Here is why I am frustrated after watching the Louisville game

[PittPoker]

The players were so awful it's hard for me to blame Dixon ... but... he mainly only recruits one kind of player. 6'7 - 6'9, average to below average shooter, slow footed, plays at or below the rim, and can't create his own shot.

And either Dixon can't identify needs of his team and recruit for those needs or he lacks confidence in the players he has recruited. This team clearly needed a center in order to move Young to power forward and Dixon boasted how he addressed that need when they were beating cupcakes. As soon as they match up against teams with a real center (Purdue and Louisville) he stops believing in HIS recruit and starts playing players out of their best position. Somebody needs to get Dixon a copy of Jim Collins' book "Good to Great". He needs to learn to keep his best people in a position to succeed not just where he has a need. Young and Jeter are not centers!!!!!! Am I wrong??

 

[Zaratoughda]

To extrapolate on your point a bit PP....

In the game against ND... in the first half he played Maia most of the time at C... spelled by ANO... and we built an 18 point lead Then, as the half was running down... he sat Maia and played Young at C... with Jeter getting into the game at PF. It was then when we lost most of that 18 point lead, and shortly after that, Young picked up the three quick fouls.

Then in the second half... he sat Young with the three fouls and played Maia and Jeter inside... and we went and build up another 18 point lead. Then he brought Young back in... and I believe it was at C because I think Jeter played the entire second half... and we started losing that lead again... and in fact almost lost the game down the stretch.

So, you might wonder... if Mike Young had NOT picked up those three fouls... Dixon would have played him more at C in the second half and... we very well might have ended up losing the game. In other words, Young picking up those three quick fouls was a blessing in disguise... because it FORCED Dixon to go more with Maia.

Then in the Ville game... Young did NOT get into any foul trouble... and you had Jeter out there with him and I would guess Pitino ran plays to make this happen... Jeter ended up trying to cover their C and was getting eaten alive.

I think much of the program's success is to Dixon's credit... but the failures are his responsibility as well and.. it's as if he gets an idea into his head as to what he wants to do and, even if he is getting slammed for it, is as stubborn as a mule with it and it goes a LONG time before he finally makes a change. Last year, it was the insane switchoff 1-5 D that he was using down the stretch that was causing us to lose 10 point leads. I almost went nuts watching that before he FINALLY stopped.

This year... he has a good player in Sheldon Jeter and wants to get him into the game but he COULD be playing him at SF spelling Artis, as well as playing him at PF spelling Young (Jeter started at SF last year), with Maia, ANO and Luther (with some Young) handling the C position.... but noooooooooo.

I guess my hope is that Dixon comes to his senses and starts playing Jeter some at SF and let Maia and ANO (if he can stay out of foul trouble... otherwise Luther) handle the C position.

 

[Chairman Moe]

The players were so awful it's hard for me to blame Dixon ... but... he mainly only recruits one kind of player. 6'7 - 6'9, average to below average shooter, slow footed, plays at or below the rim, and can't create his own shot.

And either Dixon can't identify needs of his team and recruit for those needs or he lacks confidence in the players he has recruited. This team clearly needed a center in order to move Young to power forward and Dixon boasted how he addressed that need when they were beating cupcakes. As soon as they match up against teams with a real center (Purdue and Louisville) he stops believing in HIS recruit and starts playing players out of their best position. Somebody needs to get Dixon a copy of Jim Collins' book "Good to Great". He needs to learn to keep his best people in a position to succeed not just where he has a need. Young and Jeter are not centers!!!!!! Am I wrong??

When I first saw your post, I thought it was because you lost $500 on your bet! ;^)

 

[OriginalEther]

Let's just see how the rest of the season goes.
Louisville crushed uconn three times a few years ago. Uconn still did rather well.

 

[Zaratoughda]

On this one... I should say that in the game against BC, Maia played 17 minutes, ANO 10, and Luther 1, which means Mike Young played 12 of his 34 minutes at C, leaving 17 minutes for Jeter at PF and (apparently) 1 minute that Artis played at PF.

For me... I would like to see ANO getting more minutes, maybe 15 a game, as long as he can stay out of foul trouble. He has some kinks in his game and IMO would work those out with more PT. Otherwise he is a positive impact with his shot blocking and scoring.

Yeah, so I am saying that I would rather see Young playing 30 MPG, with just 10 of them at C... if we can get away with it.

 

[Cap pitt]

The players were so awful it's hard for me to blame Dixon ... but... he mainly only recruits one kind of player. 6'7 - 6'9, average to below average shooter, slow footed, plays at or below the rim, and can't create his own shot.

And either Dixon can't identify needs of his team and recruit for those needs or he lacks confidence in the players he has recruited. This team clearly needed a center in order to move Young to power forward and Dixon boasted how he addressed that need when they were beating cupcakes. As soon as they match up against teams with a real center (Purdue and Louisville) he stops believing in HIS recruit and starts playing players out of their best position. Somebody needs to get Dixon a copy of Jim Collins' book "Good to Great". He needs to learn to keep his best people in a position to succeed not just where he has a need. Young and Jeter are not centers!!!!!! Am I wrong??

Yes you are, if you can't blame Dixion who are you going to blame, he runs the show, he recruits the players and he coaches the talent or lack there of, everything the basketball program does win or lose is a result of the coaches and maybe top recruits just don't want to come to play for our coaches