Back into the next four out and ahead of PSU with the win over VT. Win at Virginia, and things would be bubbling again.
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Guess I gotta root for Maryland tonight then. They both have nice wins over the past week. Need teams around Pitt to keep on losing. Stupid WF and ND games. (Bangs head against wall).
Taking the long view - winning one of these next 3 road games positions PItt pretty well for a bid. Finishing a game or two over .500 in the league is probably right side of the bubble entering the ACCT.
If we beat UVA - I think we’d clearly be in if the field were selected the next day.
Depending on which team shows up, they can either pull the upset or make us scratch our heads. I am curious as to the committee's thought process as PITT could pull a 12-5 upset in the field and is 5-4 vs quad 1 and 2 (Wake and ND were both quad 2 despite being "awful" teams). Tomorrow nights game is huge.
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We cannot settle for the 3pt shots against Virginia. I think X driving under control and Champ’s mid range game are crucial. And we need Toney to attack the offensive boards. Those three things still only give us a chance. This will be a game with very little margin for error.
This team is the quintessential “1 game at a time” group. So that’s all I can manage to focus on: the next game, and nothing beyond.
Offensively the big 3 are critical. If they can combine for their averages Pitt should have a chance to win any game. But if they don’t . . . . . ?
Then the “wildcards” come into play. Horton’s shooting? ANY point production from the 5’s? Or something from ANYBODY else?
Also the defense and rebounding HAVE to be consistent and aggressive. The “hope they miss” efforts on 3 point shooters like at WF; or the total sleepwalking on D like vs ND just cant happen or it’ll be an “L” for sure. Pitt has to at the very least have significant control of the defensive glass. Then compete for OR’s. Some easy buckets off OR’s or in transition always help.
This team seems to always play better when they get to the FT line often, too. It’s an indication they are engaged and being aggressive. They just cant be settling for jump shots early in the clock. Would really like to see Champ and Toney, in particular, attacking more inside than they have in the past few games.
X has to be the QB. make the right decisions with the ball. Thought he did a nice job of mixing it up vs VT. Helped a LOT that he hit a couple 3’s early. Then when they came out on him a bit he used the dribble drive. Helped that VT didn’t have a real rim protector, but X was able to get - and make - some shots at the rim and also got to the line for 7 FT attempts. But X needs to make quick and consistently accurate decisions when he drives: take it all the way for the shot or drive and dish? Kick it out to IH for a 3? Especially if the other team has big and physical inside defenders. That’s where guys like Champ and AT also have to help him by making well-timed and strong cuts to give X good options to dish the ball to, or have someone fan out to the 3 line for a kick out.
The Wake game (SFU aside) is the true killer. Effort aside, not many teams in this year's ACC would have beaten ND last weekend with the way they shot. ND played some marquee OOC teams tight and I think will be a .500+ ACC team by the end of the year.
No doubt the WF loss hurts badly. But it’s OVER. Win more games that are left in FRONT. What they can’t do is have any more games where there are prolonged defensive lapses. The effort and focus on D has to be there for 40 minutes (more if needed) every game.
Well, right NOW we are "bubbling." If the field were picked today, I don't think we get in but we'd have a shot. That's "the bubble." If we beat UVa, we'd still be on the bubble but the right side of it probably.
As for PSU, their NET is ridiculous (33). They probably just need to finish a game over .500 to make it. There's no rule saying below .500 teams cant get an at-large but I don't think the committee gives a sub .500 team a bid. They are 6-8 and they'll be favored in their next 3. Its unreal the amount of talent that Chambers was able to get to go there. And people think Pitt is an impossible place to recruit to. PSU Basketball was nothing.
They have 5 solid guards and so when they are hitting shots they are a hard team to beat. The problem for PsU is they don’t really know how to get the hard buckets when they are struggling shooting. No inside presence at all, though Harrar plays way above his ability. That’s why they can beat anyone, but also could lose to Nebraska.
Yeah - this team need to hit 3s to win but can’t fall in love with the 3. They are best when Champ and Toney are working around the rim, X finishes some drives and Horton and X getting looks from deep in rhythm. They did that almost to perfection vs Va Tech. Hope it continues .
I mean, thinking tournament for Pitt might be somewhat ambitious given their displayed lack of consistency, but plenty of other programs have lacked consistency too, so who knows?
That said, interesting comparing Pitt/PSU and seeing them pretty much even in the tournament picture:
Pitt: 9-5, beat VT
PSU: 6-8, beat VT, Wisconsin
...I guess playing the B1G and not really having any bad losses compared to Pitt’s 3 is the equalizer?
That said, interesting comparing Pitt/PSU and seeing them pretty much even in the tournament picture:
Pitt: 9-5, beat VT
PSU: 6-8, beat VT, Wisconsin
...I guess playing the B1G and not really having any bad losses compared to Pitt’s 3 is the equalizer?
I would expect Pitt/PSU on a neutral court to be a 1 or 2 point spread. Which is why the fact they are 50 spots higher than us is so odd. Well, I mean I know why....because they lose to really good teams but still. PSU is a really interesting test case for a team playing like no cupcake OOC games when things get back to normal.
Almost PSU's entire schedule will be in the Top 50 so as long as you go .500, you're in.
That is correct and they could make it. Their schedule isn't really that hard, so it may happen.
I agree that it’s over and you can’t dwell (from a team perspective), but from a fans perspective, that game could be the difference.
PS -I was just replying to a post. I’m not dwelling as a fan. My expectation was a win or two over .500 in the ACC this year.
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