I usually try to be (and post) pretty level headed, but as many of you know, the last 7-8 years of Pitt basketball can have me posting like Poker at times…
Anyways, here’s my best effort at some thoughts on that shit show I just got home from:
1.) Impressive turnout from the students.
2.) You can say this was about talent - and obviously they are more talented than us. And with the way they shot - they were going to win tonight. But man, the talent difference just is not THAT much. They were only 5 point favorites.
It was just sad to see just how soft and scared we play. We’re terrified to shoot in the lane. Terrified to try to penetrate. Never got any loose balls
It was just embarrassing. Sometimes the other team is better. Some times teams get hot shooting.
But to let that get to 20+ before the half and 30+ in the second half is embarrassing. We looked scared.
3.) Bub - obviously a good player with lots of pro potential…. But I’ve never seen a 6’6” guard more afraid of penetrating and the paint in general in my life. I mean, he doesn’t even try to pretend he is going to try to attack the hoop. He only dribbles either diagonal to the hoop, or to setup an elbow or step back jumper. Almost maddening to see someone so talented not be able to get to his spots or the rim occasionally.
4.) Lowe - Obviously he’s not ready for major minutes as the lead guard in a game like this. But I’ve actually been encouraged by him. He can really navigate the pick and roll well, and has some craftiness and actually can find his way to the paint and rim. Sped up there obviously but that will come with time snd some strength. Think he’ll be really, really good down the line.
5.) Austin - good effort from him tonight. Fun to watch him jump. Shot just never seems to come out of his hand consistently.
6.) Jeffress - may be the worst offensive non-center I’ve ever seen. Just a complete, complete liability out there.
7.) Ish - clearly still banged up. But he seems like he should be a better scorer than he is or has been lately.
8.) Fede - maybe the most regression I’ve ever seen. Looks lost out there. No explosiveness. Can’t catch. Can’t finish. Can’t defend. Can’t rebound. Truly maddening how he went from being a strong defensive force to basically useless.
9.) G - we all know he is weak but I actually don’t really have a problem with him as a backup 5. Works hard and fills up the stat sheet. Just has his limitations.
10.) Filipowski needs punched in the face - but man is he good.
11.) 1 NCAAT appearance in 6 years….. not good enough.
12.) I’m really bummed tonight. I was young enough to watch and remember the glory days of the 2000s, but not old enough to TRULY appreciate how special that run was. I just took it for granted. That’s what Pitt basketball was, top of the conference and yearly (disappointing) tournament appearances.
Then…. The last 7ish years happened. And I’ve been to most of the home games through it all and almost always in the game threads… and last year happened and it was truly awesome. Being relevant again and playing in the tournament… so much fun.
And I just really thought we’d springboard off that… and Capel is just a likable guy and it just seemed like even if we’ll never be what we were, we could be a team who expects to make the tourney most years and consistently competes in the ACC.
And it just doesn’t seem that way at this point. It’s easier to chalk up last year as a fluke - experience and a bunch of close wins got us to the First Four, when you’ll have 5 years of bad results around it.
Just a bummer, man. In the NIL, transfer portal era, every year is its own and it’s hard to carry things from year to year. So to me, the goal is NCAAT every single year.
And that doesn’t appear to be happening. And it’s hard to be too invested in the development of our younger players when you truly have no idea what the roster will look like year to year.
So yeah, January 9th and we’re already pretty much out of tourney contention.
Man does that suck. I really wanted to get fully back on the Capel train after being so vocal about him being fired the last few years.
I’ll be back next Tuesday - and for the rest of them this year… but at this point, it almost feels like what the point?
Anyways, here’s my best effort at some thoughts on that shit show I just got home from:
1.) Impressive turnout from the students.
2.) You can say this was about talent - and obviously they are more talented than us. And with the way they shot - they were going to win tonight. But man, the talent difference just is not THAT much. They were only 5 point favorites.
It was just sad to see just how soft and scared we play. We’re terrified to shoot in the lane. Terrified to try to penetrate. Never got any loose balls
It was just embarrassing. Sometimes the other team is better. Some times teams get hot shooting.
But to let that get to 20+ before the half and 30+ in the second half is embarrassing. We looked scared.
3.) Bub - obviously a good player with lots of pro potential…. But I’ve never seen a 6’6” guard more afraid of penetrating and the paint in general in my life. I mean, he doesn’t even try to pretend he is going to try to attack the hoop. He only dribbles either diagonal to the hoop, or to setup an elbow or step back jumper. Almost maddening to see someone so talented not be able to get to his spots or the rim occasionally.
4.) Lowe - Obviously he’s not ready for major minutes as the lead guard in a game like this. But I’ve actually been encouraged by him. He can really navigate the pick and roll well, and has some craftiness and actually can find his way to the paint and rim. Sped up there obviously but that will come with time snd some strength. Think he’ll be really, really good down the line.
5.) Austin - good effort from him tonight. Fun to watch him jump. Shot just never seems to come out of his hand consistently.
6.) Jeffress - may be the worst offensive non-center I’ve ever seen. Just a complete, complete liability out there.
7.) Ish - clearly still banged up. But he seems like he should be a better scorer than he is or has been lately.
8.) Fede - maybe the most regression I’ve ever seen. Looks lost out there. No explosiveness. Can’t catch. Can’t finish. Can’t defend. Can’t rebound. Truly maddening how he went from being a strong defensive force to basically useless.
9.) G - we all know he is weak but I actually don’t really have a problem with him as a backup 5. Works hard and fills up the stat sheet. Just has his limitations.
10.) Filipowski needs punched in the face - but man is he good.
11.) 1 NCAAT appearance in 6 years….. not good enough.
12.) I’m really bummed tonight. I was young enough to watch and remember the glory days of the 2000s, but not old enough to TRULY appreciate how special that run was. I just took it for granted. That’s what Pitt basketball was, top of the conference and yearly (disappointing) tournament appearances.
Then…. The last 7ish years happened. And I’ve been to most of the home games through it all and almost always in the game threads… and last year happened and it was truly awesome. Being relevant again and playing in the tournament… so much fun.
And I just really thought we’d springboard off that… and Capel is just a likable guy and it just seemed like even if we’ll never be what we were, we could be a team who expects to make the tourney most years and consistently competes in the ACC.
And it just doesn’t seem that way at this point. It’s easier to chalk up last year as a fluke - experience and a bunch of close wins got us to the First Four, when you’ll have 5 years of bad results around it.
Just a bummer, man. In the NIL, transfer portal era, every year is its own and it’s hard to carry things from year to year. So to me, the goal is NCAAT every single year.
And that doesn’t appear to be happening. And it’s hard to be too invested in the development of our younger players when you truly have no idea what the roster will look like year to year.
So yeah, January 9th and we’re already pretty much out of tourney contention.
Man does that suck. I really wanted to get fully back on the Capel train after being so vocal about him being fired the last few years.
I’ll be back next Tuesday - and for the rest of them this year… but at this point, it almost feels like what the point?
