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Hugley

He’s not playing because he doesn’t help this team
That’s it that’s the list
He’s not injured
He just couldn’t cope with his new Nate santos like role and flaked out

He either accepts his a bench/role player at pitt moving forward or he moves one

Place your bets
I’m heavy on the latter
I think it is not fair to the kid to go that far. Maybe he has a sick relative, maybe there are other things (I think I read somewhere on here that he may have became a dad), you just do not know. So, I would not quite place that sentiment (he is not playing because he could not handle being a role guy) on him without knowing for sure.

I will say that when a guy goes, the likelihood of them coming back is not high. In Hugley's case, next season the NIL is likely gone and he will have to start from point zero really.

I will also say that if it is something mental due to the injury and playing time, I really wish he would have just stuck it out, accepted the role, worked to improve in it and learn corresponding things along the way.

When he first came back and it was clear that he was out of shape, in a way I thought it was a blessing in disguise. Because he was limited, I figured that he would look to use his smarts to be in places, not hang folks out to dry on D with bad position and be a ball mover because he just did not have what he had previously. Work himself into shape and more responsibility while learning his limitations more. He did none of those things, which was a little disconcerting.

Nonetheless, as previously stated, I hope he gets himself to a solid spot mentally and physically and comes back next season ready to build on where he left off last season. We will see.
 
Who says that Pitt would totally change their offense that’s working to accommodate Big John . Having a guy that the defense needs to account for down low would only give the shooters more space .

Even the best of shooters have off nights or you run into a team that plays tough perimeter D , it’s never a bad thing to have a plan B .
If you think Pitt is going to move away from one of the best offensive schemes they’ve had in a decade, especially with the young and talented Guards they have coming in next year, and switch to a plodding, Jurassic era throw it in to John Hugley type of offense then I’ve got some beachfront real estate for you in the Everglades.
 
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People who understand basketball. Because Hugley isn't suited to play the way we are playing now, and this team is not ideally suited to play the way that would bring out anything close to the best in Hugley.

So if they didn't change anything Hugley would hurt the team trying to play the way we are playing. And if they did change things to accommodate Hugley it would take away some of the effectiveness of the other players on the team.

Sometimes a player's game doesn't fit in with the best way for the rest of the team to play. This is one of those instances.
The game of college basketball in 2023 has evolved into a Guard-centric game. Big John will either adapt @ Pitt or move down a level and find a team willing to build their roster around him.
I think it is not fair to the kid to go that far. Maybe he has a sick relative, maybe there are other things (I think I read somewhere on here that he may have became a dad), you just do not know. So, I would not quite place that sentiment (he is not playing because he could not handle being a role guy) on him without knowing for sure.

I will say that when a guy goes, the likelihood of them coming back is not high. In Hugley's case, next season the NIL is likely gone and he will have to start from point zero really.

I will also say that if it is something mental due to the injury and playing time, I really wish he would have just stuck it out, accepted the role, worked to improve in it and learn corresponding things along the way.

When he first came back and it was clear that he was out of shape, in a way I thought it was a blessing in disguise. Because he was limited, I figured that he would look to use his smarts to be in places, not hang folks out to dry on D with bad position and be a ball mover because he just did not have what he had previously. Work himself into shape and more responsibility while learning his limitations more. He did none of those things, which was a little disconcerting.

Nonetheless, as previously stated, I hope he gets himself to a solid spot mentally and physically and comes back next season ready to build on where he left off last season. We will see.
If you’ve ever coached a minute of sports at any level you quickly realize that some kids just never really get it no matter how talented they are and how much you want them to. Hopefully John gets it together and doesn’t become one of them - H2P!
 
I still think he leaves and honestly I would rather he didn't come back. He'll want to be the main guy again, wanting every possession to go through him. No thanks.
Not sure why you feel that way. Yes, he’ll have to play the way that Jeff wants him to play, but if he does that, he can still have a really nice 2 or 3 years. To me, there is no reason not to want him back. If he comes back and can’t play the way Jeff wants, then he won’t play. And if he does, we may have an All Conference guy. John has always been a good teammate and a great recruiter and has been good for the program.
 
I think it is not fair to the kid to go that far. Maybe he has a sick relative, maybe there are other things (I think I read somewhere on here that he may have became a dad), you just do not know. So, I would not quite place that sentiment (he is not playing because he could not handle being a role guy) on him without knowing for sure.

I will say that when a guy goes, the likelihood of them coming back is not high. In Hugley's case, next season the NIL is likely gone and he will have to start from point zero really.

I will also say that if it is something mental due to the injury and playing time, I really wish he would have just stuck it out, accepted the role, worked to improve in it and learn corresponding things along the way.

When he first came back and it was clear that he was out of shape, in a way I thought it was a blessing in disguise. Because he was limited, I figured that he would look to use his smarts to be in places, not hang folks out to dry on D with bad position and be a ball mover because he just did not have what he had previously. Work himself into shape and more responsibility while learning his limitations more. He did none of those things, which was a little disconcerting.

Nonetheless, as previously stated, I hope he gets himself to a solid spot mentally and physically and comes back next season ready to build on where he left off last season. We will see.
Nah I’m sticking with my take
Federico is a much better center and frankly no John means Guillermo’s advancement got accelerated

The fact that he’s not even on the bench to support this team in street clothes tells me everything .
Will Jeffries won’t play a minute this season and he’s always cheering for his teammates
 
Didn't we also sign Fede's brother? Is he a tall dude like Fede and the twins?
We made an offer to him, that’s all. Others, like Syracuse, have offered a scholarship to him also. He hasn’t been signed by anyone yet.
 
If you think Pitt is going to move away from one of the best offensive schemes they’ve had in a decade, especially with the young and talented Guards they have coming in next year, and switch to a plodding, Jurassic era throw it in to John Hugley type of offense then I’ve got some beachfront real estate for you in the Everglades.
What makes you think they‘d go back to running the offense through the low post ?

I guess people feel the coaching staff and the player have no ability to adjust , a healthy Hugley would be an asset and I’m betting JC feels the exact same way .

Pitt didn’t lose in Big Johns first two season because of him . Blaming the losing and style of play on him is beyond stupid . Pitt was 309th in FG% 291st in 3 Pt % 295th in assists and 241st in assists meanwhile Hugley almost averaged 15 ppg while shooting 47% from the floor and 71% from the line while getting 7.9 rebounds . Now who needs a guy on their team like that , no way you could find minutes for him .
 
What makes you think they‘d go back to running the offense through the low post ?

I guess people feel the coaching staff and the player have no ability to adjust , a healthy Hugley would be an asset and I’m betting JC feels the exact same way .

Pitt didn’t lose in Big Johns first two season because of him . Blaming the losing and style of play on him is beyond stupid . Pitt was 309th in FG% 291st in 3 Pt % 295th in assists and 241st in assists meanwhile Hugley almost averaged 15 ppg while shooting 47% from the floor and 71% from the line while getting 7.9 rebounds . Now who needs a guy on their team like that , no way you could find minutes for him .

Hugley can't and won't play defense. That's all you need to know and that's a large part of why we lost when he was playing. He gave up a hell of a lot more points than he scored in many games.
 
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Hugley can't and won't play defense. That's all you need to know and that's a large part of why we lost when he was playing. He gave up a hell of a lot more points than he scored in many games.
I am not sure it is a cannot, but it certainly has been a will not. They do not need him to be Chevon Troutman, Talib Zanna, Steve Adams or Federiko down there; they just need responsible play, which has been a problem to date with him each year.

DeJuan Blair was not a defensive dynamo (though he had great hands) and was short, but he was generally where he needed to be while scoring a good deal. Same thing with Aaron Gray. I think it comes down to desire more than anything else.

But, I agree in that Hugley would often score 16 last year and be responsible for a lot more opponent points due to team defense lapses. Compare that to Fede that really erases errors both with altering shots and playing excellent team defense off picks, cuts and switches. It makes a big cumulative difference.

You would hope that with time to observe and get in better conditioning, next year he will grow out of this. In my own mind, unfortunately I keep coming back to Mike Young, who started as a good defender and just became more and more irresponsible on D over time to the point where the great offense was completely nullified at times. Hugley has not even started as good and has not shown improvement to date. This is clearly his largest area for improvement.
 
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I am not sure it is a cannot, but it certainly has been a will not. They do not need him to be Chevon Troutman, Talib Zanna, Steve Adams or Federiko down there; they just need responsible play, which has been a problem to date with him each year.

DeJuan Blair was not a defensive dynamo (though he had great hands) and was short, but he was generally where he needed to be while scoring a good deal. Same thing with Aaron Gray. I think it comes down to desire more than anything else.

But, I agree in that Hugley would often score 16 last year and be responsible for a lot more opponent points due to team defense lapses. Compare that to Fede that really erases errors both with altering shots and playing excellent team defense off picks, cuts and switches. It makes a big cumulative difference.

You would hope that with time to observe and get in better conditioning, next year he will grow out of this. In my own mind, unfortunately I keep coming back to Mike Young, who started as a good defender and just became more and more irresponsible on D over time to the point where the great offense was completely nullified at times. Hugley has not even started as good and has not shown improvement to date. This is clearly his largest area for improvement.
Regardless Hugley is gone. No way he wants to come back to a reduced role. Fede will get the majority of the minutes along with the twins. If Hugley gets in shape and his mental health issues are improved, there will definitely be a few teams in the portal that would want him and probably commit to him he'd be the focal point of the offense. Maybe even some NIL money.

So imo he is not coming back. He wants to be the "man", not a reserve on the bench getting few minutes.
 
I am not sure it is a cannot, but it certainly has been a will not. They do not need him to be Chevon Troutman, Talib Zanna, Steve Adams or Federiko down there; they just need responsible play, which has been a problem to date with him each year.

DeJuan Blair was not a defensive dynamo (though he had great hands) and was short, but he was generally where he needed to be while scoring a good deal. Same thing with Aaron Gray. I think it comes down to desire more than anything else.

But, I agree in that Hugley would often score 16 last year and be responsible for a lot more opponent points due to team defense lapses. Compare that to Fede that really erases errors both with altering shots and playing excellent team defense off picks, cuts and switches. It makes a big cumulative difference.

You would hope that with time to observe and get in better conditioning, next year he will grow out of this. In my own mind, unfortunately I keep coming back to Mike Young, who started as a good defender and just became more and more irresponsible on D over time to the point where the great offense was completely nullified at times. Hugley has not even started as good and has not shown improvement to date. This is clearly his largest area for improvement.

Agree. It comes down to desire. Hugley doesn't desire to be a great or even good defender. He thinks that's up to others to do that.
 
Regardless Hugley is gone. No way he wants to come back to a reduced role. Fede will get the majority of the minutes along with the twins. If Hugley gets in shape and his mental health issues are improved, there will definitely be a few teams in the portal that would want him and probably commit to him he'd be the focal point of the offense. Maybe even some NIL money.

So imo he is not coming back. He wants to be the "man", not a reserve on the bench getting few minutes.
How would you know what he wants?
 
Cool give an example
Should be easy
VERY, VERY EASY

Like when I said the Steelers need to modernize their offense, change pass route schemes etc, and you start giving me stats about how the Eagles run the ball 50% of the time. I was saying the Eagles had the guts to make coaching changes, the Steelers need to update their offense- 2 separate things, not to emulate the Eagles run/pass distribution. That's one example. In your limited mind, you're thinking because I said that the Eagles had the guts to change coaches, you assume that I want the Steelers game plan to resemble the Eagles and one thing has nothing to do with the other?

Also, the conversation about coaching Federiko up on post offense, you're one-dimensional thinking makes assumptions that I'm asking for the ball to go through him more or that he should take more shots, that had nothing to do with it. So, you're harping on the idea that I'm saying we should concentrate on feeding him the ball, and that was nowhere near what I was discussing.

I'm saying one thing and you're talking about unrelated things.
 
1) I hope Hugley is doing well.
2) We are unquestionably better with Fede getting major minutes. If you don’t understand the game of basketball, then just compare our record before and after Fede started getting major minutes.
 
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It’s really hard to overstate how much of a revelation Fede has been. He’s been one of the best defenders in the league, one of the 2-3 best shotblockers in the league, and one of the most efficient offensive centers in the league. He’s quickly becoming one of the league’s better offensive rebounders, and his defensive rebounding gets better each game. He’s gone from a pleasant surprise to a guy who is probably an honorable mention all-conference pick or higher this year.

Lots of high major programs spend YEARS in the wilderness, and spend a whole lot of money, searching for winning play out of the 5 spot at the level that Fede’s provided.
 
It’s really hard to overstate how much of a revelation Fede has been. He’s been one of the best defenders in the league, one of the 2-3 best shotblockers in the league, and one of the most efficient offensive centers in the league. He’s quickly becoming one of the league’s better offensive rebounders, and his defensive rebounding gets better each game. He’s gone from a pleasant surprise to a guy who is probably an honorable mention all-conference pick or higher this year.

Lots of high major programs spend YEARS in the wilderness, and spend a whole lot of money, searching for winning play out of the 5 spot at the level that Fede’s provided.


Want to see something interesting?

Here are the acc conference only advanced stats.

ORTG Offensive power rating

Fede- 122
Diaz Graham- 116

eFG field goal percentage

Fede-60
Diaz Graham- 61.5

Rebound Rates offensive / defensive

Fede- 10.5 / 14.5
Diaz Graham- 20 / 12.5

Assist rate

Fede- 4.6
Diaz Graham- 4.6

Block Rate

Fede- 8.3
Diaz Graham- 7.4

Free Throw Rate

Fede- 17
Diaz Graham- 54

3 point shooting percentage

Fede- 0%
Diaz Graham 50%

Dunk percentage

Fede- 87.5%
Diaz Graham- 75%

Interior finishing shooting percentage

Fede- 64%
Diaz Graham- 60%

2 point field goal percentage

Fede- 60%
Diaz Graham- 56%

True shooting percentage

Fede-61
Diaz Graham- 63


The amazing thing is, not only are the numbers really similar up and down the line, these 2 are like best friends and love practicing against each other and it really is working out. We not only are benefiting with Fede, we are really benefiting with both, especially in acc play.
 
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Want to see something interesting?

Here are the acc conference only advanced stats.

ORTG Offensive power rating

Fede- 122
Diaz Graham- 116

eFG field goal percentage

Fede-60
Diaz Graham- 61.5

Rebound Rates offensive / defensive

Fede- 10.5 / 14.5
Diaz Graham- 20 / 12.5

Assist rate

Fede- 4.6
Diaz Graham- 4.6

Block Rate

Fede- 8.3
Diaz Graham- 7.4

Free Throw Rate

Fede- 17
Diaz Graham- 54

3 point shooting percentage

Fede- 0%
Diaz Graham 50%

Dunk percentage

Fede- 87.5%
Diaz Graham- 75%

Interior finishing shooting percentage

Fede- 64%
Diaz Graham- 60%

2 point field goal percentage

Fede- 60%
Diaz Graham- 56%

True shooting percentage

Fede-61
Diaz Graham- 63


The amazing thing is, not only are the numbers really similar up and down the line, these 2 are like best friends and love practicing against each other and it really is working out. We not only are benefiting with Fede, we are really benefiting with both, especially in acc play.
I think G learned a new weapon too.
The smack the ball out technique which is good for him because he's tall but has trouble getting the ball sometimes
 
What makes you think they‘d go back to running the offense through the low post ?

I guess people feel the coaching staff and the player have no ability to adjust , a healthy Hugley would be an asset and I’m betting JC feels the exact same way .

Pitt didn’t lose in Big Johns first two season because of him . Blaming the losing and style of play on him is beyond stupid . Pitt was 309th in FG% 291st in 3 Pt % 295th in assists and 241st in assists meanwhile Hugley almost averaged 15 ppg while shooting 47% from the floor and 71% from the line while getting 7.9 rebounds . Now who needs a guy on their team like that , no way you could find minutes for him .
You conveniently left out that he’s one of the worst defenders in Pitt history and that as much as the 3 point shooting has made this current Pitt team so darn effective. Hey I’m a Big John fan and hope he gets his life in order and comes back to Pitt and dominates but sadly I just don’t see that happening. Too much of a sample size to the latter for this Pitt fan.
 
VERY, VERY EASY

Like when I said the Steelers need to modernize their offense, change pass route schemes etc, and you start giving me stats about how the Eagles run the ball 50% of the time. I was saying the Eagles had the guts to make coaching changes, the Steelers need to update their offense- 2 separate things, not to emulate the Eagles run/pass distribution. That's one example. In your limited mind, you're thinking because I said that the Eagles had the guts to change coaches, you assume that I want the Steelers game plan to resemble the Eagles and one thing has nothing to do with the other?

Also, the conversation about coaching Federiko up on post offense, you're one-dimensional thinking makes assumptions that I'm asking for the ball to go through him more or that he should take more shots, that had nothing to do with it. So, you're harping on the idea that I'm saying we should concentrate on feeding him the ball, and that was nowhere near what I was discussing.

I'm saying one thing and you're talking about unrelated things.
Those aren’t made up -
Those are countering your opinions with evidence
You made silly premises (Federiko being a double digit scorer ) and the eagles new coach means a more modern offense -
Despite how wrong those takes were - I didn’t make up info in the reply - I actually included actual data to prove how dumb your takes were
 
Those aren’t made up -
Those are countering your opinions with evidence
You made silly premises (Federiko being a double digit scorer ) and the eagles new coach means a more modern offense -
Despite how wrong those takes were - I didn’t make up info in the reply - I actually included actual data to prove how dumb your takes were
No you're ADDING THINGS that I didn't specifically say, that weren't at all part of what I was expressing. The fact that the Eagles ran the ball a high % of the time had nothing to do with A) Their willingness to change coaches and B) the Steelers needing to modernize their offensive scheme, YOU JUST ADDED SOMETHING that wasn't related to what I was saying. By the way, Fede is getting close to being a double digit scorer, 8 the last two games, and he is making the kinds of improvements I was talking about, AND you can run the ball a higher % of the time and at the same time be a more modern offense, the two aren't mutually exclusive, so you're WRONG AGAIN.
 
No you're ADDING THINGS that I didn't specifically say, that weren't at all part of what I was expressing. The fact that the Eagles ran the ball a high % of the time had nothing to do with A) Their willingness to change coaches and B) the Steelers needing to modernize their offensive scheme, YOU JUST ADDED SOMETHING that wasn't related to what I was saying. By the way, Fede is getting close to being a double digit scorer, 8 the last two games, and he is making the kinds of improvements I was talking about, AND you can run the ball a higher % of the time and at the same time be a more modern offense, the two aren't mutually exclusive, so you're WRONG AGAIN.
So you pointing to the eagles coaching change regarding modernizing offense for the Steelers as I demonstrated is a silly thing to do

You’re befuddled by your own nonsense because you rely on vague generalities .


For instance - with those recent games - FF is now up to 5.9ppg.
He’ll need to average at least 23 per game the rest of the season to approach averaging double digits .
He’s scored 148 points in 25 games .
There are 7 games left
He’d need to score 172 more points to up to 10ppg

Math is hard for some
 
So you pointing to the eagles coaching change regarding modernizing offense for the Steelers as I demonstrated is a silly thing to do

You’re befuddled by your own nonsense because you rely on vague generalities .


For instance - with those recent games - FF is now up to 5.9ppg.
He’ll need to average at least 23 per game the rest of the season to approach averaging double digits .
He’s scored 148 points in 25 games .
There are 7 games left
He’d need to score 172 more points to up to 10ppg

Math is hard for some
To put a further point
Nelly is averaging 10.2 PPg
He’s scored 262 points so far this season
Which makes him the 4th best on the team
Fede is a distant 6th
 
So you pointing to the eagles coaching change regarding modernizing offense for the Steelers as I demonstrated is a silly thing to do

You’re befuddled by your own nonsense because you rely on vague generalities .


For instance - with those recent games - FF is now up to 5.9ppg.
He’ll need to average at least 23 per game the rest of the season to approach averaging double digits .
He’s scored 148 points in 25 games .
There are 7 games left
He’d need to score 172 more points to up to 10ppg

Math is hard for some
YOU take everything too literally, I meant NEXT YEAR or later, moving forward, he could blossom and average 10ppg or more. So, there's no need to do any math.

Read my post about Jerome Bettis comments on modern offense, he stole his comments from ME. I NEVER NEVER NEVER said they should specifically emulate the Eagles offense, YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU said that. I used the Eagles as an example of not being scared to make a change in coaching or whatever, with the idea that changing offensive philosophy is worth the risk, NEVER NEVER NEVER saying they should copy the Eagles playbook.

Your NONSENSE is putting words in other peoples mouths, making assumptions, ADDING STUFF they never said.
 
YOU take everything too literally, I meant NEXT YEAR or later, moving forward, he could blossom and average 10ppg or more. So, there's no need to do any math.

Read my post about Jerome Bettis comments on modern offense, he stole his comments from ME. I NEVER NEVER NEVER said they should specifically emulate the Eagles offense, YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU said that. I used the Eagles as an example of not being scared to make a change in coaching or whatever, with the idea that changing offensive philosophy is worth the risk, NEVER NEVER NEVER saying they should copy the Eagles playbook.

Your NONSENSE is putting words in other peoples mouths, making assumptions, ADDING STUFF they never said.
As I said
You make weird vague comments based on zero thinking -
And get angry when it’s pointed out
And yes - I’m sure Bettis reads this forum for talking points

As far as double digits on average next year - it means his point total has to over double .
Which as noted is very very rare for pitt history to average a double double

I’m not making any assumptions
I’m literally pointing out why your words are silly
 
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As I said
You make weird vague comments based on zero thinking -
And get angry when it’s pointed out
And yes - I’m sure Bettis reads this forum for talking points

As far as double digits on average next year - it means his point total has to over double .
Which as noted is very very rare for pitt history to average a double double
So you seriously don't think Fede can jump from 6ppg-10ppg next year? It's not in any way an outrageous thought, think about Aaron Grey? His first 2 years, did you expect him to average 14ppg ever?

"weird and vague"? That's just your opinion and you get angry when your over analysis and added stuff gets criticized, you do always ADD STUFF that the person you criticized DIDN'T SAY, just assumptions made by you.

Bettis doesn't read this forum, that was a JOKE, you know, JOKE, the thing you don't get, HUMOR, but what he says is THE SAME as what I've been saying about Tomlin and his offense.
 
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