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NC State Game & Other Dribbles ...

DT_PITT

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Jul 17, 2001
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** Is it entirely possible that several games into Coach Capel’s fifth year, we might need to start selling some seats on the Jeff Capel Bandwagon?

** Too make my point … I’m going to quote myself after the Edinboro exhibition win. Here goes: “Why can’t I get more excited about this team? … I guess the answer to my question lies simply within Coach Capel. In his first four years, I’ve yet to see a Pitt Hoops group that has looked like he’s organized them well. I’ve yet to see a group that has looked like it’s even played to the sum of it’s parts, let alone greater than.”

** I’m also not going to screw up and try to quote myself from back in January 2021 proclaiming “We’re ba …” Afterall, we all know how that turned out.

** But I have no problem saying that the Panthers we have watched in the past two games have looked organized well. They have looked to play to the sum of their parts, and perhaps even beyond.

** What I watched tonight was in my opinion the Panthers' most impressive game of the year.

** We blew out Northwestern because we played well and shot really, really well. But sometimes shooting really, really well can make a team look a little, if not alot better than they really are.

** We won tonight because we played really well, not because we shot well. And we played physical and focused on both ends.

** Tonight, on the same number of deep shots, we hit 8 fewer three pointers against the Wolfpack than we did against the Wildcats, and yet we were able to go on the road and keep a quality opponent at arm’s length for the entire second half.

** And perhaps the biggest reason we kept NC State at arm’s length was because of the length of Federiko Federiko’s arms.

** It’s not often that something of a bit player like Fede can make such an important stamp on a game like he made today.

** In the NBA, you can find those who compile a statistic known as “screen assists.” Maybe someone else can compile that number for the Panthers today, but it’s easy to guess that Fede had at least three or four of them today.

** On the defensive end, Fede’s length stood tall in the post and contested jump shots further out. Most importantly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a player be as incredibly disruptive to an offense with the way Fede executed his hedges this evening. It really can’t be done any better.

** The willing recipient of most of Fede’s screens was the not so young man who played by far his best overall game as a Panther. Jamarius Burton was nothing short of splendid tonight.

** Burton’s execution of the offense this evening was nearly flawless. There have been times over the past season and a half when his game has felt a little more individual than I would like. But even though he was the Panthers lead dog against the Cats, he never really forced a shot.

** Jamarius was an equal force on defense as well. He keeps this up and All League could end up next to his name.

** And while their production wasn’t at Burton’s level, Nelly, Greg and especially Nike played really well too. Our guards were much better than their guards and that’s saying something.

** All of this credit to execution needs goes to Coach Capel, but let’s also give credit to Capel's playing time decisions also. First, he recognized John just didn’t have it. Next, he recognized that Jorge was wrong for this game. Lastly, Jeff went against his usual grain and brought Blake back in the first half with two fouls. It’s a different game if he doesn’t do that.

** So if you do want to buy a seat on the Capel Bandwagon, you better get your ticket now because if there are a couple more games like this, seats could go fast.

** Nonetheless, once you do get on the wagon, I would also recommend wearing your seat belt. Unfortunately, in the past some of Capel’s bandwagons have come to abrupt halts. But for now, let’s look forward to the ride!
 
** Is it entirely possible that several games into Coach Capel’s fifth year, we might need to start selling some seats on the Jeff Capel Bandwagon?

** Too make my point … I’m going to quote myself after the Edinboro exhibition win. Here goes: “Why can’t I get more excited about this team? … I guess the answer to my question lies simply within Coach Capel. In his first four years, I’ve yet to see a Pitt Hoops group that has looked like he’s organized them well. I’ve yet to see a group that has looked like it’s even played to the sum of it’s parts, let alone greater than.”

** I’m also not going to screw up and try to quote myself from back in 2021 proclaiming “We’re ba …” Afterall, we all know how that turned out.

** But I have no problem saying that the Panthers we have watched in the past two games have looked organized well. They have looked to play to the sum of their parts, and perhaps even beyond.

** What I watched tonight was in my opinion the Panthers' most impressive game of the year.

** We blew out Northwestern because we played well and shot really, really well. But sometimes shooting really, really well can make a team look a little, if not alot better than they really are.

** We won tonight because we played really well, not because we shot well. And we played physical and focused on both ends.

** Tonight, on the same number of deep shots, we hit 8 fewer three pointers against the Wolfpack than we did against the Wildcats, and yet we were able to go on the road and keep a quality opponent at arm’s length for the entire second half.

** And perhaps the biggest reason we kept NC State at arm’s length was because of the length of Federiko Federiko’s arms.

** It’s not often that something of a bit player like Fede can make such an important stamp on a game like he made today.

** In the NBA, you can find those who compile a statistic known as “screen assists.” Maybe someone else can compile that number for the Panthers today, but it’s easy to guess that Fede had at least three or four of them today.

** On the defensive end, Fede’s length stood tall in the post and contested jump shots further out. Most importantly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a player be as incredibly disruptive to an offense with the way Fede executed his hedges this evening. It really can’t be done any better.

** The willing recipient of most of Fede’s screens was the not so young man who played by far his best overall game as a Panther. Jamarius Burton was nothing short of splendid tonight.

** Burton’s execution of the offense this evening was nearly flawless. There have been times over the past season and a half when his game has felt a little more individual than I would like. But even though he was the Panthers lead dog against the Cats, he never really forced a shot.

** Jamarius was an equal force on defense as well. He keeps this up and All League could end up next to his name.

** And while their production wasn’t at Burton’s level, Nelly, Greg and especially Nike played really well too. Our guards were much better than their guards and that’s saying something.

** All of this credit to execution needs goes to Coach Capel, but let’s also give credit to Capel's playing time decisions also. First, he recognized John just didn’t have it. Next, he recognized that Jorge was wrong for this game. Lastly, Jeff went against his usual grain and brought Blake back in the first half with two fouls. It’s a different game if he doesn’t do that.

** So if you do want to buy a seat on the Capel Bandwagon, you better get your ticket now because if there are a couple more games like this, seats could go fast.

** Nonetheless, once you do get on the wagon, I would also recommend wearing your seat belt. Unfortunately, in the past some of Capel’s bandwagons have come to abrupt halts. But for now, let’s look forward to the ride!
Couldn’t agree more about Fede. He was a BIG difference maker tonight. If he can keep playing like that he can really help this team. He was moving extremely well tonight. Just a real nice job.

Burton? Fabulous. Under control. Out physicaled any NCSU player who tried to guard him. Handled the ball beautifully. Played outstanding D.

Nike was clutch again. Energy. Key buckets.

Hinson has offensive skills and physical ability this team has lacked.

The rest of the guys did their part.

Just a LOT to like. Road ACC win vs a school that has been poison to PItt.
 
** Is it entirely possible that several games into Coach Capel’s fifth year, we might need to start selling some seats on the Jeff Capel Bandwagon?

** Too make my point … I’m going to quote myself after the Edinboro exhibition win. Here goes: “Why can’t I get more excited about this team? … I guess the answer to my question lies simply within Coach Capel. In his first four years, I’ve yet to see a Pitt Hoops group that has looked like he’s organized them well. I’ve yet to see a group that has looked like it’s even played to the sum of it’s parts, let alone greater than.”

** I’m also not going to screw up and try to quote myself from back in 2021 proclaiming “We’re ba …” Afterall, we all know how that turned out.

** But I have no problem saying that the Panthers we have watched in the past two games have looked organized well. They have looked to play to the sum of their parts, and perhaps even beyond.

** What I watched tonight was in my opinion the Panthers' most impressive game of the year.

** We blew out Northwestern because we played well and shot really, really well. But sometimes shooting really, really well can make a team look a little, if not alot better than they really are.

** We won tonight because we played really well, not because we shot well. And we played physical and focused on both ends.

** Tonight, on the same number of deep shots, we hit 8 fewer three pointers against the Wolfpack than we did against the Wildcats, and yet we were able to go on the road and keep a quality opponent at arm’s length for the entire second half.

** And perhaps the biggest reason we kept NC State at arm’s length was because of the length of Federiko Federiko’s arms.

** It’s not often that something of a bit player like Fede can make such an important stamp on a game like he made today.

** In the NBA, you can find those who compile a statistic known as “screen assists.” Maybe someone else can compile that number for the Panthers today, but it’s easy to guess that Fede had at least three or four of them today.

** On the defensive end, Fede’s length stood tall in the post and contested jump shots further out. Most importantly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a player be as incredibly disruptive to an offense with the way Fede executed his hedges this evening. It really can’t be done any better.

** The willing recipient of most of Fede’s screens was the not so young man who played by far his best overall game as a Panther. Jamarius Burton was nothing short of splendid tonight.

** Burton’s execution of the offense this evening was nearly flawless. There have been times over the past season and a half when his game has felt a little more individual than I would like. But even though he was the Panthers lead dog against the Cats, he never really forced a shot.

** Jamarius was an equal force on defense as well. He keeps this up and All League could end up next to his name.

** And while their production wasn’t at Burton’s level, Nelly, Greg and especially Nike played really well too. Our guards were much better than their guards and that’s saying something.

** All of this credit to execution needs goes to Coach Capel, but let’s also give credit to Capel's playing time decisions also. First, he recognized John just didn’t have it. Next, he recognized that Jorge was wrong for this game. Lastly, Jeff went against his usual grain and brought Blake back in the first half with two fouls. It’s a different game if he doesn’t do that.

** So if you do want to buy a seat on the Capel Bandwagon, you better get your ticket now because if there are a couple more games like this, seats could go fast.

** Nonetheless, once you do get on the wagon, I would also recommend wearing your seat belt. Unfortunately, in the past some of Capel’s bandwagons have come to abrupt halts. But for now, let’s look forward to the ride!


Nike Sibande's last 5 straight games

11.2 points per game
5.6 rebounds per game
3 assist per game
1 steal per game.
ORTG power ratings of 105, 76, 111, 174, 113 which is an enormous boost off the bench with good efficiency


Nike Sibande's 3 games prior to this opening the season

0 points per game
1 rebound per game
0 assist per game
0 steals per game
ORTG power rating of 0. Yes, you read that right, he had an offensive power rating of 0 against 3 straight teams in VCU, Michigan, and West Virginia


Burton and Hinson should be getting massive credit, deservably so. But Nike Sibande has been an enormous boost off the bench the last 5 games and that might be an understatement.


Nike's defensive rating drtg sits at 95, which also is the best of all our guards on the roster to date.
 
Couldn’t agree more about Fede. He was a BIG difference maker tonight. If he can keep playing like that he can really help this team. He was moving extremely well tonight. Just a real nice job.

Burton? Fabulous. Under control. Out physicaled any NCSU player who tried to guard him. Handled the ball beautifully. Played outstanding D.

Nike was clutch again. Energy. Key buckets.

Hinson has offensive skills and physical ability this team has lacked.

The rest of the guys did their part.

Just a LOT to like. Road ACC win vs a school that has been poison to PItt.

With four guards like we have, the hope is that you get really strong performances from at least 2 of them. If we can get thatn like Nike and Burton tonight, and the other two are decent, we are going to win a whole lot of games.
 
With four guards like we have, the hope is that you get really strong performances from at least 2 of them. If we can get thatn like Nike and Burton tonight, and the other two are decent, we are going to win a whole lot of games.
Nelly just has to stay within himself. He doesn’t necessarily have to score a bunch to be a big asset. Organize. Facilitate. Penetrate. Dish.

The 4 point play he made was a big help. But he doesn’t have to force the scoring. Thought his D was better tonight too. He was moving better. More aggressive.

Elliott did some nice things too. None of the PItt guards was a liability. Good to see.
 
Nelly just has to stay within himself. He doesn’t necessarily have to score a bunch to be a big asset. Organize. Facilitate. Penetrate. Dish.

The 4 point play he made was a big help. But he doesn’t have to force the scoring. Thought his D was better tonight too. He was moving better. More aggressive.

Elliott did some nice things too. None of the PItt guards was a liability. Good to see.
Greg was fine for sure. But he was dished out to for two really wide open three at critical moments and he missed them. Needs to hit one of them.
 
With four guards like we have, the hope is that you get really strong performances from at least 2 of them. If we can get thatn like Nike and Burton tonight, and the other two are decent, we are going to win a whole lot of games.


There are a few data points to consider.

1) The Northwestern game was the best offensive game efficiency wise as a team since Capel has been here. Unfortunately, I would consider that an outlier because of the way we shot the ball. How we performed today on offense was around what we did for most of the season, hovering around an offensive efficiency of 100 as a team.

2) The defense against NC State was by far the best team defense of the season, which is why we won the game. Our drtg rating as a team was 78, most of our other games on defense hovered around 100. We were way better than our normal defense today.

3) Burton has played at an Elite level recently. His ORTG power rating has been over 130 the last 4 straight games. Last year, we got almost 2 straight months of Burton playing like an All Conference ACC player, only for him to completely collapse at seasons end. In other words, Burton has been here before. He has played at a really high level before, stats wise and efficiency wise. But can he sustain it the whole year and not get injured / burned out like last year.

4) Hinson is pushing an offensive rating of 130 for the season. He has been a beast. And his other stats are also really good. I dont see him slowing down.

5) The emergence of Nike Sibande the last 5 games has been big

6) We are consistently using dribble penetration from the guards and scoring in the paint / kicking it out, and it has brought decent success

7) Im really not sure what to expect against Vanderbilt from an efficiency standpoint. Our offense as a "whole" when looking at the raw data as a "team" and at an "individual" level has us as a fringe NCAA Tournament team as of today from offensive standards. Our defense still is no where near good enough for any type of post season bid for what we have done this season. My instinct tells me to beat Vanderbilt and to keep the wins coming, it will be the defense that has to step up to get the job done if we are to win. The defense won the game today. That is going to need to continue.

8) Nike Sibande, what a turnaround, Im saying it again

9) We have 2 recruits absolutely pouring it on right now in Lowe and Carrington, both are averaging close to 30 points per game their final high school season. This is exactly what you want to see after the big EYBL seasons they had in the summer.

10) Great win
 
There are a few data points to consider.

1) The Northwestern game was the best offensive game efficiency wise as a team since Capel has been here. Unfortunately, I would consider that an outlier because of the way we shot the ball. How we performed today on offense was around what we did for most of the season, hovering around an offensive efficiency of 100 as a team.

2) The defense against NC State was by far the best team defense of the season, which is why we won the game. Our drtg rating as a team was 78, most of our other games on defense hovered around 100. We were way better than our normal defense today.

3) Burton has played at an Elite level recently. His ORTG power rating has been over 130 the last 4 straight games. Last year, we got almost 2 straight months of Burton playing like an All Conference ACC player, only for him to completely collapse at seasons end. In other words, Burton has been here before. He has played at a really high level before, stats wise and efficiency wise. But can he sustain it the whole year and not get injured / burned out like last year.

4) Hinson is pushing an offensive rating of 130 for the season. He has been a beast. And his other stats are also really good. I dont see him slowing down.

5) The emergence of Nike Sibande the last 5 games has been big

6) We are consistently using dribble penetration from the guards and scoring in the paint / kicking it out, and it has brought decent success

7) Im really not sure what to expect against Vanderbilt from an efficiency standpoint. Our offense as a "whole" when looking at the raw data as a "team" and at an "individual" level has us as a fringe NCAA Tournament team as of today from offensive standards. Our defense still is no where near good enough for any type of post season bid for what we have done this season. My instinct tells me to beat Vanderbilt and to keep the wins coming, it will be the defense that has to step up to get the job done if we are to win. The defense won the game today. That is going to need to continue.

8) Nike Sibande, what a turnaround, Im saying it again

9) We have 2 recruits absolutely pouring it on right now in Lowe and Carrington, both are averaging close to 30 points per game their final high school season. This is exactly what you want to see after the big EYBL seasons they had in the summer.

10) Great win
Could it be that our defense was better due to more Fede and less Hugley? John will probably never move as well as Fede, but he better get in shape and upgrade his effort on D or he is going to do more pine warming.
 
I just want us to win enough for there to be meaningful basketball played again at the Pete with a lively atmosphere. After the last two games, I think that can/should happen

I think we have both learned well enough not to say "should." LOL
 
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** Is it entirely possible that several games into Coach Capel’s fifth year, we might need to start selling some seats on the Jeff Capel Bandwagon?

** Too make my point … I’m going to quote myself after the Edinboro exhibition win. Here goes: “Why can’t I get more excited about this team? … I guess the answer to my question lies simply within Coach Capel. In his first four years, I’ve yet to see a Pitt Hoops group that has looked like he’s organized them well. I’ve yet to see a group that has looked like it’s even played to the sum of it’s parts, let alone greater than.”

** I’m also not going to screw up and try to quote myself from back in January 2021 proclaiming “We’re ba …” Afterall, we all know how that turned out.

** But I have no problem saying that the Panthers we have watched in the past two games have looked organized well. They have looked to play to the sum of their parts, and perhaps even beyond.

** What I watched tonight was in my opinion the Panthers' most impressive game of the year.

** We blew out Northwestern because we played well and shot really, really well. But sometimes shooting really, really well can make a team look a little, if not alot better than they really are.

** We won tonight because we played really well, not because we shot well. And we played physical and focused on both ends.

** Tonight, on the same number of deep shots, we hit 8 fewer three pointers against the Wolfpack than we did against the Wildcats, and yet we were able to go on the road and keep a quality opponent at arm’s length for the entire second half.

** And perhaps the biggest reason we kept NC State at arm’s length was because of the length of Federiko Federiko’s arms.

** It’s not often that something of a bit player like Fede can make such an important stamp on a game like he made today.

** In the NBA, you can find those who compile a statistic known as “screen assists.” Maybe someone else can compile that number for the Panthers today, but it’s easy to guess that Fede had at least three or four of them today.

** On the defensive end, Fede’s length stood tall in the post and contested jump shots further out. Most importantly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a player be as incredibly disruptive to an offense with the way Fede executed his hedges this evening. It really can’t be done any better.

** The willing recipient of most of Fede’s screens was the not so young man who played by far his best overall game as a Panther. Jamarius Burton was nothing short of splendid tonight.

** Burton’s execution of the offense this evening was nearly flawless. There have been times over the past season and a half when his game has felt a little more individual than I would like. But even though he was the Panthers lead dog against the Cats, he never really forced a shot.

** Jamarius was an equal force on defense as well. He keeps this up and All League could end up next to his name.

** And while their production wasn’t at Burton’s level, Nelly, Greg and especially Nike played really well too. Our guards were much better than their guards and that’s saying something.

** All of this credit to execution needs goes to Coach Capel, but let’s also give credit to Capel's playing time decisions also. First, he recognized John just didn’t have it. Next, he recognized that Jorge was wrong for this game. Lastly, Jeff went against his usual grain and brought Blake back in the first half with two fouls. It’s a different game if he doesn’t do that.

** So if you do want to buy a seat on the Capel Bandwagon, you better get your ticket now because if there are a couple more games like this, seats could go fast.

** Nonetheless, once you do get on the wagon, I would also recommend wearing your seat belt. Unfortunately, in the past some of Capel’s bandwagons have come to abrupt halts. But for now, let’s look forward to the ride!
Good stuff, DT. A few thoughts:

This was a much better win than Monday’s game for a few reasons. This was a much tougher matchup for us and we played the best defense we have played this year against a very good offense.

Right now we are a much better team with Fede on both ends of the court. He hedges much better on D and his pick and roll game is much better than Big John. They doesn’t mean I am giving up on John, but he does need to get into much better shape to be the kind of guy who will eventually help us.

Jamarius totally controlled every aspect of this game. He was great on defense, he beat the press and he ran out offense flawlessly. Right now, he is playing at an all conference level.

The defense was really, really good against a very good offensive team tonight. We are really starting to be much more connected on the defensive end. People aren’t beating us off the dribble like they were earlier in the year Neckar the help defense is so much better.

Nike has been huge and given us a big jolt off the bench the last 5 games. He is not forcing things and he is letting the offense come to him. What I really love is the height that he is getting on his jumper. You can really tell that he feels very confident with his knee.

Hinson was just steady tonight and made a few big plays for us. His one rebound and put back was really nice.

Greg has bounced back and played a few really good games in a row. Last game, it was his scoring, but tonight it was his rebounding.

Nelly is fine as long as he doesn’t try to do too much. He had one mini stretch when he was running point and our lead went quickly from 11 to 4 because he tried to force a shot and a few passes. We put the ball back in Jamarius’ hands and that was ball game.

Vandy is built more like NW than NC St, so if we play defense like tonight, we should be in good shape. I also think we should be able to move the ball pretty well against them on offense. We will be about 5-6 point dogs, but I think we can get another road W.
 
Just wanted to say also that I'm fairly certain that last year's team would have gradually given up that five point halftime lead ... and that collapse would have beaten down any confidence that had been built up .... and the game would have come down to the last few minutes where a predictable outcome would have been another difficult one point nailbiting win or a three point heartbreaking loss in the final moments ... I saw none of that today ... they built on to that lead and seemed never that close to losing it ... they played with grit and confidence the entire game ... and unlike last year we have players that aren't timid and afraid to make a big shot or a good pass ...and a bench with good players that give up nothing with their entrance ... after so much frustration these past few years I'm happy to see this iteration of Pitt basketball ... I've always been a fan win or lose ... but must say it's so much more enjoyable to see a well played full game with a successful finish ... more please ....
 
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So I went to the game and wanted to say that this team is different because they look like men out there. We have been so young for so many years but there is a noticeable difference out there in their strength.
Cummings really scares me with the ball sometimes, he just tries to do so much.
Burton is a man out there and it shows. Always under control and strong with the ball at all times. He absolutely took over that game and put an end to every little run NCSU had with a big bucket.
Not sure if anyone mentioned Elliot's 8 boards in the first half, he works hard on the glass. He is not big but he busts his ass to rebound.
Frederiko moves very well, positions himself well, is athletic and doesnt try to do too much offensively.
Hugley was lost and needs to come back around and lose about 10 pounds.
Hinson is also a man out there, he is big and strong and can go inside and out, we hit the jackpot with his transfer.
Finally, Sibande was impressive. What lift on his jump shot, the kid gets up off the ground and played very well.
The team plays well together and is very unselfish, they seem to really enjoy playing with each other which is a nice change from prior years. I think Capel did a great job with subs and matchups tonights. I really wish there was more motion to our offense though. We need more movement, spacing was OK but too many times we are down to 12 seconds on the shot clock and we had 3 passes and didnt move the ball within 20 feet of the basket. We need more cutting and getting guys going east to west to make the defense work more.
But we have an opportunity to finish in the top half of the league finally.
 
** Is it entirely possible that several games into Coach Capel’s fifth year, we might need to start selling some seats on the Jeff Capel Bandwagon?

** Too make my point … I’m going to quote myself after the Edinboro exhibition win. Here goes: “Why can’t I get more excited about this team? … I guess the answer to my question lies simply within Coach Capel. In his first four years, I’ve yet to see a Pitt Hoops group that has looked like he’s organized them well. I’ve yet to see a group that has looked like it’s even played to the sum of it’s parts, let alone greater than.”

** I’m also not going to screw up and try to quote myself from back in January 2021 proclaiming “We’re ba …” Afterall, we all know how that turned out.

** But I have no problem saying that the Panthers we have watched in the past two games have looked organized well. They have looked to play to the sum of their parts, and perhaps even beyond.

** What I watched tonight was in my opinion the Panthers' most impressive game of the year.

** We blew out Northwestern because we played well and shot really, really well. But sometimes shooting really, really well can make a team look a little, if not alot better than they really are.

** We won tonight because we played really well, not because we shot well. And we played physical and focused on both ends.

** Tonight, on the same number of deep shots, we hit 8 fewer three pointers against the Wolfpack than we did against the Wildcats, and yet we were able to go on the road and keep a quality opponent at arm’s length for the entire second half.

** And perhaps the biggest reason we kept NC State at arm’s length was because of the length of Federiko Federiko’s arms.

** It’s not often that something of a bit player like Fede can make such an important stamp on a game like he made today.

** In the NBA, you can find those who compile a statistic known as “screen assists.” Maybe someone else can compile that number for the Panthers today, but it’s easy to guess that Fede had at least three or four of them today.

** On the defensive end, Fede’s length stood tall in the post and contested jump shots further out. Most importantly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a player be as incredibly disruptive to an offense with the way Fede executed his hedges this evening. It really can’t be done any better.

** The willing recipient of most of Fede’s screens was the not so young man who played by far his best overall game as a Panther. Jamarius Burton was nothing short of splendid tonight.

** Burton’s execution of the offense this evening was nearly flawless. There have been times over the past season and a half when his game has felt a little more individual than I would like. But even though he was the Panthers lead dog against the Cats, he never really forced a shot.

** Jamarius was an equal force on defense as well. He keeps this up and All League could end up next to his name.

** And while their production wasn’t at Burton’s level, Nelly, Greg and especially Nike played really well too. Our guards were much better than their guards and that’s saying something.

** All of this credit to execution needs goes to Coach Capel, but let’s also give credit to Capel's playing time decisions also. First, he recognized John just didn’t have it. Next, he recognized that Jorge was wrong for this game. Lastly, Jeff went against his usual grain and brought Blake back in the first half with two fouls. It’s a different game if he doesn’t do that.

** So if you do want to buy a seat on the Capel Bandwagon, you better get your ticket now because if there are a couple more games like this, seats could go fast.

** Nonetheless, once you do get on the wagon, I would also recommend wearing your seat belt. Unfortunately, in the past some of Capel’s bandwagons have come to abrupt halts. But for now, let’s look forward to the ride!
Just watched the game now and wow!! This team actually looked well coached. They played good defense and for the second straight game it seems they didn't need Hugley at all. I don't think that's a long-term winning strategy, not really utilizing or needing your best big man but it's obvious as of now John is struggling so others are picking up the slack.

I really really don't want to start getting excited because our recent history says Pitt will come back to earth and start losing a lot of games. But maybe just maybe the team is finally clicking and Capel and the staff have them buying in and believing in themselves.

I really don't know which way this season will end up but right now call me shocked, surprised and yes I'll say it, EXCITED!!!
 
It’s not that the individual D has improved that much, but now, the help D is much better. They are hedging a bunch and handing guys off to others and the help is now there. It was not there early in the season.
I really hope Capel can bottle this up and sell it to the kids so they bring this every game.
 
** Is it entirely possible that several games into Coach Capel’s fifth year, we might need to start selling some seats on the Jeff Capel Bandwagon?

** Too make my point … I’m going to quote myself after the Edinboro exhibition win. Here goes: “Why can’t I get more excited about this team? … I guess the answer to my question lies simply within Coach Capel. In his first four years, I’ve yet to see a Pitt Hoops group that has looked like he’s organized them well. I’ve yet to see a group that has looked like it’s even played to the sum of it’s parts, let alone greater than.”

** I’m also not going to screw up and try to quote myself from back in January 2021 proclaiming “We’re ba …” Afterall, we all know how that turned out.

** But I have no problem saying that the Panthers we have watched in the past two games have looked organized well. They have looked to play to the sum of their parts, and perhaps even beyond.

** What I watched tonight was in my opinion the Panthers' most impressive game of the year.

** We blew out Northwestern because we played well and shot really, really well. But sometimes shooting really, really well can make a team look a little, if not alot better than they really are.

** We won tonight because we played really well, not because we shot well. And we played physical and focused on both ends.

** Tonight, on the same number of deep shots, we hit 8 fewer three pointers against the Wolfpack than we did against the Wildcats, and yet we were able to go on the road and keep a quality opponent at arm’s length for the entire second half.

** And perhaps the biggest reason we kept NC State at arm’s length was because of the length of Federiko Federiko’s arms.

** It’s not often that something of a bit player like Fede can make such an important stamp on a game like he made today.

** In the NBA, you can find those who compile a statistic known as “screen assists.” Maybe someone else can compile that number for the Panthers today, but it’s easy to guess that Fede had at least three or four of them today.

** On the defensive end, Fede’s length stood tall in the post and contested jump shots further out. Most importantly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a player be as incredibly disruptive to an offense with the way Fede executed his hedges this evening. It really can’t be done any better.

** The willing recipient of most of Fede’s screens was the not so young man who played by far his best overall game as a Panther. Jamarius Burton was nothing short of splendid tonight.

** Burton’s execution of the offense this evening was nearly flawless. There have been times over the past season and a half when his game has felt a little more individual than I would like. But even though he was the Panthers lead dog against the Cats, he never really forced a shot.

** Jamarius was an equal force on defense as well. He keeps this up and All League could end up next to his name.

** And while their production wasn’t at Burton’s level, Nelly, Greg and especially Nike played really well too. Our guards were much better than their guards and that’s saying something.

** All of this credit to execution needs goes to Coach Capel, but let’s also give credit to Capel's playing time decisions also. First, he recognized John just didn’t have it. Next, he recognized that Jorge was wrong for this game. Lastly, Jeff went against his usual grain and brought Blake back in the first half with two fouls. It’s a different game if he doesn’t do that.

** So if you do want to buy a seat on the Capel Bandwagon, you better get your ticket now because if there are a couple more games like this, seats could go fast.

** Nonetheless, once you do get on the wagon, I would also recommend wearing your seat belt. Unfortunately, in the past some of Capel’s bandwagons have come to abrupt halts. But for now, let’s look forward to the ride!
I am very pleased and excited after our last two wins. But this year I am not jumping on a bandwagon. I am going to take it game by game and hope more often than not we play like we did the last two games. Capel still has a long track record of not sustaining with far more talent than he has right now. So I think it’s wise to keep the seat belt on and enjoy the good moments as much as possible this season.
 
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I only got to see the 2nd half and was very impressed. As others have said, it was the best D I have seen this year, and the O was clutch. And we weren't being subjectively impressed. On KenPom's math driven rankings, Pitt moved up 40 slots to #80 wile dropping NC State almost 20. Great game Panthers.
 
** Is it entirely possible that several games into Coach Capel’s fifth year, we might need to start selling some seats on the Jeff Capel Bandwagon?

** Too make my point … I’m going to quote myself after the Edinboro exhibition win. Here goes: “Why can’t I get more excited about this team? … I guess the answer to my question lies simply within Coach Capel. In his first four years, I’ve yet to see a Pitt Hoops group that has looked like he’s organized them well. I’ve yet to see a group that has looked like it’s even played to the sum of it’s parts, let alone greater than.”

** I’m also not going to screw up and try to quote myself from back in January 2021 proclaiming “We’re ba …” Afterall, we all know how that turned out.

** But I have no problem saying that the Panthers we have watched in the past two games have looked organized well. They have looked to play to the sum of their parts, and perhaps even beyond.

** What I watched tonight was in my opinion the Panthers' most impressive game of the year.

** We blew out Northwestern because we played well and shot really, really well. But sometimes shooting really, really well can make a team look a little, if not alot better than they really are.

** We won tonight because we played really well, not because we shot well. And we played physical and focused on both ends.

** Tonight, on the same number of deep shots, we hit 8 fewer three pointers against the Wolfpack than we did against the Wildcats, and yet we were able to go on the road and keep a quality opponent at arm’s length for the entire second half.

** And perhaps the biggest reason we kept NC State at arm’s length was because of the length of Federiko Federiko’s arms.

** It’s not often that something of a bit player like Fede can make such an important stamp on a game like he made today.

** In the NBA, you can find those who compile a statistic known as “screen assists.” Maybe someone else can compile that number for the Panthers today, but it’s easy to guess that Fede had at least three or four of them today.

** On the defensive end, Fede’s length stood tall in the post and contested jump shots further out. Most importantly, I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a player be as incredibly disruptive to an offense with the way Fede executed his hedges this evening. It really can’t be done any better.

** The willing recipient of most of Fede’s screens was the not so young man who played by far his best overall game as a Panther. Jamarius Burton was nothing short of splendid tonight.

** Burton’s execution of the offense this evening was nearly flawless. There have been times over the past season and a half when his game has felt a little more individual than I would like. But even though he was the Panthers lead dog against the Cats, he never really forced a shot.

** Jamarius was an equal force on defense as well. He keeps this up and All League could end up next to his name.

** And while their production wasn’t at Burton’s level, Nelly, Greg and especially Nike played really well too. Our guards were much better than their guards and that’s saying something.

** All of this credit to execution needs goes to Coach Capel, but let’s also give credit to Capel's playing time decisions also. First, he recognized John just didn’t have it. Next, he recognized that Jorge was wrong for this game. Lastly, Jeff went against his usual grain and brought Blake back in the first half with two fouls. It’s a different game if he doesn’t do that.

** So if you do want to buy a seat on the Capel Bandwagon, you better get your ticket now because if there are a couple more games like this, seats could go fast.

** Nonetheless, once you do get on the wagon, I would also recommend wearing your seat belt. Unfortunately, in the past some of Capel’s bandwagons have come to abrupt halts. But for now, let’s look forward to the ride!
Right now I feel like Pitt is a semi nice car that has run well in the past but lately sputters frequently. You set up an appointment to take it to the garage and then like magic it starts running well again. You are pretty sure you want to cancel your garage appointment because if you take it in now the mechanic won’t find anything. But you know the moment you cancel the appointment you will go out to your garage and the damn car won’t start.

If we manage to win every game until Carolina comes to town, then I might believe we have something going on. But if we gasp and sputter through the rest of December, I suspect we kind of know what is coming.
 
IMHO, being less impressive offensively last night wasn't only because we didn't shoot the 3-ball well. Give NC State credit. They played excellent defense. they have held most opponents they have played to under 70 points.

The reality, IMO, is it was a combo of not being as hot in shooting the 3 and NC State's defense.
 
I think what we saw yesterday was a team playing well within itself that should only improve .

It’s obvious that Big John isn’t really ready to play . Just don’t know how much is conditioning related or the health of his knee . Most likely a combination.

Nike is starting to look like the Nike of old who finished off the season strong two yrs ago Those thinking that his loss last yr didn’t really hurt the teams results are wrong .

While most of us have grown discontent with the state of Pitt bb , I really want to be wrong regarding the HC . Hope he has finally put together a roster that can compete the rest of the yr . It appears that he has !

I’ve been a fan of Burtons all along , but his midrange game is the best I’ve seen in yrs of watching the Panthers . Sometimes he tries to do too much because everyone else is just standing around , but with Hinson , Elliot and now Nike he doesn’t have to .

Elliots play has surprised me , but Hinson looked like a beast the first time I saw him play , what a pickup !

Fede is looking like a poor man’s Mo , which is a compliment. A little offense is all he needs to be a major player .

It’s funny how the haters disappear from the Lair after a solid performance . Let’s hope they go hide in the holes they come out of .
 
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This is the best team play, the past two games, offensively and defensively, I have seen out of Pitt since Dixon was here.

If this team stays healthy and unselfish, even without Big John, they should win a lot of games.

Burton is a stud.

Hinson is really good.

The change in Nike the past several games is stunning. Watching him in person at Northwestern was eye opening. I think he is finally truly healthy after his ACL. Just a different person. Really good on both ends. Again, stunning to see the change.

Federicko, Federicko..... love that name ! he made a huge difference in the last two games. Pitts defense is light years better with him on the court. It is not easy to shoot over him. he hedges so well, as good as anyone at Pitt the past few decades, I think. he has two more years ?

Jorge Diaz Graham has the potential to have a bright future. He is fun to watch on the court.

Elliott... much better play. He looks so smooth. 9 boards ! If he shoots well, Pitt is a much better team.

Big John. I don't know what to say. He is lost. It is up to John. He now has real competition in front of him. He has to get in shape and play much, much better, or he is going to be on the bench. He has the potential to be an elite college bball player, but he is so far away from that today. He really is hurting PItt right now and Capel sees it and pulls him off the court. Man, if he performed to his potential, this is an NCAA team.

Nelly has been really important. far above his stats. 1 turnover, against an aggressive defense. Nelly needs to keep the team organized, "run the show", not make mistakes, hit a few shots and make some good passes and play good D. He is unselfish.

All in all, I think this team, is really playing like a "team". one of the comment by one of the players in the papers this morning, "the ball doesn't have eyes, it doesn't know who is shooting it" is a real team comment and had to come from Capel.

Give Capel some credit for assimilating this team and the team play. If we keep it up, the team play part on offense and defense, and stay healthy, nobody goes after a teamates girlfriend , has legal issues, or anything crazy, it could be a good year.
 
Nike has to stay healthy as the good teams are gonna wall off Burton.
Have to keep up the perimeter d.
Hugley the biggest worry right now.
 
Good stuff, DT. A few thoughts:

This was a much better win than Monday’s game for a few reasons. This was a much tougher matchup for us and we played the best defense we have played this year against a very good offense.

Right now we are a much better team with Fede on both ends of the court. He hedges much better on D and his pick and roll game is much better than Big John. They doesn’t mean I am giving up on John, but he does need to get into much better shape to be the kind of guy who will eventually help us.

Jamarius totally controlled every aspect of this game. He was great on defense, he beat the press and he ran out offense flawlessly. Right now, he is playing at an all conference level.

The defense was really, really good against a very good offensive team tonight. We are really starting to be much more connected on the defensive end. People aren’t beating us off the dribble like they were earlier in the year Neckar the help defense is so much better.

Nike has been huge and given us a big jolt off the bench the last 5 games. He is not forcing things and he is letting the offense come to him. What I really love is the height that he is getting on his jumper. You can really tell that he feels very confident with his knee.

Hinson was just steady tonight and made a few big plays for us. His one rebound and put back was really nice.

Greg has bounced back and played a few really good games in a row. Last game, it was his scoring, but tonight it was his rebounding.

Nelly is fine as long as he doesn’t try to do too much. He had one mini stretch when he was running point and our lead went quickly from 11 to 4 because he tried to force a shot and a few passes. We put the ball back in Jamarius’ hands and that was ball game.

Vandy is built more like NW than NC St, so if we play defense like tonight, we should be in good shape. I also think we should be able to move the ball pretty well against them on offense. We will be about 5-6 point dogs, but I think we can get another road W.
Great post John!
 
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So I went to the game and wanted to say that this team is different because they look like men out there. We have been so young for so many years but there is a noticeable difference out there in their strength.
Cummings really scares me with the ball sometimes, he just tries to do so much.
Burton is a man out there and it shows. Always under control and strong with the ball at all times. He absolutely took over that game and put an end to every little run NCSU had with a big bucket.
Not sure if anyone mentioned Elliot's 8 boards in the first half, he works hard on the glass. He is not big but he busts his ass to rebound.
Frederiko moves very well, positions himself well, is athletic and doesnt try to do too much offensively.
Hugley was lost and needs to come back around and lose about 10 pounds.
Hinson is also a man out there, he is big and strong and can go inside and out, we hit the jackpot with his transfer.
Finally, Sibande was impressive. What lift on his jump shot, the kid gets up off the ground and played very well.
The team plays well together and is very unselfish, they seem to really enjoy playing with each other which is a nice change from prior years. I think Capel did a great job with subs and matchups tonights. I really wish there was more motion to our offense though. We need more movement, spacing was OK but too many times we are down to 12 seconds on the shot clock and we had 3 passes and didnt move the ball within 20 feet of the basket. We need more cutting and getting guys going east to west to make the defense work more.
But we have an opportunity to finish in the top half of the league finally.
To your last point, against Northwestern we saw a ton of really nice east-west passes that we converted into three pointers. But unlike Northwestern, North Carolina State has a bunch of super long, athletic guards that do a really good job of getting into passing lanes and forcing turnovers. To our credit, it felt like we had scouted that pretty well, and focused more on getting downhill on them instead. It doesn’t feel like you’d be able to do that against a bunch of long, athletic guards, but it seemed to be our plan from the jump and it worked pretty well.
 
Just watched the game now and wow!! This team actually looked well coached. They played good defense and for the second straight game it seems they didn't need Hugley at all. I don't think that's a long-term winning strategy, not really utilizing or needing your best big man but it's obvious as of now John is struggling so others are picking up the slack.

I really really don't want to start getting excited because our recent history says Pitt will come back to earth and start losing a lot of games. But maybe just maybe the team is finally clicking and Capel and the staff have them buying in and believing in themselves.

I really don't know which way this season will end up but right now call me shocked, surprised and yes I'll say it, EXCITED!!!


Alright, who stole Poker's log in information?

:p
 
It is early to say this, but, I don't think this team is going to fade this year. I see big strong mature players who can handle the physical rigor of the conference schedule. Jamarius, Nelly, and Blake are tough minded leaders and are pulling the train. This year they have some help on the bench as well. NIKE looks like one of the best off the bench in the ACC. I am not certain where we end up this year and will not throw out a record prediction, what I am saying is these guys have talent and toughness, not unlike some of Jamie's teams, and will not pack it in when adversity strikes. I just pray we stay healthy, as we all know, Coach Capel has not had much luck keeping the roster whole.
 
LOL.....I texted to my test group last night: "Pitt's sweet spot seems to be 22-23 year old men, who play a physical brand of hoops vs 18-19 year olds who seem to prefer pulling trains on each other's girlfriends".
 
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IMHO, being less impressive offensively last night wasn't only because we didn't shoot the 3-ball well. Give NC State credit. They played excellent defense. they have held most opponents they have played to under 70 points.

The reality, IMO, is it was a combo of not being as hot in shooting the 3 and NC State's defense.
Just to add a couple of observations--

(1) IMHO, a big part of NC State's defense's effect on Pitt was that their full court press reduced the time available for Pitt to run its half-court offense.
(2) Pitt's reduced 3-point percentage would have looked a little better if a few long two's (including one by Sibande when he had one foot just touching the line) had been 3-balls.
(3) Per the game stats, Pitt making 4 more 2-pointers than NC State proved to be exactly the margin of victory.
 
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