My thoughts...

[whirlybird optio]

1) The roster, again, just makes no sense to me. A bunch of tweeners, none of whom can shoot. And Nike would just be another one. I get the need for versatility etc, but we didn’t even seem all that athletic. And there’s no help coming next year, really, with only possibly one scholarship.

2) With that being said, Horton to me was the most disappointing player last night. He started the game pressing, and then went straight invisible for the rest of the game. He has to make shots. Drumgoole again looks borderline unplayable. For a team coached by a former guard, our guards are awful.

3) It’s hard to be a X defender at this point. Two silly fouls early, and then just the usual over dribbling, lack of awareness etc.

4) Champ - Horton - X were just so bad that I’m hoping this was a fluke.

5) I thought the freshman were encouraging. Long. Jeffress brought energy from the outset, and he’s clearly going to be a 15-20 mpg guy early. Hughley just looked again, like he was pressing. I thought the footwork was good. But he’s not really in shape yet for this level, and he’s gonna get worked some nights. There’s talent there. Collier looked like he could play as well. Femi...I don’t know. Wait and see on him.

6) The stuff from Capel about “we think we’re better than we are”...I just don’t understand where that comes from. We were a bottom of the ACC team last year in its first game? Why this feeling of superiority?

7) Even without energy, without really any identifiable gameplan (am I crazy or did Capel not call a TO in the first half till the last minute), this group should just be able to out-talent SFU, and they didn’t. And that’s the worst part of last night. It didn’t exactly feel like a fluke. I’m not even sure how it’s possible to get down 13 to SFU at the half and not really make a run...but that’s what happened.

8) Drexel is good. Probably 10+ points better than SFU. They better shake this off fast.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

7) Even without energy, without really any identifiable gameplan (am I crazy or did Capel not call a TO in the first half till the last minute), this group should just be able to out-talent SFU, and they didn’t. And that’s the worst part of last night. It didn’t exactly feel like a fluke. I’m not even sure how it’s possible to get down 13 to SFU at the half and not really make a run...but that’s what happened.

8) Drexel is good. Probably 10+ points better than SFU. They better shake this off fast.

I am so demoralized. That was so bad. They were out-talented, out-worked, out-everything'd by a borderline PSAC team. There is a part of me that hopes this season gets Stallings-level bad so we can move on. I have given up on Capel after watching that sh!tshow. I don't see us beating Drexel.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

I am so demoralized. That was so bad. They were out-talented, out-worked, out-everything'd by a borderline PSAC team. There is a part of me that hopes this season gets Stallings-level bad so we can move on. I have given up on Capel after watching that sh!tshow. I don't see us beating Drexel.

What else is new?

 

[BFo8]

1) The roster, again, just makes no sense to me. A bunch of tweeners, none of whom can shoot. And Nike would just be another one. I get the need for versatility etc, but we didn’t even seem all that athletic. And there’s no help coming next year, really, with only possibly one scholarship.

2) With that being said, Horton to me was the most disappointing player last night. He started the game pressing, and then went straight invisible for the rest of the game. He has to make shots. Drumgoole again looks borderline unplayable. For a team coached by a former guard, our guards are awful.

3) It’s hard to be a X defender at this point. Two silly fouls early, and then just the usual over dribbling, lack of awareness etc.

4) Champ - Horton - X were just so bad that I’m hoping this was a fluke.

5) I thought the freshman were encouraging. Long. Jeffress brought energy from the outset, and he’s clearly going to be a 15-20 mpg guy early. Hughley just looked again, like he was pressing. I thought the footwork was good. But he’s not really in shape yet for this level, and he’s gonna get worked some nights. There’s talent there. Collier looked like he could play as well. Femi...I don’t know. Wait and see on him.

6) The stuff from Capel about “we think we’re better than we are”...I just don’t understand where that comes from. We were a bottom of the ACC team last year in its first game? Why this feeling of superiority?

7) Even without energy, without really any identifiable gameplan (am I crazy or did Capel not call a TO in the first half till the last minute), this group should just be able to out-talent SFU, and they didn’t. And that’s the worst part of last night. It didn’t exactly feel like a fluke. I’m not even sure how it’s possible to get down 13 to SFU at the half and not really make a run...but that’s what happened.

8) Drexel is good. Probably 10+ points better than SFU. They better shake this off fast.

Nice post. Agree about Drexel, bet them yesterday against PSU +13.5 and was sorry to see it postponed. Pitt will have to play well to win.

 

[whirlybird optio]

Nice post. Agree about Drexel, bet them yesterday against PSU +13.5 and was sorry to see it postponed. Pitt will have to play well to win.

I have a feeling that line against Pitt is gonna be around Pitt -10 or so, and I like Drexel

 

[whirlybird optio]

I am so demoralized. That was so bad. They were out-talented, out-worked, out-everything'd by a borderline PSAC team. There is a part of me that hopes this season gets Stallings-level bad so we can move on. I have given up on Capel after watching that sh!tshow. I don't see us beating Drexel.

Lyke is not going to fire Capel in the Covid year, even if we went 0-20, which we won’t.

Other than Sibande, we have no players yet for next year. We have Brown as a SR, and X and AD as Juniors. Everyone else is a FR or SO, right? It’s such a young group..not an excuse, but I still hope the young guys will get a lot better.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Lyke is not going to fire Capel in the Covid year, even if we went 0-20, which we won’t.

Other than Sibande, we have no players yet for next year. We have Brown as a SR, and X and AD as Juniors. Everyone else is a FR or SO, right? It’s such a young group..not an excuse, but I still hope the young guys will get a lot better.

St Francis was younger and with less talent. Being “young” at this stage is not an excuse. Every team is young in college basketball. We’re really going with “young” when Ithiel Horton is in his 3rd year of college and Femi one of our “young” freshmen is 20? Basically the only youngster was one of the few that showed a pulse in Jeffress.

 

[BargeDog]

The Bird is back!

A different take

1. The question this yr is: Can Capel coach?
The 1st 2 yrs didn't count because the roster was so lacking .
This yr more than 1/2 of the roster is new, but it has size, depth and, yes, talent.
He's got the raw material. Time to see if he can coach it.

2. Teams with good coaches play with a recognizable style.
After 2 yrs, I still can't figure out Capel's style or what he's trying to do

3. The roster is something he should get get credit for.
He's credibly remade it in 3 yrs. And he finally has some size.

4. It's one game.
I wouldn't judge anyone by a single outing during a pandemic.

5. Rewatched the SFU game.
It was bad, yes...but not quite as bad as on 1st watch.
Johnson did some bad things but also some good and couple of very goods.
Same for Champagnie, who couldn't buy a basket.

6. The case for Coulibaly.
Like the end of the last year, Couilbaly was very active and around the ball.
Has some nice interior moves.
Was a major contributor for Mali Nat'l Team.
If he gets more minutes good things will happen.

 

[Parkview57]

Why this feeling of superiority?

"A team takes on the personality of their Head Coach"

 

[whirlybird optio]

The Bird is back!

A different take

1. The question this yr is: Can Capel coach?
The 1st 2 yrs didn't count because the roster was so lacking .
This yr more than 1/2 of the roster is new, but it has size, depth and, yes, talent.
He's got the raw material. Time to see if he can coach it.

2. Teams with good coaches play with a recognizable style.
After 2 yrs, I still can't figure out Capel's style or what he's trying to do

3. The roster is something he should get get credit for.
He's credibly remade it in 3 yrs. And he finally has some size.

4. It's one game.
I wouldn't judge anyone by a single outing during a pandemic.

5. Rewatched the SFU game.
It was bad, yes...but not quite as bad as on 1st watch.
Johnson did some bad things but also some good and couple of very goods.
Same for Champagnie, who couldn't buy a basket.

6. The case for Coulibaly.
Like the end of the last year, Couilbaly was very active and around the ball.
Has some nice interior moves.
Was a major contributor for Mali Nat'l Team.
If he gets more minutes good things will happen.

Hmmm. I dunno. I guess I agree with some of that, and to a large extent a good performance tomorrow should take some of the sting out of this one, but I don’t care if Pitt is playing St Francis in a pandemic, epidemic, in the eye of a hurricane, or on the moon, it shouldn’t matter. Their roster was every bit as new, as raw, and we couldn’t just out-talent them. That’s kinda shocking.

I like Coulibaly as well, he’s a good passer. But bigs who play under the rim had better be really good as certain skills, and he’s obviously just not there yet. He does project to improve though.

The roster might have talent (certainly if compared to year 1 of Capel or year 2 of Stallings) but is it upper half ACC talent? No. So, then you better coach them up, right? But, like you said, I have no idea what Pitt’s plan is on offense, other than to have our guys make individual plays.

Assuming Gardner Webb gets their house in order, we have 3 OOC games to figure this out. We can’t lose tomorrow, we just can’t. Or this season is going to be over really quick. You just aren’t going to lose 2-3 OOC games with this schedule and then just miraculously go like 10-10 in the ACC, you just won’t.

 

[whirlybird optio]

"A team takes on the personality of their Head Coach"

Yea, I’m worried that I agree with that. It’s just mind blowing that Capel would essentially throw the kids under the bus like that (even if he is bring honest).

This team thought they were good because....? This program has been straight awful for 3 years.

 

[Pitt5593]

Yea, I’m worried that I agree with that. It’s just mind blowing that Capel would essentially throw the kids under the bus like that (even if he is bring honest).

This team thought they were good because....? This program has been straight awful for 3 years.

I question our recruiting. We have so many players that are tweeners. Are X And Femi really point guards? Champ plays the four but I really think he is a three. Heck, 2/3 of the roster are threes. Hughley is more of a four but I don’t know if he can guard a legit ACC Power forward. And Lord knows we need a couple of shooters. And I am still confused about our defense. Can we legitimately play a man-to-man defense? I do like the athleticism that Jeffress and Collier bring. And I really think Coulibaly may surprise! H2P!

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

I question our recruiting. We have so many players that are tweeners. Are X And Femi really point guards? Champ plays the four but I really think he is a three. Heck, 2/3 of the roster are threes. Hughley is more of a four but I don’t know if he can guard a legit ACC Power forward. And Lord knows we need a couple of shooters. And I am still confused about our defense. Can we legitimately play a man-to-man defense? I do like the athleticism that Jeffress and Collier bring. And I really think Coulibaly may surprise! H2P!

What’s gonna be disturbing and I’ve alluded to this before is when Hugley goes against the longer guys in the league. He’s not a physical beast like a Blair. Cleveland HS basketball is terrible and he was just bigger and more agile than people. He struggled with length on the circuit and that’s all there is in the ACC. He should be a 4.