If this years recruiting is now completed

[gary2]

It appears that Dixon has made additions that give us a chance to be good next season. (I would have liked one more ball handler)

Now the question is, can Dixon continue to improve our situation by making a change to the coaching staff to improve high school recruiting?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It appears that Dixon has made additions that give us a chance to be good next season. (I would have liked one more ball handler)

Now the question is, can Dixon continue to improve our situation by making a change to the coaching staff to improve high school recruiting?

I agree. Jamie should be credited for what he did this off-season. Clearly, he wants to win now. He didn't want to go into next season with a youngish team and maybe have another NIT season while building for 16-17. By bringing in 2 experienced grad transfer centers, each of which bring a different "specialty" (Maia-rebounding, Nelson-Ododa-shot blocking), we may have just made our Center position into legitimate ACC-caliber. And I believe that Young at the 4 may be the best in the league. I think he'll rebound better, offensively and defensively, playing down a position. He won't have to be the "man" on the glass anymore and will benefit from that. The 3 is a question mark with Artis and Jeter but both could make significant improvements there to the point where they are very good ACC SF's. Still dont know what to expect out of the SG position but I like bringing in a designated shooter in Sterling Smith.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

I agree. Jamie should be credited for what he did this off-season. Clearly, he wants to win now. He didn't want to go into next season with a youngish team and maybe have another NIT season while building for 16-17. By bringing in 2 experienced grad transfer centers, each of which bring a different "specialty" (Maia-rebounding, Nelson-Ododa-shot blocking), we may have just made our Center position into legitimate ACC-caliber. And I believe that Young at the 4 may be the best in the league. I think he'll rebound better, offensively and defensively, playing down a position. He won't have to be the "man" on the glass anymore and will benefit from that. The 3 is a question mark with Artis and Jeter but both could make significant improvements there to the point where they are very good ACC SF's. Still dont know what to expect out of the SG position but I like bringing in a designated shooter in Sterling Smith.

Being stronger in the interior should also help the perimeter shooting game since the inside outside game should be easier to execute. It should help all the long range shooters not just Smith,
















99smith

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Trib Nelson-Ododa article:

http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/8442364-74/nelson-ododa-pitt#axzz3bLHzosCq

 

[Chescat]

Being stronger in the interior should also help the perimeter shooting game since the inside outside game should be easier to execute. It should help all the long range shooters not just Smith,
















99smith

I agree. Jamie should be credited for what he did this off-season. Clearly, he wants to win now. He didn't want to go into next season with a youngish team and maybe have another NIT season while building for 16-17. By bringing in 2 experienced grad transfer centers, each of which bring a different "specialty" (Maia-rebounding, Nelson-Ododa-shot blocking), we may have just made our Center position into legitimate ACC-caliber. And I believe that Young at the 4 may be the best in the league. I think he'll rebound better, offensively and defensively, playing down a position. He won't have to be the "man" on the glass anymore and will benefit from that. The 3 is a question mark with Artis and Jeter but both could make significant improvements there to the point where they are very good ACC SF's. Still dont know what to expect out of the SG position but I like bringing in a designated shooter in Sterling Smith.

 

[Chescat]

Well I agree he has made the team better. Replacing Ochebo, Randall, and Haughton with successful, experienced players from mid level programs is a definite improvement. The 2G replacement is also an improvement, so with those additions plus our returning three starters, Nix (possibly), Jones Jeter, and a few of our other returning subs, the reality is of course we're better.

IMO however, those additions were not the original recruiting plan. Jamie missed on at least three transfers (maybe a few more) and also on some h.s grads. This was a "stop-gap" approach at best, and these guys were not Jamie's first choices. As for not wanting to go "younger," I don't agree. If he were able to get his first line choices, IMO he would have gladly gone younger.

As for this coming season, I feel he did the best he could and as I previously said, we are definitely improved from last year. I'm hoping he can make these different pieces work. This team still has defensive deficiencies, and big question marks with the additions, but I do see major improvement. It is also crucial that he gets back to decent recruiting and player development that fits his system.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Well I agree he has made the team better. Replacing Ochebo, Randall, and Haughton with successful, experienced players from mid level programs is a definite improvement. The 2G replacement is also an improvement, so with those additions plus our returning three starters, Nix (possibly), Jones Jeter, and a few of our other returning subs, the reality is of course we're better.

IMO however, those additions were not the original recruiting plan. Jamie missed on at least three transfers (maybe a few more) and also on some h.s grads. This was a "stop-gap" approach at best, and these guys were not Jamie's first choices. As for not wanting to go "younger," I don't agree. If he were able to get his first line choices, IMO he would have gladly gone younger.

As for this coming season, I feel he did the best he could and as I previously said, we are definitely improved from last year. I'm hoping he can make these different pieces work. This team still has defensive deficiencies, and big question marks with the additions, but I do see major improvement. It is also crucial that he gets back to decent recruiting and player development that fits his system.

I agree. He did what he had to do, and closed with three solid fifth year guys at the end. But, I can't see how this was the plan even six months ago. They were going after HS kids at the time, and as noted, they appeared to want Thorne and a few other transfers. Also, the track record with transfers has been underwhelming.

That said, he filled the gaps for next year as best he could, and these guys give him a chance to fill in around MY, Artix, JRob, Jones to try to get some good vibes going ON THE COURT, which is pretty darn important to the program right now.

 

[JS School]

Despite not having much success with transfers in the past, maybe recruiting guys like the ones that are coming in this year could become a positive for Dixon. He's not the kind of recruiter who is going to impress high school superstars with a lot of happy talk and phony promises and he is not going to land transfers like Sterling Gibbs or Deandre Kane who are looking to come in and be the star of a team. That's probably why Trey Ziegler was a failure here. But the guys coming this year seem like mature role players who are probably more aware of their strenghts and weaknesses after three years of college ball and could be more receptive to Dixon's straight talk about how they would fit into his team.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Despite not having much success with transfers in the past, maybe recruiting guys like the ones that are coming in this year could become a positive for Dixon. He's not the kind of recruiter who is going to impress high school superstars with a lot of happy talk and phony promises and he is not going to land transfers like Sterling Gibbs or Deandre Kane who are looking to come in and be the star of a team. That's probably why Trey Ziegler was a failure here. But the guys coming this year seem like mature role players who are probably more aware of their strenghts and weaknesses after three years of college ball and could be more receptive to Dixon's straight talk about how they would fit into his team.

Maybe these kids fit in a little better, but it is not a real good model for running a program.

It is what it is, he is doing what he has to do at this point.

But, they HAVE to get the program back to recruiting solid HS kids and developing them.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Who ever suggested this was a model way to run a program? I'll take a guess and say no one. EVER. He's in a pickle so he did the best he could to patch some holes. I'm sure it's not his plan to do this annually.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Who ever suggested this was a model way to run a program? I'll take a guess and say no one. EVER. He's in a pickle so he did the best he could to patch some holes. I'm sure it's not his plan to do this annually.

Or, as I noted, "It is what it is, he is doing what he has to do at this point."

 

[JS School]

Who ever suggested this was a model way to run a program? I'll take a guess and say no one. EVER. He's in a pickle so he did the best he could to patch some holes. I'm sure it's not his plan to do this annually.

No one would suggest this as a model for running a program, and you still need your stars to be guys you recruited out of high school. I'm just saying that with the increasing number of graduate transfers each year Dixon might have some success getting some solid role players. He's always relied on mature upperclassmen in the past, but kids don't want to wait their turn to start as much anymore. And they don't see themselves waiting to become role players. This may be an alternative going forward to getting these types of players. After playing three years somewhere else, they have a good idea of what their role is going to be coming to Pitt.

 

[JS School]

Luther may or may not be an example of what I am talking about. There were rumors of him considering a transfer, but who knows how accurate those rumors were. However, he is the kind of guy that could be an impact player in his third, fourth or even fifth year in the program and if he did leave you would want someone with experience to replace him.

This board proposes redshirts for players all the time, but I doubt that's what kids want. They want to play, and if they don't they are more likely than ever to transfer. There is going to be an increasing need for every program to patch holes. The number of transfers are increasing every year. You don't have to like it, but you have to learn to live with it.

 

[heybandguy]

The roster is improved, which is good. The results on the floor should be better. The team success next year will pay recruiting dividends, and its critical because the next two recruiting classes will either extend or terminate Dixon's tenure here. These boards (here and on other sites) are full of alum and fans who clearly expect better results from Dixon on the floor, recruiting, and with the staff (who develop players). Whether he likes it or not, he is the consistency year to year for the program, and perhaps unfairly, Dixon reached a bar that was set very high, very early. Yes, he took over for Howland and had success with some of Howland's players. The large chunk of his success has been done with players he brought in, yet the staff was in a fairly consistent state of flux. I like Dixon, I like what he represents as a leader with character. For better or worse, fair or not, Dixon has to achieve tangible results.