There’s been several occasion s where this team could have completely tanked. The most recent is after wake and rhen the tough loss to Clemson. But every time they’ve been on the verge of being counted out they’ve responded. Thats credit to the character of the kids they are recruiting and especially the staff While there are legit areas for criticism you have to admit they’ve done a good job of getting the most out of the teams the last two hears
Gotta Give Capel and the staff credit
- Thread starter pittbb80
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I am very happy with Capel and staff, they are turning a corner here. What I really like about this year, unlike other years, even under Dixon, is that we are still getting better and possibly have not reached our ceiling before we get to the post-season. The two freshmen are still learning and getting better every game. If Bub can keep that shooting touch he had last night, this team becomes dangerous as hell down the stretch. I love having young players as long as we keep them. Having fully developed body seniors is great, but, you know for a fact that you aint getting them back for next year.
I was listening to Don Maclean talk about UCLA’s woes recently and he singled out the drop off in production from their freshman. The proverbial “freshman wall”, he said. Someone at Pitt, be it the coaching staff or the trainers, deserve a ton of credit for keeping our freshman guards not only fresh, but getting stronger. Either that or these two kids are just genetic freaks! I know that they, especially Bub, can get bullied at times, but they never looked winded or tired.
Hmm, is it possible that this is the Norm And what we should be saying is why don’t they improve in those parts of the season where it looks calamitous? Bub was Bub from the jump but, to me, we seemed to squander early chances with dumb losses where we would not be sitting here two years in a row hoping we get in.
Yes, there are a lot of good things to give them credit for but there definitely are things they need to improve from season to season but don’t seem to want to address.
Yes, there are a lot of good things to give them credit for but there definitely are things they need to improve from season to season but don’t seem to want to address.
We had two 18 y/o Guards amd a transfer as the other. I'm not sure it's possible to gel any more quickly than they did. It jist takes time. Last year's tram was jist a collection of mercenary type players. My only critique of the make-up of this year is that we need a strong big.
What was last years reason when we had a lot of experienced guys who should have been able to gel quicker.
Winning 20 games and getting to any tournament this year are pretty strong coaching accomplishments considering the veteran players Pitt lost. My only disappointment is the lack of development in Fede and GDG’s offensive games in the post. Also noteworthy that the teams the last 2 years have had a pretty strong team orientation in contrast to Capel’s initial units.
John HUGEly was playing and completely mucked up the space and pace offense. I still get no credit for being the only sane person who knew he sucked for us but I digress.
The last 2 months have been the best Capel has coached here. Hopefully he has found his niche and they get in the tourney.
Generically speaking, as Jim Boeheim has said on the ACCN's "Nothing But Net" it takes time for teams with many newcomers to gel. [He didn't distinguish old timers vs freshmen] This is why his corollary is that the NCAA selection committee needs to put more emphasis on how teams are playing at the end of the season rather than on the entire season.
You really think it is the best he has coached? For me, the Clemson game seemed to just be a reminder that he is very limited to figuring out a response when things go really bad. I acknowledge the adjustment he made with Fede and DG on Saturday but we were in a kind of comfortable position already. And I am not one of these guys that have called for his head but I feel like he has a limitation and honestly it’s something he could actually work on.
Yes. Being able to win with freshmen is much harder than 6th year seniors. Singular games aside, they were dead in the water after 6 games in the ACC and HL was lining up buyout money for next year.
I still get no credit for being the only sane person who knew he sucked for us...the only one? uh, simply untrue so no credit due..
Definitely, the committee has to emphasize and put more weight into how a team is performing at the end of the season, That's why I don't subscribe into the metrics and NET crap. It lacks the human element and judgement. Maybe use NET as a starting point but with minimal weight. See how a team is performing right NOW and then use judgement on selection.
??? Everyone watching Hugely could see he sucked last year.
I can only think of one poster that had Big John getting a million dollar NIL deal from Cal's Cats
I somewhat disagree with this. I think the weighting should look at the whole year. If you decide that a team has won 5 of their last six and made it to the semi finals of their conference tournament, well yeah that’s a team that should be considered more. But if you won 5 of your last 6 and you were fortuitous to play the bottom feeders in your conference during that run well maybe those results aren’t as meaningful.
So, a ton of different factors have to come into play. But I do certainly understand if there is more of a trend to consider post January games more because of the portal and maybe team chemistry.
I get what you're saying. I'm all for using the entire year and record. A team that has won only 17 games but won their last 6 in a row shouldn't get the nod over a team that won 22 but split their last 6 games. I get it.
I think what I was trying to say was that maybe the human element and a team's performance trending upward with improvement should be given more weight that it currently is. NET doesn't do that.
1) there are still posters here who think HUGEly could help this team
2) HUGEly sucked his first 2 years here too. He put up huge counting stats born out of pure opportunities but was a terrible defender and terribly inefficient. I was the only person saying this when he was a frosh and soph.
I could find the receipts from his soph year but I don't really care enough to.
I agree 100%. If every year is going to be a rebuild weight has to be put on end-of-season results, not at the start for the very reason you outlined.
gee, I don't know. Wonder what the thoughts might be in a few years from now if Hinson and Carrington are solid NBA players....then you look back at Capel and say he had two NBA players on the roster at Pitt and this season was the best he could do? 0-2 against Clemson? 0-2 against Syracuse? I like Capel but I never can get a read on what kind of job he is doing...
Carrington may end up being a great pro but he clearly rode the freshman roller coaster this year. Near the end of the OOC, teams started playing him physically and he clearly struggled to adjust to the way he was being defended. In my,opinion, he’s still not ready for the pros. Hinson also had his own mid season struggles, and I don’t think the coaching staff was the culprit…..he simply went through a shooting slump.
But I get your general point, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there were stretches during the season that I harbored the same reservations as you. Still hard to accept
losing 2 to the Cuse and losing to Missouri at home. No doubt, the second Clemson game was a blown opportunity but the HC can’t shoot layups and dunks for the team.
Agree 100%. I noticed a difference in Capel starting with that trip to Cameron indoor. He has been more engaged and actively teaching. I was used to him sitting in his chair with head in hand alof of the time. I really think he and staff have turned a corner here. I am really anxious to see what our 2025 recruiting class is going to look like!
They don't want to do that, because if you devalue the non-conference portion of the schedule you have a whole lot of teams that don't have a chance to get many (or even any) good wins.
Counting end of season games more than early season games would be great for the P6s, but it would be bad for everyone else. And there are a lot more of the "everyone elses" than there are P6s.
And really, the Everyone else’s are what makes the ncaa tourney great. This is what CFB can’t seem to grasp, or probably can’t
Nobody freakin cares. Sheeshh
If u know u were correct, whats it matter what anyone thinks??
Years. I am Pitt2006 but my account was banned for rules violation a few weeks back. I think because I made reference/requested an ESPN viewpoint to see what Bilas said. I suppose because it was a paywall thing technically.
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Agrred. They should get credit for securing what one hopes is the stepping stone season to greater things, very entertaining and well done. It will be the tournaments loss if they are not selected, IMHO
