He could have replaced Barton, but Smoke was the later replacement for Slice.
Manigault transferring; Pitt waves goodbye to final remnant of '16 recruiting class(PG article)
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OK. Who predated Smoke? That assistant slot was a bit of a turnstile.
Smoke replaced Slice.
Slice replaced Sandle.
Barton replaced Skerry.
Skerry replaced Herrion.
I think BC will take issue with your statement!
They will not give up that bottom spot without a fight.
Wow. Herrion was a big loss. But understandable he left for a head coaching job (the last staff member to do so). We all know why Skerry was brought in. Barton was supposed to tap in to the NE Prep school scene. We saw how that worked. I guess the question is Sandle was a holdover to those great staffs, why was he the guy they pushed out in favor of bringing in Slice instead of Barton?
Pat was pushed out because he didn't go out and recruit. Brandin and Barton were the "recruiters" on the staff at that time and Jamie, Bill, and Brandin were losing out on far too many prime targets. The axe fell on Pat and Slice was brought in to close.
NJIT is Division 1. Again, this just shows the lack of BB knowledge by alot of our fans.
Let's face it, most Pitt BB "fans" (using the term loosely)
a) just started watching college basketball in 2002
b) really only follows basketball starting in March
c) have a hard time discerning college basketball from college football
Skerry left for a head coaching job too (Towson).
I don't know the answer about Barton/Sandle. But I do know that Barton was involved in recruiting and Sandle never was.
Hindsight is always 20/20 and the signings of Kithcart , Manigualt and Clark was universally thought to be Jamie's best class since Young and Artis . There also was hope that Wilson ,who was a 4* recruit would show why he was rated so high after a shaky freshman season . There was some hope that Milligan and Nix would help fill some holes too . You had the four seniors returning plus Cam , a rising star and solid all around player in Luther . The was no reason to panic last spring .
What really happened was Pitt got nothing from the three new additions and Wilson ,Milligan and Nix showed no ability to be solid ACC level players .It really boils all down to this had either Kithcart or Wilson stepped forward and had been able to play the point this would've been a much different and better team . Even without the rim protector add a quality point guard to this roster and this would've been a tourament team .
Kevin Stalling big mistake was in not finding a grad transfer to man the point with that open scholarship . Quality guards are a lot easier to find than quality big men and there had to be someone out there who could've stepped in and contributed . Saying this is easy now because we got to see how Kithcarts and Wilsons seasons turned out .
As far as the OOC schedule no one was calling for more than one or two quality home games to help make the season tickets a more attractive package . It is a business after all and very few people are interested in seeing SWNE technical institute play . Next season will be a struggle regardless so winning one or two more meaningless games is irrelevant . Next season is about player development not W's .
What really happened was Pitt got nothing from the three new additions and Wilson ,Milligan and Nix showed no ability to be solid ACC level players .It really boils all down to this had either Kithcart or Wilson stepped forward and had been able to play the point this would've been a much different and better team . Even without the rim protector add a quality point guard to this roster and this would've been a tourament team .
Kevin Stalling big mistake was in not finding a grad transfer to man the point with that open scholarship . Quality guards are a lot easier to find than quality big men and there had to be someone out there who could've stepped in and contributed . Saying this is easy now because we got to see how Kithcarts and Wilsons seasons turned out .
As far as the OOC schedule no one was calling for more than one or two quality home games to help make the season tickets a more attractive package . It is a business after all and very few people are interested in seeing SWNE technical institute play . Next season will be a struggle regardless so winning one or two more meaningless games is irrelevant . Next season is about player development not W's .
Pitt very well could be the worst "major D1" team next year. In fact, if they're not, its a major credit to Stallings because Dixon wrecked this program.
I don't think we'll be the worst Major D-1 program...
U talking just power 5??
Cuz even so BC & others should be worse than Pitt.
Keeping Cam & Luther as a foundation for next year (as long as they have a good attitude) will be helpful to having a chance at a good/decent team.
Granted, we need the incoming freshman & Wilson-Frame to play pretty well...but it is possible.
Go Pitt
But the roster is mostly his responsibility STILL. The team's roster would BE THE SAME if he was still here.
Enough already with the constant bashing of Dixon. He's not here, he's not our coach. The more you bang on him and badmouth him, the more that people tend to defend what he did for Pitt. You tend to lack perspective and never look at the bigger picture.
Stallings is our coach now, like it or not. My concern is that he has yet to demonstrate any competency in his job at Pitt. This is his program now. We'll see what he does next year as that will be a true indicator of what kind of coach he is. I'm not optimistic at all and my expectations are quite low for him, based on his history and track record. That's unfortunate but it is what it is. Life goes on, as they say.
Really? That's really fair weather dude, they where in the NCAAs last year, they could get back within a couple years. The thing that's funny is that so many think it's because Dixon left. newsflash, the current talent level is Dixon's responsibility. PERIOD.
The current talent level was Dixon's responsibility at least partially, and the current coaching level is 100% Stallings' responsibility. PERIOD. Coaching matters regardless of talent.
How could you be? I mean BEFORE you ever saw them play?
Kithcart was less than mediocre, Manigault had NOTHING IMO.
That's speculation. Who knows what might have happened? He'd have us back in the NCAAT...NIT at worst. and he'd have at least 4 new guys coming in, probably more for 17-18. No way to know how it would have worked out. Perhaps getting more $$$ for staff would have paid dividends?? Maybe he would have gotten Jaylen Fisher...a true PG who can really play?
The facts are that KS stood pat. Anything else is just guessing.
I agree that MAYBE they might of had a better season with Dixon, and yeah, Stallings doesn't seem like much of a game coach, but what you're talking about is instead of 16-17, maybe 18-15 and an NIT bid, it's not like Dixon would have coached them to 22 wins and an 8 seed. The talent level is 10000000000% Dixon, I can't fathom how anyone can think otherwise.
Where do you find new player that are any good after April?
I'm blaming stallings for punting on an entire recruiting class and bringing in nobody last class.
It's stallings mess the day he signed his contract.
We had gaps last year, he addressed none of them.
He signed kids he didn't want and brought in nobody he did.
He'd have gotten another grad transfer and won 1/2 more games . He'd have recruited another poor recruiting class if you go by recent history . He was and I say this WAS a great coach for Pitt , but those days were in the rear view mirror . He needed to move on . Pitt needed a new direction too. They just took a wrong a turn it appears .
Yeah, I know. And I guess that is the answer. And to second guess now is 20/20 hindsight.
Not anymore.
How is Stallings bringing in nobody and having current players transfer out
A Dixon problem??
Then why do you have any optimism with any recruiting class? Clark was rated similarly to Simons/Frame as a JUCO. Kithcart rated similarly to Carr/Thompson as HS SR G. And, Manigault rated similarly to Brown/Peace as a HS SR PF.
How in the hell are you able to write those three sentences in a row without blowing out your mental transmission?
1. You say you don't know what might have happened.
2. But then you say definitively what he would have happened.
3. And then you say there is no way to know.
Careful man. That's a good way grind up your gears.
Manigault was actually rated much higher than Brown/Peace.
Carr is a higher rated recruit than Kithcart.
Carr is a player who is pretty legit, and we might be able to expect a career from him similar to someone like Julius Page (I'm not comparing their style of play, but possible production).
I think Frame will come in right away and average around double figures. I have no idea on Simons.
We all hear good things about Thompson, but one wonders why he wasn't ranked higher (Kithcart was a little higher).
These kids were already signed he just kept them from asking for their release.
He's bringing in nobody? There are 6 new guys committed. How are you so sure that they are "nobody"?
Carr is the dude I'm most excited about by a wide margin. Frame and Simons are next.
The ratings are guesses, you bring them in and take a shot.
Some of us posted to this effect a year ago and were told to "support the coach"
Exactly. That's essentially what I was saying about the 2016 class and inferring about the incoming 2017 class.
I think there was substantial development as recently as Talib Zanna and Lamar Patterson. It's hard to say one way or another on JRob, but you'd have to at least say he remained consistent and reliable. You could argue there was reasonable development on Cam and Luther. We'll see what kind of trajectory they have left in their careers.
On the other end, Jeter this year was not really any better than when he played for Stallings as a freshman. That's troubling.
You are right, Point guard was the problem. Jamie should have been the one to handle it. Jamie had seen the players he had and the players coming in. He failed to address the deficiency.
I was saying while Jamie was still here that we needed a point guard. I had even called the Jamie Dixon show to raise the matter with Jamie.
People on the board were finding my repeated postings annoying. I was told point guard was well covered. We were better off and had more depth than the previous season. We had Kithcart, Wilson and Milligan. Clark had played a little point and Cam was a point before his growth spurt.
To blame Stallings for not seeing and addressing the lack of talent at the point is ridiculous. He had no real experience with these players and their limitations. He had one scholarship to give late in the recruiting process. Like most on the board, he probably felt the greatest need was a big. Unfortunately it was not.
Those examples of development are too few and far between to maintain the high level of play Pitt was enjoying is years prior. Coupled with continuing recruiting difficulties, you have a recipe for disaster on your hands. For those who wished Dixon remained, I suspect you feel that he was capable of solving those problems. To my eye, I think time was showing he either didn't see the problem at all or wasn't willing/able to correct them.
I think part of the issue is that Stallings didn't expect such a soft landing, at least financially and in a brutally difficult league. Vandy was gonna help set him up at St. Louis. Not great as of late. Little to no pressure to produce right away.
Then, unexpectedly, Dixon leaves and he lands at Pitt. Vandy is happy. He did well there but it was time to part. Theu did good by him and get a nice up and coming Drew brother to takeover their program. Stallings gets a decent gig in an awesome league. But, he failed to hit the ground running. Kept recruits that wouldn't really thrive in scheme and didn't work like a madman to add grad transfer.
He may succeed. May even succeed in a big way. But, I refuse to believe that former Vandy AD on search firm Barnes used that previously employed Stallings and their current administration didn't work to get him here. Everybody's, well except maybe Pitt, is happy. Honestly, how in the heck else does he get a 6 year deal that pays the same or a little less than he got at VU? Pitt didn't have to pay him more to pry him.
Then, unexpectedly, Dixon leaves and he lands at Pitt. Vandy is happy. He did well there but it was time to part. Theu did good by him and get a nice up and coming Drew brother to takeover their program. Stallings gets a decent gig in an awesome league. But, he failed to hit the ground running. Kept recruits that wouldn't really thrive in scheme and didn't work like a madman to add grad transfer.
He may succeed. May even succeed in a big way. But, I refuse to believe that former Vandy AD on search firm Barnes used that previously employed Stallings and their current administration didn't work to get him here. Everybody's, well except maybe Pitt, is happy. Honestly, how in the heck else does he get a 6 year deal that pays the same or a little less than he got at VU? Pitt didn't have to pay him more to pry him.
I guess I'm too subtle?? If Dixon had stayed, I believe we'd be in post-season play right now....with NO changes made...standing pat. But he MIGHT have gotten a PG transfer to help. Since Barnes screwed the pooch...we only know what did happen under a coach who chose to stand pat, then bumbled through an awful year. Now, he'll have to actually do something...we'll see how that works out. Maybe one more year, then ol' PT Barnes will lure him to Corvallis.
I'll be in OR in June, will stop by to give my regards. Is graffiti a crime in that wacky state??
