.

** OK, it wasn’t my only regret. I’m sorry to dwell, but it still pains me to see the Pete as empty as it was considering we sit atop the ACC. I’m guessing it was only somewhere between 3 and 4 K in the seats tonight, including a mostly packed Zoo. Sure, it was a 9:00pm start, but still …

** Therefore, I sure hope many more Hoop fans will come out next week for the final two home contests. Our guys are a blast to watch because they really want to be here playing for the Pitt. They deserve our fullest support.

** In the meantime, we’ve got a tough one on Saturday in Blacksburg. I’ll stop short of making any predictions, but it’s certainly a game we can win. And I’d love to see us return to the Pete while still in first place in the ACC.

** For now, Congrats to our First Place Pittsburgh Panthers!

Team Chemistry means a lot in college basketball. Now you have to have talent obviously but having a bunch of guys who like each other and have fun playing together literally equals more wins. This is a really good group of guys from the old heads all the way down to the twins, who seem fun as heck if you've ever heard their interviews. The Capel I (uh oh, did I just separate the Capel eras) players hated each other and it showed. Now it was ultimately his fault for bringing low-character players but a lot of that is just bad luck.

As for the crowd, I was going to say 5K. 3K is a little low I think considering the Zoo was 80% full. 4K I can see. I'll never understand why Pitt doesnt seat people in the 50 unused visitor seats behind the bench. They give 60 seats behind the bench to the visiting team and only 1-2 teams per year fill them. All in all though, the crowd was about what I was expected. Its 9PM vs BC and even during Dixon 2, a game like this draws 6K, maybe maybe 7K. And if we're being honest, Capel 2 is very similar to Dixon 2 (ie bubble) so the crowds haven't been all that dissimilar. The season ticket base is so low, you just simply arent going to have more than 50-100 people buying single game tickets to this type of 9PM game. Now, why the ACC decided to play this game at 9 instead of 8 or 8:30 or say 7PM on a Thursday, that's something I'l never be able to figure out. They love cramming all the games into Tue/Wed/Sat

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

** Right before tonight’s tip off, my Son was talking about how much he really likes this team because he really feels like they all really want to be here at Pitt.

** It sure looks like it.

** My son added that even going back to the later Dixon days, there were certain players who just didn’t always give the want to be here vibe.

** Maybe more than just wanting to be at Pitt, it really looks like they want to be together on the court. Even during the first game of the year against Tennessee Martin, I recall @Chris Peak remarking how much fun it looked like the guys were having on the court.

** Other than a little bit of a slow start, our guys looked like they had as much fun today as they did that day in November. So for this pair of fans tonight, the game was another complete blast to watch.

** Much of the fun was generated by the usual suspects like the freely flying threes and flowing fast breaks. But what I really liked today was a superior and focused effort on the other end. I had fun watching our guys seemingly really wanting to play defense.

** And without question, we were led defensively by the simply splendid work standing tall in the paint by Federico Federico. I'm convinced now that he should indeed be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He's playing that well.

** Actually, let’s not just restrict Fede’s defensive work to the paint. This is because Fede might be the most effective hedge defender we have ever seen at Pitt. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I just cannot think of anyone who hedges or traps the ball as well on the perimeter, while recovering as quickly to the post as he does.

** BC’s Quentin Post fought some foul trouble, but otherwise Fede most often rendered him pretty useless this night. Don’t forget that Post is a guy who was averaging 21 PPG in his last 7 ACC games.

** But Fede had some help, especially when we doubled in the post, or when we disrupted on the perimeter. Sure, we lost shooters at the three point line about a half dozen times, but it was mostly because of some really nice execution by BC.

** But overall, even though BC is not a good offensive team, the Panthers can certainly hang their hat of holding the Eagles to just making 1 of 3 shots on the night.

** Early on, it did appear a bit like the Panthers might need to win this game on the defensive end because little seemed to come easily offensively. Jamarius wasn’t hitting, we suffered a couple sloppy turnovers, and we could only muster 11 points in our first 9 minutes of so. It was just one of a few moments we've had of late where it was a little tough to know where points might come from.

** So of course, enter Nelly Cummings to hit three shots to seemingly start the Panther engine.

** And once Blake and Greg started hitting bombs, it was no longer a question of if we would win but by how much. From about the 8 minute mark of first half to around the 4 minute mark of the second (a 24 minute stretch), we outscored BC 57 to 25.

** It was a super stretch, but what may have made it most pleasurable was watching how much the players were enjoying it. They even seemed to have a little fun with each other after a few of their choppier turnover moments.

** My only regret for the night was last that we didn’t get to see Aiden Fisch score in the final minutes as his proud parents were sitting right in front of us. Nonetheless, we cheered his rebound to get him on the scoresheet.

** OK, it wasn’t my only regret. I’m sorry to dwell, but it still pains me to see the Pete as empty as it was considering we sit atop the ACC. I’m guessing it was only somewhere between 3 and 4 K in the seats tonight, including a mostly packed Zoo. Sure, it was a 9:00pm start, but still …

** Therefore, I sure hope many more Hoop fans will come out next week for the final two home contests. Our guys are a blast to watch because they really want to be here playing for the Pitt. They deserve our fullest support.

** In the meantime, we’ve got a tough one on Saturday in Blacksburg. I’ll stop short of making any predictions, but it’s certainly a game we can win. And I’d love to see us return to the Pete while still in first place in the ACC.

** For now, Congrats to our First Place Pittsburgh Panthers!

Good stuff, DT.

The D was very good and nobody has defended Post like we did. It was Fede and the help.

Nelly got us going and Hinson and Elliott pretty much put it out of sight.

I’m excited to see the last 2 home games live. See you then.

 

[Oregon_Panther]

DT,

As always, good recap. Agree on Fede, other than Post making the first three, he was neutralized. Fede hustles every play, and is a true team player. Even when shown on the bench, he’s in the game!

On TV, the Zoo sounded engaged and the announcers did mention their enthusiasm. As you’ve been there during our highs and lows, how has the effect, if any, of having the Zoo behind our bench beeen?

Proud of this team, and how they play—with purpose and a joy for each other!

Hail to PITT!
-al-

 

[Sam Young 23]

I agree with you. It is refreshing to see a team share the ball. It appears they really like each other. A connected team is a hard team to beat. If Pitt plays defense like it did tonight, a sweet 16 could be in the future. One can dream.

 

[Eastern Eight]

Great write up as always. Couple quick thoughts. Fede is a lot stronger physically than I assumed he was earlier in the year. He manhandled Post a bit last night. The other thought was mentioned by SMF. The crowd really was a result of low season ticket sales. That should rectify itself some starting next season, I believe. Certainly nothing like the early days of the Pete, but they should sell more tickets upfront. As far as single game ticket sales go, Saturday at 4:00 seems like the optimum and Tuesday at 9:00 is about the worst.

 

[rockypanther]

** Right before tonight’s tip off, my Son was talking about how much he really likes this team because he really feels like they all really want to be here at Pitt.

** It sure looks like it.

** My son added that even going back to the later Dixon days, there were certain players who just didn’t always give the want to be here vibe.

** Maybe more than just wanting to be at Pitt, it really looks like they want to be together on the court. Even during the first game of the year against Tennessee Martin, I recall @Chris Peak remarking how much fun it looked like the guys were having on the court.

** Other than a little bit of a slow start, our guys looked like they had as much fun today as they did that day in November. So for this pair of fans tonight, the game was another complete blast to watch.

** Much of the fun was generated by the usual suspects like the freely flying threes and flowing fast breaks. But what I really liked today was a superior and focused effort on the other end. I had fun watching our guys seemingly really wanting to play defense.

** And without question, we were led defensively by the simply splendid work standing tall in the paint by Federico Federico. I'm convinced now that he should indeed be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He's playing that well.

** Actually, let’s not just restrict Fede’s defensive work to the paint. This is because Fede might be the most effective hedge defender we have ever seen at Pitt. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I just cannot think of anyone who hedges or traps the ball as well on the perimeter, while recovering as quickly to the post as he does.

** BC’s Quentin Post fought some foul trouble, but otherwise Fede most often rendered him pretty useless this night. Don’t forget that Post is a guy who was averaging 21 PPG in his last 7 ACC games.

** But Fede had some help, especially when we doubled in the post, or when we disrupted on the perimeter. Sure, we lost shooters at the three point line about a half dozen times, but it was mostly because of some really nice execution by BC.

** But overall, even though BC is not a good offensive team, the Panthers can certainly hang their hat of holding the Eagles to just making 1 of 3 shots on the night.

** Early on, it did appear a bit like the Panthers might need to win this game on the defensive end because little seemed to come easily offensively. Jamarius wasn’t hitting, we suffered a couple sloppy turnovers, and we could only muster 11 points in our first 9 minutes of so. It was just one of a few moments we've had of late where it was a little tough to know where points might come from.

** So of course, enter Nelly Cummings to hit three shots to seemingly start the Panther engine.

** And once Blake and Greg started hitting bombs, it was no longer a question of if we would win but by how much. From about the 8 minute mark of first half to around the 4 minute mark of the second (a 24 minute stretch), we outscored BC 57 to 25.

** It was a super stretch, but what may have made it most pleasurable was watching how much the players were enjoying it. They even seemed to have a little fun with each other after a few of their choppier turnover moments.

** My only regret for the night was last that we didn’t get to see Aiden Fisch score in the final minutes as his proud parents were sitting right in front of us. Nonetheless, we cheered his rebound to get him on the scoresheet.

** OK, it wasn’t my only regret. I’m sorry to dwell, but it still pains me to see the Pete as empty as it was considering we sit atop the ACC. I’m guessing it was only somewhere between 3 and 4 K in the seats tonight, including a mostly packed Zoo. Sure, it was a 9:00pm start, but still …

** Therefore, I sure hope many more Hoop fans will come out next week for the final two home contests. Our guys are a blast to watch because they really want to be here playing for the Pitt. They deserve our fullest support.

** In the meantime, we’ve got a tough one on Saturday in Blacksburg. I’ll stop short of making any predictions, but it’s certainly a game we can win. And I’d love to see us return to the Pete while still in first place in the ACC.

** For now, Congrats to our First Place Pittsburgh Panthers!

Great thoughts. One thing I noticed was how well Fede hard hedged on the screens and then get back to Post. He is really a complete defender right now for us. If he could develop a mid range and even a three point shot during his career here he would be pretty special. Better than Zanna even which I wouldn’t have thought was possible even just a few weeks ago.

 

[rockypanther]

** Right before tonight’s tip off, my Son was talking about how much he really likes this team because he really feels like they all really want to be here at Pitt.

** It sure looks like it.

** My son added that even going back to the later Dixon days, there were certain players who just didn’t always give the want to be here vibe.

** Maybe more than just wanting to be at Pitt, it really looks like they want to be together on the court. Even during the first game of the year against Tennessee Martin, I recall @Chris Peak remarking how much fun it looked like the guys were having on the court.

** Other than a little bit of a slow start, our guys looked like they had as much fun today as they did that day in November. So for this pair of fans tonight, the game was another complete blast to watch.

** Much of the fun was generated by the usual suspects like the freely flying threes and flowing fast breaks. But what I really liked today was a superior and focused effort on the other end. I had fun watching our guys seemingly really wanting to play defense.

** And without question, we were led defensively by the simply splendid work standing tall in the paint by Federico Federico. I'm convinced now that he should indeed be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He's playing that well.

** Actually, let’s not just restrict Fede’s defensive work to the paint. This is because Fede might be the most effective hedge defender we have ever seen at Pitt. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I just cannot think of anyone who hedges or traps the ball as well on the perimeter, while recovering as quickly to the post as he does.

** BC’s Quentin Post fought some foul trouble, but otherwise Fede most often rendered him pretty useless this night. Don’t forget that Post is a guy who was averaging 21 PPG in his last 7 ACC games.

** But Fede had some help, especially when we doubled in the post, or when we disrupted on the perimeter. Sure, we lost shooters at the three point line about a half dozen times, but it was mostly because of some really nice execution by BC.

** But overall, even though BC is not a good offensive team, the Panthers can certainly hang their hat of holding the Eagles to just making 1 of 3 shots on the night.

** Early on, it did appear a bit like the Panthers might need to win this game on the defensive end because little seemed to come easily offensively. Jamarius wasn’t hitting, we suffered a couple sloppy turnovers, and we could only muster 11 points in our first 9 minutes of so. It was just one of a few moments we've had of late where it was a little tough to know where points might come from.

** So of course, enter Nelly Cummings to hit three shots to seemingly start the Panther engine.

** And once Blake and Greg started hitting bombs, it was no longer a question of if we would win but by how much. From about the 8 minute mark of first half to around the 4 minute mark of the second (a 24 minute stretch), we outscored BC 57 to 25.

** It was a super stretch, but what may have made it most pleasurable was watching how much the players were enjoying it. They even seemed to have a little fun with each other after a few of their choppier turnover moments.

** My only regret for the night was last that we didn’t get to see Aiden Fisch score in the final minutes as his proud parents were sitting right in front of us. Nonetheless, we cheered his rebound to get him on the scoresheet.

** OK, it wasn’t my only regret. I’m sorry to dwell, but it still pains me to see the Pete as empty as it was considering we sit atop the ACC. I’m guessing it was only somewhere between 3 and 4 K in the seats tonight, including a mostly packed Zoo. Sure, it was a 9:00pm start, but still …

** Therefore, I sure hope many more Hoop fans will come out next week for the final two home contests. Our guys are a blast to watch because they really want to be here playing for the Pitt. They deserve our fullest support.

** In the meantime, we’ve got a tough one on Saturday in Blacksburg. I’ll stop short of making any predictions, but it’s certainly a game we can win. And I’d love to see us return to the Pete while still in first place in the ACC.

** For now, Congrats to our First Place Pittsburgh Panthers!

My sons have been to one Pitt basketball game. I may be looking for tickets to one of our final regular season games this year and make the 7 hour drive to see this team. What a great group of kids.

 

[PittPharm2002]

The team defense was terrific

 

[pittbb80]

Great thoughts. One thing I noticed was how well Fede hard hedged on the screens and then get back to Post. He is really a complete defender right now for us. If he could develop a mid range and even a three point shot during his career here he would be pretty special. Better than Zanna even which I wouldn’t have thought was possible even just a few weeks ago.

Fede is incredibly athletic for his size. His quickness allows him to go out the hedges and recover. He’s the straw that stirs the drink on defense

You can see they’ve been working with him on his footwork around the rim. That move he made earlier in the game was excellent. He really needs to develop touch with a soft turnaround or jump hook and that will make the drop step and up and under moves more devastating. Right now defenders don’t have to respect his close in shits. But again you can see progress

The twins provide some nice options to give him a rest or when he has foul trouble.

He’s fun to watch for sure

 

[SteelBowl70]

** Right before tonight’s tip off, my Son was talking about how much he really likes this team because he really feels like they all really want to be here at Pitt.

** It sure looks like it.

** My son added that even going back to the later Dixon days, there were certain players who just didn’t always give the want to be here vibe.

** Maybe more than just wanting to be at Pitt, it really looks like they want to be together on the court. Even during the first game of the year against Tennessee Martin, I recall @Chris Peak remarking how much fun it looked like the guys were having on the court.

** Other than a little bit of a slow start, our guys looked like they had as much fun today as they did that day in November. So for this pair of fans tonight, the game was another complete blast to watch.

** Much of the fun was generated by the usual suspects like the freely flying threes and flowing fast breaks. But what I really liked today was a superior and focused effort on the other end. I had fun watching our guys seemingly really wanting to play defense.

** And without question, we were led defensively by the simply splendid work standing tall in the paint by Federico Federico. I'm convinced now that he should indeed be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He's playing that well.

** Actually, let’s not just restrict Fede’s defensive work to the paint. This is because Fede might be the most effective hedge defender we have ever seen at Pitt. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I just cannot think of anyone who hedges or traps the ball as well on the perimeter, while recovering as quickly to the post as he does.

** BC’s Quentin Post fought some foul trouble, but otherwise Fede most often rendered him pretty useless this night. Don’t forget that Post is a guy who was averaging 21 PPG in his last 7 ACC games.

** But Fede had some help, especially when we doubled in the post, or when we disrupted on the perimeter. Sure, we lost shooters at the three point line about a half dozen times, but it was mostly because of some really nice execution by BC.

** But overall, even though BC is not a good offensive team, the Panthers can certainly hang their hat of holding the Eagles to just making 1 of 3 shots on the night.

** Early on, it did appear a bit like the Panthers might need to win this game on the defensive end because little seemed to come easily offensively. Jamarius wasn’t hitting, we suffered a couple sloppy turnovers, and we could only muster 11 points in our first 9 minutes of so. It was just one of a few moments we've had of late where it was a little tough to know where points might come from.

** So of course, enter Nelly Cummings to hit three shots to seemingly start the Panther engine.

** And once Blake and Greg started hitting bombs, it was no longer a question of if we would win but by how much. From about the 8 minute mark of first half to around the 4 minute mark of the second (a 24 minute stretch), we outscored BC 57 to 25.

** It was a super stretch, but what may have made it most pleasurable was watching how much the players were enjoying it. They even seemed to have a little fun with each other after a few of their choppier turnover moments.

** My only regret for the night was last that we didn’t get to see Aiden Fisch score in the final minutes as his proud parents were sitting right in front of us. Nonetheless, we cheered his rebound to get him on the scoresheet.

** OK, it wasn’t my only regret. I’m sorry to dwell, but it still pains me to see the Pete as empty as it was considering we sit atop the ACC. I’m guessing it was only somewhere between 3 and 4 K in the seats tonight, including a mostly packed Zoo. Sure, it was a 9:00pm start, but still …

** Therefore, I sure hope many more Hoop fans will come out next week for the final two home contests. Our guys are a blast to watch because they really want to be here playing for the Pitt. They deserve our fullest support.

** In the meantime, we’ve got a tough one on Saturday in Blacksburg. I’ll stop short of making any predictions, but it’s certainly a game we can win. And I’d love to see us return to the Pete while still in first place in the ACC.

** For now, Congrats to our First Place Pittsburgh Panthers!

Most consecutive conference wins since 2011. Always have enjoyed your insights, thanks.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Great write up as always. Couple quick thoughts. Fede is a lot stronger physically than I assumed he was earlier in the year. He manhandled Post a bit last night. The other thought was mentioned by SMF. The crowd really was a result of low season ticket sales. That should rectify itself some starting next season, I believe. Certainly nothing like the early days of the Pete, but they should sell more tickets upfront. As far as single game ticket sales go, Saturday at 4:00 seems like the optimum and Tuesday at 9:00 is about the worst.

Weeknights, even at 7PM vs a no-name team are going to always be bad for single game sales. You maybe get 1K more for this game (singles + Stubhub + more STH showing up). Saturday afternoon, you probably get 10K.

Pitt is going to have a great opportunity to greatly increase season ticket sales next year but I still think they need to try some different type of strategy because they lost an entire generation of fans AND this team still isnt Glory Days good. We are back to Dixon 2 and even then, the crowds werent good. Not as bad as they are now but not good. Tickets need to be priced like we're a bubble program not a Top 5-10 program like we were for most of the Young Pete.

 

[rockypanther]

Fede is incredibly athletic for his size. His quickness allows him to go out the hedges and recover. He’s the straw that stirs the drink on defense

You can see they’ve been working with him on his footwork around the rim. That move he made earlier in the game was excellent. He really needs to develop touch with a soft turnaround or jump hook and that will make the drop step and up and under moves more devastating. Right now defenders don’t have to respect his close in shits. But again you can see progress

The twins provide some nice options to give him a rest or when he has foul trouble.

He’s fun to watch for sure

That move around the rim was a very difficult one. To not lose your balance or awareness around the run and not travel was very impressive.

 

[PittPoker]

I agree with you. It is refreshing to see a team share the ball. It appears they really like each other. A connected team is a hard team to beat. If Pitt plays defense like it did tonight, a sweet 16 could be in the future. One can dream.

Beyond a Sweet 16 can be in their future.

 

[Franb]

Team Chemistry means a lot in college basketball. Now you have to have talent obviously but having a bunch of guys who like each other and have fun playing together literally equals more wins. This is a really good group of guys from the old heads all the way down to the twins, who seem fun as heck if you've ever heard their interviews. The Capel I (uh oh, did I just separate the Capel eras) players hated each other and it showed. Now it was ultimately his fault for bringing low-character players but a lot of that is just bad luck.

As for the crowd, I was going to say 5K. 3K is a little low I think considering the Zoo was 80% full. 4K I can see. I'll never understand why Pitt doesnt seat people in the 50 unused visitor seats behind the bench. They give 60 seats behind the bench to the visiting team and only 1-2 teams per year fill them. All in all though, the crowd was about what I was expected. Its 9PM vs BC and even during Dixon 2, a game like this draws 6K, maybe maybe 7K. And if we're being honest, Capel 2 is very similar to Dixon 2 (ie bubble) so the crowds haven't been all that dissimilar. The season ticket base is so low, you just simply arent going to have more than 50-100 people buying single game tickets to this type of 9PM game. Now, why the ACC decided to play this game at 9 instead of 8 or 8:30 or say 7PM on a Thursday, that's something I'l never be able to figure out. They love cramming all the games into Tue/Wed/Sat

Are you really asking why the ACC scheduled this game at 9? ESPN is the one-word answer to just about any scheduling question.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Are you really asking why the ACC scheduled this game at 9? ESPN is the one-word answer to just about any scheduling question.

Why did ESPN schedule their SECN doubleheader for 6:30/8:30 last night? It was 5:30 local for Vandy fans watching on TV.

 

[Pitt2006]

Beyond a Sweet 16 can be in their future.

Yep all about matchups. They go off against a slow paced higher ranked team and can pull it off if Pitt dictates tempo. Side chat, but I hope VT takes care of GT tonight. They have had some good wins but also some puzzling losses like to BC. A few weeks back I penciled this as a likely loss, but I lean more now to close Pitt road W. They can pull it out with the way they have been playing (I think last night makes 5 in a row ATS)? Not sure if metrics point to a home VT as low spread favorite?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yep all about matchups. They go off against a slow paced higher ranked team and can pull it off if Pitt dictates tempo. Side chat, but I hope VT takes care of GT tonight. They have had some good wins but also some puzzling losses like to BC. A few weeks back I penciled this as a likely loss, but I lean more now to close Pitt road W. They can pull it out with the way they have been playing (I think last night makes 5 in a row ATS)? Not sure if metrics point to a home VT as low spread favorite?

While sure, this team can easily lose its Round 1 matchup, it absolutely is the type of team that can get to an Elite 8, even Final Four by going off from 3. You need offense in March. Dixon's team couldn't score when they needed to.

 

[PittPoker]

While sure, this team can easily lose its Round 1 matchup, it absolutely is the type of team that can get to an Elite 8, even Final Four by going off from 3. You need offense in March. Dixon's team couldn't score when they needed to.

Yeah cause players were scared if they didn't take the right shot they'd be taken out of the game. Not all but the vast majority. His coaching style in March left a lot to be desired but he was great otherwise.

 

[Pitt2006]

Yeah cause players were scared if they didn't take the right shot they'd be taken out of the game. Not all but the vast majority. His coaching style in March left a lot to be desired but he was great otherwise.

But their slow paced style also did not allow for wasted shots. Maybe I am remembering incorrect, but don’t remember when they had a team where like 5 plus players had a high chance of making a 3 ala (burton, Hinson, niki, Elliot, Cummings) and maybe even Diaz. Robinson was always a worry. Fields would be clutch, but I was always worried they would be out shot from 3. Again I may have a recency bias and stats may prove me wrong.

 

[PittPoker]

But their slow paced style also did not allow for wasted shots. Maybe I am remembering incorrect, but don’t remember when they had a team where like 5 plus players had a high chance of making a 3 ala (burton, Hinson, niki, Elliot, Cummings) and maybe even Diaz. Robinson was always a worry. Fields would be clutch, but I was always worried they would be out shot from 3. Again I may have a recency bias and stats may prove me wrong.

Yeah we never had a shooting team like this. But I don’t think Dixon would know what to do with these guys lol. He is a micromanager and that works great in a lot of ways but this team needs the freedom to be able to shoot and miss and shoot again and again and not worry they will be benched. Jamie had a quick trigger iirc.

 

[nycpanther98]

Agree. This team plays loose and free and it appears that when someone is having an off night, they have more freedom to shoot out of it. Hard to know how much of it is attributable to coaching philosophy and how much of it is the product of a mature, experienced group of players, but in my experience Capel is calling fewer timeouts and micromanaging far less than Dixon. Don't think I am qualified to say which way is better, and Dixon's results speak for themselves, but I enjoy watching this team more than any Dixon team save for maybe 2009. It's an entertaining and exciting brand of basketball.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Fede is not only a strong candidate for ACC defensive POY , but I’ve never seen a Pitt player improve so much in season . He’s a joy to watch . Developing a little jump hook this off season and he could really be something in the yrs to come .

The only post player Pitt has had that reminds me of the athleticism of Fede was T Zanna . Fede wins this contest on the D end but Zanna wins on the offensive end .

BC was trying to physically intimidate the Panthers , but they’d have nothing to do with it . These Panthers are are tough both mentally and physically .

This team with the right matchups can make some noise in the NCAA’s . Pitt even in the glory yrs never had so many players able to carry the load on offense on any given night .

Teams can make life tough for Burton inside , but now they pay a price with the outside firepower.

It’s amazing how with the right players the coaches aren’t so inept anymore !

 

[Pitt2006]

Fede is not only a strong candidate for ACC defensive POY , but I’ve never seen a Pitt player improve so much in season . He’s a joy to watch . Developing a little jump hook this off season and he could really be something in the yrs to come .

The only post player Pitt has had that reminds me of the athleticism of Fede was T Zanna . Fede wins this contest on the D end but Zanna wins on the offensive end .

BC was trying to physically intimidate the Panthers , but they’d have nothing to do with it . These Panthers are are tough both mentally and physically .

This team with the right matchups can make some noise in the NCAA’s . Pitt even in the glory yrs never had so many players able to carry the load on offense on any given night .

Teams can make life tough for Burton inside , but now they pay a price with the outside firepower.

It’s amazing how with the right players the coaches aren’t so inept anymore !

I appreciate the dunk attempts. It was so frustrating to see TB never really attempt to dunk and then miss from so close. Fede has been huge!

 

[Protes]

Fede is not only a strong candidate for ACC defensive POY , but I’ve never seen a Pitt player improve so much in season . He’s a joy to watch . Developing a little jump hook this off season and he could really be something in the yrs to come .

The only post player Pitt has had that reminds me of the athleticism of Fede was T Zanna . Fede wins this contest on the D end but Zanna wins on the offensive end .

BC was trying to physically intimidate the Panthers , but they’d have nothing to do with it . These Panthers are are tough both mentally and physically .

This team with the right matchups can make some noise in the NCAA’s . Pitt even in the glory yrs never had so many players able to carry the load on offense on any given night .

Teams can make life tough for Burton inside , but now they pay a price with the outside firepower.

It’s amazing how with the right players the coaches aren’t so inept anymore !

Re: Burton. Agreed. There was a concentrated effort to stop JB last night, and BC did a good job of it. At times, Burton seemed frustrated that he couldn't get into the lane or to the rim. But that still left room for our other guys to operate, and Hinson and Elliott made them pay.

 

[wbrpanther]

Good stuff, DT.

The D was very good and nobody has defended Post like we did. It was Fede and the help.

Nelly got us going and Hinson and Elliott pretty much put it out of sight.

I’m excited to see the last 2 home games live. See you then.

Fede reduced Post to a whimpy, whiney little girl.

 

[PittMBA]

Fede is not only a strong candidate for ACC defensive POY , but I’ve never seen a Pitt player improve so much in season . He’s a joy to watch . Developing a little jump hook this off season and he could really be something in the yrs to come .

The only post player Pitt has had that reminds me of the athleticism of Fede was T Zanna . Fede wins this contest on the D end but Zanna wins on the offensive end .

BC was trying to physically intimidate the Panthers , but they’d have nothing to do with it . These Panthers are are tough both mentally and physically .

This team with the right matchups can make some noise in the NCAA’s . Pitt even in the glory yrs never had so many players able to carry the load on offense on any given night .

Teams can make life tough for Burton inside , but now they pay a price with the outside firepower.

It’s amazing how with the right players the coaches aren’t so inept anymore !

Last night - especially early- it looked like PItt ran plays to get Fede post catches with his back to the basket. Thought it was a bit of a wrinkle and testament to Fede’s improvement.

This is a funny team in that even when they seem choppy on offense they get their points — they get to the line and seem to hits 3s in buckets.

I think the better defensive teams - like Duke and UVA will give them trouble - teams that play really good -aggressive man to man . But , most teams just aren’t that .

 

[Blair_45]

I’m with a lot of people on here saying this team can go far. They have 4 guys that can simply go off from 3 or just scoring points in general in any game in Hinson, Elliott, Cummings, and Burton. Usually it seems like 2 of these 4 guys always go off in every game Pitt wins. If that happens in NCCA tournament with the right matchups for Pitt they will definitely be playing in the Sweet 16 next month and maybe even a week later then that potentially. This team has the consistent shooting and scoring pedigree and overall toughness and experience I feel to make a serious serious run in this tournament in such a wide open year.

 

[JS School]

Recruit to shoot.

I appreciate everything Howland and Dixon accomplished, but I love finally seeing a team that fits that motto.

 

[nycpanther98]

I’m with a lot of people on here saying this team can go far. They have 4 guys that can simply go off from 3 or just scoring points in general in any game in Hinson, Elliott, Cummings, and Burton. Usually it seems like 2 of these 4 guys always go off in every game Pitt wins. If that happens in NCCA tournament with the right matchups for Pitt they will definitely be playing in the Sweet 16 next month and maybe even a week later then that potentially. This team has the consistent shooting and scoring pedigree and overall toughness and experience I feel to make a serious serious run in this tournament in such a wide open year.

Agree but would add Nike to the list of guys who can go off.

 

[Franb]

Last night - especially early- it looked like PItt ran plays to get Fede post catches with his back to the basket. Thought it was a bit of a wrinkle and testament to Fede’s improvement.

This is a funny team in that even when they seem choppy on offense they get their points — they get to the line and seem to hits 3s in buckets.

I think the better defensive teams - like Duke and UVA will give them trouble - teams that play really good -aggressive man to man . But , most teams just aren’t that .

Pitt went to Fede on the first possession of the game and on the first possession of the second half.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

** Right before tonight’s tip off, my Son was talking about how much he really likes this team because he really feels like they all really want to be here at Pitt.

** It sure looks like it.

** My son added that even going back to the later Dixon days, there were certain players who just didn’t always give the want to be here vibe.

** Maybe more than just wanting to be at Pitt, it really looks like they want to be together on the court. Even during the first game of the year against Tennessee Martin, I recall @Chris Peak remarking how much fun it looked like the guys were having on the court.

** Other than a little bit of a slow start, our guys looked like they had as much fun today as they did that day in November. So for this pair of fans tonight, the game was another complete blast to watch.

** Much of the fun was generated by the usual suspects like the freely flying threes and flowing fast breaks. But what I really liked today was a superior and focused effort on the other end. I had fun watching our guys seemingly really wanting to play defense.

** And without question, we were led defensively by the simply splendid work standing tall in the paint by Federico Federico. I'm convinced now that he should indeed be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He's playing that well.

** Actually, let’s not just restrict Fede’s defensive work to the paint. This is because Fede might be the most effective hedge defender we have ever seen at Pitt. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. I just cannot think of anyone who hedges or traps the ball as well on the perimeter, while recovering as quickly to the post as he does.

** BC’s Quentin Post fought some foul trouble, but otherwise Fede most often rendered him pretty useless this night. Don’t forget that Post is a guy who was averaging 21 PPG in his last 7 ACC games.

** Fede had some help, especially when we doubled in the post, or when we disrupted on the perimeter. Sure, we lost shooters at the three point line about a half dozen times, but it was mostly because of some really nice execution by BC.

** But overall, even though BC is not a good offensive team, the Panthers can certainly hang their hat of holding the Eagles to just making 1 of 3 shots on the night.

** Early on, it did appear a bit like the Panthers might need to win this game on the defensive end because little seemed to come easily offensively. Jamarius wasn’t hitting, we suffered a couple sloppy turnovers, and we could only muster 11 points in our first 9 minutes of so. It was just one of a few moments we've had of late where it was a little tough to know where points might come from.

** So of course, enter Nelly Cummings to hit three shots to seemingly start the Panther engine.

** And once Blake and Greg started hitting bombs, it was no longer a question of if we would win but by how much. From about the 8 minute mark of first half to around the 4 minute mark of the second (a 24 minute stretch), we outscored BC 57 to 25.

** It was a super stretch, but what may have made it most pleasurable was watching how much the players were enjoying it. They even seemed to have a little fun with each other after a few of their choppier turnover moments.

** My only regret for the night was last that we didn’t get to see Aiden Fisch score in the final minutes as his proud parents were sitting right in front of us. Nonetheless, we cheered his rebound to get him on the scoresheet.

** OK, it wasn’t my only regret. I’m sorry to dwell, but it still pains me to see the Pete as empty as it was considering we sit atop the ACC. I’m guessing it was only somewhere between 3 and 4 K in the seats tonight, including a mostly packed Zoo. Sure, it was a 9:00pm start, but still …

** Therefore, I sure hope many more Hoop fans will come out next week for the final two home contests. Our guys are a blast to watch because they really want to be here playing for the Pitt. They deserve our fullest support.

** In the meantime, we’ve got a tough one on Saturday in Blacksburg. I’ll stop short of making any predictions, but it’s certainly a game we can win. And I’d love to see us return to the Pete while still in first place in the ACC.

** For now, Congrats to our First Place Pittsburgh Panthers!

I'll be at GT and Cuse. Valentines day with my girls last night took priority..... until 9;00pm sharp.

 

[noelr]

I'll be at GT and Cuse. Valentines day with my girls last night took priority..... until 9;00pm sharp.

Can I be your ga tech date?

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

Pros: streaky from 3 (mostly in the good sense), maturity, experience, seeming harmony, mostly unselfish, decent from the line, big man getting better each game, tighter focus on defense in the final minutes.

Cons: defense is still mostly shaky, rebounding is random, streaky from three (sometimes in the bad sense), ‘set’ offense looks like a Chinese fire drill much of the time, no true PG.

The thing that makes this team a a tough out is that so many guys might emerge to be the hero any given game … maybe any given half for that matter. You can maybe reliably shut down one or two guys and beat a lot of other teams (especially past teams like ours, such as with Artis and Young) but we have several guys who can carry the team for substantial periods of the game.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

Can I be your ga tech date?

Sure. Don't stand me up like the Louisville game.

 

[noelr]

Sure. Don't stand me up like the Louisville game.

I will look into it.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

They're just fun to watch.

There was a sequence last night where Pitt passed the ball around the perimeter crisply, then to the post, and popped back out to a wide open Hinson in the corner, I believe. All strong crisp passes, no dribbles. It was the best I've seen Pitt do that all year. Love it!! Hinson missed the shot, but it was fun to watch. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about Hinson taking the shot.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

They're just fun to watch.

There was a sequence last night where Pitt passed the ball around the perimeter crisply, then to the post, and popped back out to a wide open Hinson in the corner, I believe. All strong crisp passes, no dribbles. It was the best I've seen Pitt do that all year. Love it!! Hinson missed the shot, but it was fun to watch. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about Hinson taking the shot.

Dare say what Paul Zeise was talking about a decade ago 😄

 

[noelr]

Dare say what Paul Zeise was talking about a decade ago 😄

Probably something like... "ahh umm Dixon ehhh One foot uhhh out of the uhh door uhm "

 

[gilligan 3]

Pitt went to Fede on the first possession of the game and on the first possession of the second half.

I think this was a plan to get Post in foul trouble.