I think the board is overreacting

[gary2]

We will not be good without Hugley.

We were playing against men.

We were down to 9 players (2 raw freshmen).

The refs compounded our problems with fouls.

Then..we lost all poise.

Get Hugley(and Jeffress) back and we will be competitive most nights.

Was Sibande injured or just benched?

 

[joeydavid]

We will not be good without Hugley.

We were playing against men.

We were down to 9 players (2 raw freshmen).

The refs compounded our problemswith fouls.

Then..we lost all poise.

Get Hugley(and Jeffress) back and we will be competitive most nights.

Was Sibande injured or just benched?

Gary "voice of reason" 2

Sibande didn't look right to me.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Maybe. But it all looks and feels pretty familiar.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

This team cannot be fairly evaluated without Hugley , but I think we just witnessed what it is without him .

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Not overreacting. Against even a middle of the pack Big 12 team, this Pitt team can't play defense, can't rebound, and is totally and embarrassingly outcoached. With a good coach, I think this team could have won that game and we would be a borderline NIT bubble team. With the current coach, our ceiling is 12 - 14 wins total. And I'm being generous.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I would have been down with this take if we had kept it within a respectable range. But then the rest of the game happened. And now I can't help but think we're a bad team that had a player get really hot in the first 5 or 10 minutes. As someone said above, just started to see way too many familiar habits. But we shall see.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Statistically, it was turnovers and no inside scoring, not rebounding in the end that was the big problem.

I tend to agree about coaching. IMHO, Capel coaches like he has Duke's or UNC's roster talent to work with rather than running a controlled offense with set plays like we had with Dixon.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Statistically, it was turnovers and no inside scoring, not rebounding in the end that was the big problem.

Rebounding certainly didn't pass the eye test, though. A few of those offensive boards we gave up were off freaking free throws. Or we dropped them out bounds.

 

[cruzer]

There are two plausible scenarios:

1. The board is over reacting
2. You are whistling past the grave yard

Would you care to wager which is correct?

Cruzer

 

[gary2]

Not overreacting. Against even a middle of the pack Big 12 team, this Pitt team can't play defense, can't rebound, and is totally and embarrassingly outcoached. With a good coach, I think this team could have won that game and we would be a borderline NIT bubble team. With the current coach, our ceiling is 12 - 14 wins total. And I'm being generous.

No coach wins that game with our players and the foul situation.

I wanted Capel fired as much as anyone, but no coach wins tonight in our situation.

 

[pittzip]

It's year 5. A year 5 coach has his team prepared.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

No coach wins that game with our players and the foul situation.

I wanted Capel fired as much as anyone, but no coach wins tonight in our situation.

I respect your opinions, Gary. But I have to disagree. Our talent, at least according to the board experts, is better than last year and at least comparable to wvu's. A decent coach, not even a good one, would have had us in this game within striking distance at the end. We were blown out because we rebounded and played defense very poorly and we had a ton of turnovers. We weren't prepared at all to play. Capel is a sub-0.500 coach in his best years.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

I would have been down with this take if we had kept it within a respectable range. But then the rest of the game happened. And now I can't help but think we're a bad team that had a player get really hot in the first 5 or 10 minutes. As someone said above, just started to see way too many familiar habits. But we shall see.

Yes, this effort by Pitt looked way too familiar. No matter the talent level, coaching matters.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Not overreacting. Against even a middle of the pack Big 12 team, this Pitt team can't play defense, can't rebound, and is totally and embarrassingly outcoached. With a good coach, I think this team could have won that game and we would be a borderline NIT bubble team. With the current coach, our ceiling is 12 - 14 wins total. And I'm being generous.

Unless that coach brought with him a few really good players your delusional.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

I respect your opinions, Gary. But I have to disagree. Our talent, at least according to the board experts, is better than last year and at least comparable to wvu's. A decent coach, not even a good one, would have had us in this game within striking distance at the end. We were blown out because we rebounded and played defense very poorly and we had a ton of turnovers. We weren't prepared at all to play. Capel is a sub-0.500 coach in his best years.

The rebounds were 30-27. We were -25 when Cummings was on the bench. Even when he was on the floor. Burton had 8 turnovers. He has to pass the ****ing ball. Hugley was not a available.

I want Capel gone as much as the next guy, but WVU was bigger and more physical than us. We lost our shit when Nelly fouled out.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

It's year 5. A year 5 coach has his team prepared.

While this is JCs 5th yr this isn’t a 5 yr old program , only Hugley and Jeffress , both whom are injured have 2 yrs in the program , everyone else has 1 yr or less . Assembling and keeping talent are this issues here and I for one do believe that this team with a healthy Hugley will be his most talented. Will they be good enough to be a factor in the ACC , seems unlikely after tonight’s ass kicking .

The twins and a good recruiting class and the millions owed to him will buy him another yr unless this season turns out to be disastrous . I can’t see him getting anymore time than that under any circumstances . There needs to be progress , as much as I enjoy Pitt bb this is getting old and depressing .

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Unless that coach brought with him a few really good players your delusional.

The board genius's all seemed to think we had some really good players and an upgrade in talent. So you're saying the board genius's were wrong?

I'm of the opinion that we actually do have an upgrade in talent compared to previous years. I know it's not saying much since Capel's previous teams were dismally talented. But I believe that the talent we have now, coached by a real coach, could have beaten this wvu team and would possibly be a bubble NIT team. With this coach, 12 - 14 total wins is overachieving for him.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

While this is JCs 5th yr this isn’t a 5 yr old program , only Hugley and Jeffress , both whom are injured have 2 yrs in the program , everyone else has 1 yr or less . Assembling and keeping talent are this issues here and I for one do believe that this team with a healthy Hugley will be his most talented. Will they be good enough to be a factor in the ACC , seems unlikely after tonight ass kicking .

The twins and a good recruiting class and the millions owed to him will buy him another yr unless this season turns out to be disastrous . I can’t see him getting anymore time than that under any circumstances . There needs to be progress , as much as I enjoy Pitt bb this is getting old and depressing .

It's beyond getting old and depressing. They are routinely not prepared to play against opponents with a pulse, and that's a habit now.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

The board genius's all seemed to think we had some really good players and an upgrade in talent. So you're saying the board genius's were wrong?

I'm of the opinion that we actually do have an upgrade in talent compared to previous years. I know it's not saying much since Capel's previous teams were dismally talented. But I believe that the talent we have now, coached by a real coach, could have beaten this wvu team and would possibly be a bubble NIT team. With this coach, 12 - 14 total wins is overachieving for him.

I do think this is the best accumulation of talent he’s had at Pitt , but they need Big John to be at his best . Without Hugley and the guard play they weren’t beating WVU tonight .

 

[h2p_5150]

Hugley being out had nothing to do with how bad the defense was. That's the biggest concern. WVU was getting shots off like this was a game at the YMCA.

 

[BFo8]

It’s bad in part because this isnt a very good WVU team. There’s a reason this game was lined around 2.5 even without Hugley.

 

[gary2]

Hugley being out had nothing to do with how bad the defense was. That's the biggest concern. WVU was getting shots off like this was a game at the YMCA.

Hugley being out had nothing to do with the defense (or rebounding)?

Hell Fede being out is what caused the initial separation?

The Man WVU had playing center discarded The Spainard like he was an eigth grader.

 

[joeydavid]

I do think this is the best accumulation of talent he’s had at Pitt , but they need Big John to be at his best . Without Hugley and the guard play they weren’t beating WVU tonight .

Dior probably helps a bunch in a game like this as well.

 

[PittPanther44]

I expected to see the energy of the first 5 minutes the entire game.

Fouls had something to do with it - but I hated sitting Hinson half the first half. Screw it, if he gets a third foul then sit him. He never got in the flow, and we were double digits behind.

 

[PittPharm2002]

Maybe. But it all looks and feels pretty familiar.

I didn’t watch -
But was the defense as bad as the box score seems ?

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Dior probably helps a bunch in a game like this as well.

No doubt !

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Hugley being out had nothing to do with how bad the defense was. That's the biggest concern. WVU was getting shots off like this was a game at the YMCA.

I've never watched a team shoot that many uncontested shots from the paint. It was like a dad playing fake defense against his 3-year-old son. And there was no help defense at all. Just amazed me. Seems like "defense" might be something you'd want to cover over the summer - it being 50% of the game and all. I've seen dudes figure out a better help defense system on a whim in a pickup game.

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

Responding to the title of the thread, about the board overreacting, I don't know, what stands out to me is that the Panthers were playing a hated rival at home in game 2 of the season and underperformed the betting line by more than 20 points in a mostly noncompetitive contest and the consensus seems to be more of an apathetic shrug than a passionate howl, more of an eerie silence than an angry snarl.

 

[TheLogicalTake]

The game against UT Martin was probably the higher end for this teams performance and last night was hopefully the bottom.

No need to go too crazy, as WV is a tough, experienced team and as soon as the fouls took away our rhythm it was over. The way they were shooting it last night probably meant we weren’t going to win under the best of circumstances but you wish the score wouldn’t have gotten out of hand late.

With Hugley back, I’m still bullish on this team being able to competitive with half to 2/3 of the ACC and finish in the middle tier of the league.

 

[pittizit]

The board genius's all seemed to think we had some really good players and an upgrade in talent. So you're saying the board genius's were wrong?

I'm of the opinion that we actually do have an upgrade in talent compared to previous years. I know it's not saying much since Capel's previous teams were dismally talented. But I believe that the talent we have now, coached by a real coach, could have beaten this wvu team and would possibly be a bubble NIT team. With this coach, 12 - 14 total wins is overachieving for him.

There are only two geniuses on this board me and Poker

 

[Sam Young 23]

As stated above the game was lost in the final 7 min or so of the first half. Capel needed to put some of the starters back in. Without Hugley meant having to play Diaz minutes at the 5. That's not something he is able to do at this time.
We also appeared to not run many offensive sets. Where was any kind of motion to try and get Hinson free early on?

That can't happen in year 5 at home.

 

[Gep Dawg]

I think the issue with Capel is he doesn’t really have a defensive (or offensive) system that players can buy into. He’s a father figure like coach who kids want to play for. But he’s not a good game day coach and he doesn’t have a system like John Chaney did so they just wilt under pressure. So unless he starts recruiting legitimate all Americans like he did at Oklahoma he’s got no shot at any success here at Pitt

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I didn’t watch -
But was the defense as bad as the box score seems ?

Yes. It was.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

I didn’t watch -
But was the defense as bad as the box score seems ?

Yes

 

[PittPharm2002]

Yes. It was.

That’s disappointing

 

[UPitthoops]

I think the issue with Capel is he doesn’t really have a defensive (or offensive) system that players can buy into. He’s a father figure like coach who kids want to play for. But he’s not a good game day coach and he doesn’t have a system like John Chaney did so they just wilt under pressure. So unless he starts recruiting legitimate all Americans like he did at Oklahoma he’s got no shot at any success here at Pitt

Well said Dawg.

 

[pittchagg]

Ultimately came down to Nelly being the most important player last night, and what happens when he’s not out there. The difference between the offense when he was on the floor and when he was on the bench was pretty drastic - it was a pretty even fight with our main guys on the floor, and it very much was not when they were on the bench. Burton didn’t have a good night, but he’s just not The Guy at point guard for more than a few minutes at a time. It’s where the Dior situation really hurts.

Still feel good about the team, and think we’ll bounce back nicely. I think Nelly’s pressing a little bit and feeling the pressure of being the hometown kid. Felt like he finally started to settle down and get into a rhythm for himself, instead of just running things, but picked up his fourth and fifth fouls back to back and that was that.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Crazy thing is: No matter how bad this team is, if we win three ACC games in a row at any point, Quick Trigger Lyke will almost certainly add five years to the contract.

 

[buckage]

We're better than last year. Possibly equal to WVU in talent with Big John but WVU (like most teams) have an incredible edge in coaching.

I think Pitt fans forget how good Huggy is.

Sit back and enjoy the distraction until we.havr a new coach.

 

[joeydavid]

That’s disappointing

Pitt is not a very athletic teams. Lots of "old man game" type of players. They were forced to play a lot of odd combinations because the refs were apparently being paid per foul. The odd combinations looks like it led to some poor communication. Jeffress would have helped on the defensive end imo.