Jones Surgery

[Zaratoughda]

According to the trib. Out 6 weeks which means until the end of August. Should be more than enough time for him to get back up to speed but... sheesh.... we have a LOT of players in that position... Jones, Robinson, Newkirk, Smith, ANO. Did I forget anyone?

Here's the link:

http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/8750322-74/guard-jones-junior#axzz3g3oxjyX7

 

[Franb]

According to the trib. Out 6 weeks which means until the end of August. Should be more than enough time for him to get back up to speed but... sheesh.... we have a LOT of players in that position... Jones, Robinson, Newkirk, Smith, ANO. Did I forget anyone?

Here's the link:

http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/8750322-74/guard-jones-junior#axzz3g3oxjyX7

We must be at least top 5 in the All-surgery Team rankings.

 

[pittizit]

It's Pitt it always happens.

 

[Mike83]

It's been a lost summer for the guys to play together, but it sounds like Newkirk may be the only iffy one when the team practices for real starting mid-October.

I am not identifying Cam Johnson as iffy, unfortunately his frame is so thin I doubt he'll ever be able to stay healthy to play major college basketball. My guess he'll have trouble getting through the typically physical Pitt practices without getting banged up.

 

[JS School]

It's been a lost summer for the guys to play together, but it sounds like Newkirk may be the only iffy one when the team practices for real starting mid-October.

I am not identifying Cam Johnson as iffy, unfortunately his frame is so thin I doubt he'll ever be able to stay healthy to play major college basketball. My guess he'll have trouble getting through the typically physical Pitt practices without getting banged up.

Steph Curry is pretty thin.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Steph Curry is pretty thin.

Are all these injuries at once just a run of bad luck? Or, has something gone south with Pitt's hoops conditioning and training that is making players more injury prone?

It does make one wonder.

 

[Zaratoughda]

Are all these injuries at once just a run of bad luck? Or, has something gone south with Pitt's hoops conditioning and training that is making players more injury prone?

It does make one wonder.

Well, it is well known that when you are tired you are much more susceptible to injury... and we had the total collapse at the end of the year so... maybe that has something to do with it.

In any case, with the enforced rest due to injury recovery, maybe the bunch of them will be a lot less fatigued as we head into this new season.

Especially James Robinson. Every year he had something going over the summer.... U18, U19, Nike Skills camp and what not... played basketball continuously for 3 or 4 years and he really needed some time to rest. With the 12 weeks off for his injury recovery, he will get that now for sure.

 

[Jeffburgh]

It's been a lost summer for the guys to play together, but it sounds like Newkirk may be the only iffy one when the team practices for real starting mid-October.

I am not identifying Cam Johnson as iffy, unfortunately his frame is so thin I doubt he'll ever be able to stay healthy to play major college basketball. My guess he'll have trouble getting through the typically physical Pitt practices without getting banged up.

What I have seen on Cam John, I am not feeling great about him physically ...

Until such time as I see him on the court at roughly 100% I am not counting on anything from him.

 

[geeman2001]

Hope he gets through ok. Raises a question, does health insurance cover this? The player/student's own? Does the team provide special supplemental coverage? Who paid Co pays? Come out of the team and/or AD main operating budget? Given Pitt's shoestring budgets for its programs, what kind of hurt does a season / off season of multiple surgeries put on the program's finances?

 

[pittfan67]

I'd say that whatever a parent's health insurance doesn't cover, the university would pick up.

...or the university has a UPMC policy for all athletes.

 

[daytonpanther]

Universities usually provide a healthcare option for students but I would be surprised if the scholarship did not provided a special plan since these students are participating in an organized sport for the university. Once the student is no longer part of the university, then coverage probably does drop as well. Which with lingering injuries, is probably a shame but then again, student can by insurance for disabilities and do. If we are worrying about this then we have much bigger problems in the NCAA than I thought.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Chris is way , way, way under appreciated.
May have jumped to the all time list.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Chris is way , way, way under appreciated.
May have jumped to the all time list.

Huh?

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Huh?

He's a quality player, and people here act like he's a bum who shouldn't see the court.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Rob still on crutches

 

[Zaratoughda]

Chris is way , way, way under appreciated.
May have jumped to the all time list.

I dunno about 'all time list' on this one but.... otherwise I agree with you on this one Souf.

Early in the year, he had a problem when covering opposing guards.... where he would look the other way and they would be by him and on their way to the hoop before he could react.

But, he got past that. With hard work. I remember him saying after a game where he scored a bunch that he really needed to get better with his defense and... with the hard work he did. Some players work hard off the court (weight room and whatever) and there are others that are hard workers ON the court... and Chris Jones impresses me as being of the later ilk. If his shot is not falling he keeps at it... making hustle plays and the like... contributing to the team in any way he can. Ya gotta love that!

Also... in the Louisville game... he turned the ball over twice against their press.... when otherwise we were not turning it over. But, he got past that as well.

I think he was a bit over his head starting last year but when Dixon moved him back to the bench he started moving forward again and... had the huge game against Cuse in the dome. He also still had something left in the tank down the stretch when the rest of the team was out of gas.

His offensive stats for the year were not that bad... about the same as Cam Wright overall. So, if he gets a bump from the year of experience, he could be a VERY good player for us this year. If he gets the 'late maturer' bump (which is what happened to him in HS), he could very well get to be an excellent player or even better.

With Artis moving to SF, and assuming Sterling Smith starts at SG, I dunno how Dixon is gonna find enough time for Jeter and Jones. Even if Dixon plays Artis SOME of his minutes at PF (when Young is not in the game), there are maybe 20 minutes at SF and 10 or so at SG. And this assumes Newkirk and Wilson will not be playing any SG. Then you also got Slim and he is a SG/SF player as well.

I have no idea how Dixon is gonna manage this. Yeah, when he moved Artis to SF it sure lightened things up for our inside players as far as minutes are concerned, but now the perimeter is overloaded (not necessarily a bad thing).

Guess we will just have to see when the time comes. Yeah, I bet Dixon is gonna wait and see how each player is looking when training camp comes... so Jeter and Jones.... would be mindful of BRINGING IT when that happens.

 

[Zaratoughda]

Chris is way , way, way under appreciated.
May have jumped to the all time list.

Hmmmm... thinking about my last post a bit... and I came to the same point previously and said so.... when Dixon signed Smith he said he was planning on using him at both guard slots... and a lot of people were thinking he was just talking about using him at PG on defense.... but there really isn't a PG slot on defense.

So, Dixon may be quite serious about this. In other words, at least in big games, going with a three man rotation at guard of Robinson, Smith and Jones.... with the idea that Smith starts at SG but spells Robinson... leaving Jones with starter minutes off the bench at SG.

A matter of getting your best players on the court at all times. If this is what happens, I got no problem with this at all.

On the other hand... in the article with the interview with Mike Young, he was raving about Damon Wilson, as I recall a big guard that is also pretty quick. But, all of our other guards (well, except Lecak) are not currently available. Robinson, Smith, Jones, Newkirk, all recovering from surgery.

Also, if Artis is having problems scoring from SF, and his defense is not the best, and Jeter isn't gonna bring you anything more defensively (probably less), then Dixon may have to use Jones at SF... for his defense.

So, another one where we will just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[levance2]

Well, it is well known that when you are tired you are much more susceptible to injury...

As long as Pitt doesn't have several players with the same injury, this is likely just an unlucky streak of random incidents. If we had 4 guys with hip/knee injuries, then maybe they are all learning poor squat form.

Even if they are "overtrained" in the medical sense (which is hard to do), I don't see how that would result in a toe injury.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

He's a quality player, and people here act like he's a bum who shouldn't see the court.

I don't know about "quality", but yeah he has definitely been better than most (including me) thought. IF he takes another leap forward as he did this past year, then he moves into Antonio Graves, Gary McGhee or OLett territory, which then yes, puts him in "all time" underrated category.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

On that note, is Gary McGhee maybe the most all time underrated Panther BB player? At least of this last decade or so? I mean he came in ASPIRING to be a Torree Morris, and when he left, he was a defensive force on a #1 seed. You put McGhee on last year's team, and they finish in the top 4 of the ACC.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

On that note, is Gary McGhee maybe the most all time underrated Panther BB player? At least of this last decade or so? I mean he came in ASPIRING to be a Torree Morris, and when he left, he was a defensive force on a #1 seed. You put McGhee on last year's team, and they finish in the top 4 of the ACC.

Levon Kendall is ahead of him, with nasir next.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Levon Kendall is ahead of him, with nasir next.

Nope. And Naz was actually a fairly high regarded guy despite his measurables. He was a top 100 recruit.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Nope. And Naz was actually a fairly high regarded guy despite his measurables. He was a top 100 recruit.

And very under appreciated.

You've tried to change it to under rated.

 

[Jeffburgh]

I don't know about "quality", but yeah he has definitely been better than most (including me) thought. IF he takes another leap forward as he did this past year, then he moves into Antonio Graves, Gary McGhee or OLett territory, which then yes, puts him in "all time" underrated category.

The issue is his spot in the rotation. He is a guy who ideally would develop in his upper class years into a 7-8 guy. In that role, great. But, it just is going to be hard to have him as a guy getting 30 minutes on a GOOD D1 team.

 

[Jeffburgh]

On that note, is Gary McGhee maybe the most all time underrated Panther BB player? At least of this last decade or so? I mean he came in ASPIRING to be a Torree Morris, and when he left, he was a defensive force on a #1 seed. You put McGhee on last year's team, and they finish in the top 4 of the ACC.

Mostly agree.

He had his limits on the offensive end, and he wasn't a shot blocker.

But, he was rock solid good center at the end.

As noted, played great defense on his man, understood the defense and his role to the team defense, did not pile up big rebound numbers, but helped to control the boards with his strong physical presence. Knew how to help on offense with his body.

But, also, he was literally the last guy in the program, with Wanny, who had the toughness and physical edge that marked the high point in the Howland/JD era. He understood the importance of being physical and wearing on the other team. Along with that, a guy who went to the floor for loose balls and generally hustled.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

And very under appreciated.

You've tried to change it to under rated.

At least I didn't put the white guy #1 on my list. White guys playing on P5 teams are always "under appreciated".

But back to Jones, I think Jeffburgh nailed it. He should be a 7-8 player off the bench. The more we have to rely on him, the more trouble we are in.

 

[Scruffy the Panther]

Time for a little of "Guess the player"

Player A: Minutes-27.4 Field Goal %.431 3-point percentage .357 Free Throw % .545 Rebounds 3.1 Assists 2.0 Blocks 0.3 Steals 0.4 Fouls 2.4 Turnovers 1.0 PPG 8.5

Player B: Minutes 19.8 Field Goal % .405 3-point percentage .338 Free Throw % .853 Rebounds 3.0 Assists 1.4 Blocks 0.3 Steals 0.9 Fouls 1.5 Turnovers 0.9 PPG8.8

Anyone care to take a stab?

 

[Scruffy the Panther]

And very under appreciated.

You've tried to change it to under rated.

And he wasn't even a True PF!

 

[vinniep33]

Steph Curry is pretty thin.

He's the best shooter ever too. Not Cam skinny by the way.

 

[JS School]

He's the best shooter ever too. Not Cam skinny by the way.

Did you see Curry as a college freshman? If he developed enough to play in the NBA, I think Cam might be able to develop enough to survive in Division I basketball without getting broken in half. I think Pitt still has a strength and conditioning program.

 

[vinniep33]

Did you see Curry as a college freshman? If he developed enough to play in the NBA, I think Cam might be able to develop enough to survive in Division I basketball without getting broken in half. I think Pitt still has a strength and conditioning program.

Comparing Cam Johnson to Steph Curry is for CMU grads. I can't even fathom such a task.

 

[JS School]

Comparing Cam Johnson to Steph Curry is for CMU grads. I can't even fathom such a task.

Uh, my only point was that skinny guys can play basketball. I'm comparing nothing about Johnson and Curry except their physiques.

 

[Black Panther]

Are all these injuries at once just a run of bad luck? Or, has something gone south with Pitt's hoops conditioning and training that is making players more injury prone?

It does make one wonder.

We had injury problems going back to #1 seed teams and even before that as well.It seems it's an injury or somebody getting suspended every year.