We can discuss different statistics, percentages, etc. This is game after game. The narrative changes slightly. I think it is this simple;
This team does not have any killers. The program hasn't had one in years. When I use that term, I mean tough kids that are talented with swagger. Sam Young was always referred to as a stone-cold killer. It was because nothing phased him. No moment was too big for him. Levance Fields was in that category. Dejuan Blair. Brandin Knight. Troutman. Jaron Brown. Lett. Krauser. Maybe Patterson.
That type of player has been missing. Rick Pitino mentioned an interesting point in his post-game. He said that scoring is one thing. It can be easy and irrelevant at times. When things are tight, scoring is a completely different skill. I thought that Mike and Jamel had that gene in them. For whatever reason, they have developed some but are going through some kind of issues.
This team has some good players. Not enough, but there is some talent. There just isn't the player that wants to take over in crunch time and lead the way. No emotion. No heart. I have yet to see one player yell or take a stand. Some guys, including Mike, have pointed fingers and pouted. I am talking about getting in someone's face and taking ownership. The number of dunks and lay ups they give up is scary.
You can point to the issues at center. At shooting guard. Lack of talent throughout the roster. It is a combination of a lot of things. Sometimes it isn't the most talented kid. This team just lacks toughness and swagger. Up eight at home with 10 minutes to go, someone needs to get a stop. It has to start with someone.
I am not sure how you get back to that culture once it is lost. It is amazing how many teams come into the Petersen and win like it is nothing. For years, it was unheard of for a team to come to Oakland and win at Pitt. Now it is a regular occurrence.
Just a bit of a rant after listening to Pitino's post-game again. I think he knows that Pitt has some talent, but they haven't had the men that they used to. It has to be one of two ways. You either need to be supremely talented, or have a roster full of kids that are used to bus rides and one pair of basketball sneakers.
This team does not have any killers. The program hasn't had one in years. When I use that term, I mean tough kids that are talented with swagger. Sam Young was always referred to as a stone-cold killer. It was because nothing phased him. No moment was too big for him. Levance Fields was in that category. Dejuan Blair. Brandin Knight. Troutman. Jaron Brown. Lett. Krauser. Maybe Patterson.
That type of player has been missing. Rick Pitino mentioned an interesting point in his post-game. He said that scoring is one thing. It can be easy and irrelevant at times. When things are tight, scoring is a completely different skill. I thought that Mike and Jamel had that gene in them. For whatever reason, they have developed some but are going through some kind of issues.
This team has some good players. Not enough, but there is some talent. There just isn't the player that wants to take over in crunch time and lead the way. No emotion. No heart. I have yet to see one player yell or take a stand. Some guys, including Mike, have pointed fingers and pouted. I am talking about getting in someone's face and taking ownership. The number of dunks and lay ups they give up is scary.
You can point to the issues at center. At shooting guard. Lack of talent throughout the roster. It is a combination of a lot of things. Sometimes it isn't the most talented kid. This team just lacks toughness and swagger. Up eight at home with 10 minutes to go, someone needs to get a stop. It has to start with someone.
I am not sure how you get back to that culture once it is lost. It is amazing how many teams come into the Petersen and win like it is nothing. For years, it was unheard of for a team to come to Oakland and win at Pitt. Now it is a regular occurrence.
Just a bit of a rant after listening to Pitino's post-game again. I think he knows that Pitt has some talent, but they haven't had the men that they used to. It has to be one of two ways. You either need to be supremely talented, or have a roster full of kids that are used to bus rides and one pair of basketball sneakers.
