NC State Game & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** I hate clichés. Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

** As the beholders of a gritty 3 point ACC road win for our Panthers, and now a 6-6 ACC record, I think this game was pretty damn gorgeous.

** More than once this year, I’ve quoted another adage which is “shoot good, look good.”

** Well, we didn’t shoot good on the Raleigh court, nor did we at all look good. In fact, offensively in the second half we looked bad. But, aren’t these exactly the kinds of games we used to cherish when we ruled the Big East?

** There is one difference though. I can’t remember many times, even in our Top 10 days, when the foul line was our shining star, instead of our Achilles Heel.

** For all of the times I’ve rallied against those who complain about missed free throws when our team has shot something like 75% for the game, I’ll offer another simpleton. It sure is nicer to make them than miss them. Especially making 18 of 20 of them.

** Considering we really couldn’t even figure out how to make many baskets in the second half tonight, outscoring the Wolfpack by a dozen at the foul line was maybe the only reason we moved to the middle of the ACC pack.

** There’s another reason we came away victorious though. And this reason is something that was more a staple of our Big East days. We won the glass.

** More importantly, it was our 9 offensive rebounds, many of which were very timely, that added up to our 3 point final difference.

** Let’s go to the three offensive rebounds that made the most difference. First after the Wolfpack cut our early second half 13 point lead to 5, Zack Austin corralled a Blake Hinson missed three and turned it into one of his own. Big.

** With under 4 minutes to go, Blake missed a three which was rebounded by Bub, who tossed back to Blake for another missed three. But this one was cleaned up by Ish (one of his 6 caroms) who laid it back in to put the Panthers back up by 2. Bigger.

** Finally, with just 30 second to go, Fede followed up Bub’s miss with one of his 10 rebounds for the points that would give the Panthers their winning number. Biggest.

** Back in the glory days of the early 2000’s, Jay Bilas would often left handedly compliment our Panthers by suggesting our “best offense was a missed shot.” In the second half when we only deposited eight field goals (only 6 in the final 19 minutes) and no three pointers, Jay’s former words about our Panthers would seem to be appropriate.

** One of the reason’s I used to think our Panther Rock Fight games were so beautiful was how well we played defense.

** I’m not going to try to suggest that what the Panthers offered tonight was a "defense wins championships" kind of game. This is especially true when we were torched from deep by Horne and devastated down low by Burns.

** But it is worth pointing out that after these two guys, the entire remainder of the Wolfpack scored 20 points and shot 6-20 from the floor. A fair rebuttal could be that with the success of Horne and Burns, NC State didn’t need anyone else. Perhaps. But we won on their court so obviously they needed something more. And we kept that from happening.

** Earlier this year, we often wondered if the Panthers could win a close tough game against a good opponent when they weren’t shooting the ball well.

** It can’t say it was necessary by the Panther’s design, but we won this one by winning ugly. That's something we couldn't do in December.

** So I’ll toss out one more. I’d rather win ugly than lose beautifully.

** And with this now proven-to-be gorgeous win, our Pomeroy rises to #64, our NET will go higher than that, and our ACC record evens at .500.

** Most importantly, our NCAA tournament bid hopes still have a pulse. The situation is going forward is still critical. But it’s no longer on life support like it was just three weeks ago.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

NC State needs to move back into Reynolds Coliseum. In this day and age, they shouldn't be playing off-campus in an NHL arena. The arena is right next to their off-campus football stadium and close to campus (Google maps says 5.6 miles but it felt much closer to that when I was down there for the Russell Wilson game) but its too big and the site lines are bad since its a hockey arena. They should renovate Reynolds, which they still use for women's hoops and wrestling, and move back there. They can still play Duke and UNC off-campus if they want.

 

[Vader_Storm]

** I hate clichés. Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

** As the beholders of a gritty 3 point ACC road win for our Panthers, and now a 6-6 ACC record, I think this game was pretty damn gorgeous.

** More than once this year, I’ve quoted another adage which is “shoot good, look good.”

** Well, we didn’t shoot good on the Raleigh court, nor did we at all look good. In fact, offensively in the second half we looked bad. But, aren’t these exactly the kinds of games we used to cherish when we ruled the Big East?

** There is one difference though. I can’t remember many times, even in our Top 10 days, when the foul line was our shining star, instead of our Achilles Heel.

** For all of the times I’ve rallied against those who complain about missed free throws when our team has shot something like 75% for the game, I’ll offer another simpleton. It sure is nicer to make them than miss them. Especially making 18 of 20 of them.

** Considering we really couldn’t even figure out how to make many baskets in the second half tonight, outscoring the Wolfpack by a dozen at the foul line was maybe the only reason we moved to the middle of the ACC pack.

** There’s another reason we came away victorious though. And this reason is something that was more a staple of our Big East days. We won the glass.

** More importantly, it was our 9 offensive rebounds, many of which were very timely, that added up to our 3 point final difference.

** Let’s go to the three offensive rebounds that made the most difference. First after the Wolfpack cut our early second half 13 point lead to 5, Zack Austin corralled a Blake Hinson missed three and turned it into one of his own. Big.

** With under 4 minutes to go, Blake missed a three which was rebounded by Bub, who tossed back to Blake for another missed three. But this one was cleaned up by Ish (one of his 6 caroms) who laid it back in to put the Panthers back up by 2. Bigger.

** Finally, with just 30 second to go, Fede followed up Bub’s miss with one of his 10 rebounds for the points that would give the Panthers their winning number. Biggest.

** Back in the glory days of the early 2000’s, Jay Bilas would often left handedly compliment our Panthers by suggesting our “best offense was a missed shot.” In the second half when we only deposited eight field goals (only 6 in the final 19 minutes) and no three pointers, Jay’s former words about our Panthers would seem to be appropriate.

** One of the reason’s I used to think our Panther Rock Fight games were so beautiful was how well we played defense.

** I’m not going to try to suggest that what the Panthers offered tonight was a "defense wins championships" kind of game. This is especially true when we were torched from deep by Horne and devastated down low by Burns.

** But it is worth pointing out that after these two guys, the entire remainder of the Wolfpack scored 20 points and shot 6-20 from the floor. A fair rebuttal could be that with the success of Horne and Burns, NC State didn’t need anyone else. Perhaps. But we won on their court so obviously they needed something more. And we kept that from happening.

** Earlier this year, we often wondered if the Panthers could win a close tough game against a good opponent when they weren’t shooting the ball well.

** It can’t say it was necessary by the Panther’s design, but we one this game by winning ugly. That's something we couldn't do in December.

** So I’ll toss out one more. I’d rather win ugly than lose beautifully.

** And with this now proven-to-be gorgeous win, our Pomeroy rises to #64, our NET will go higher than that, and our ACC record evens at .500.

** Most importantly, our NCAA tournament bid hopes still have a pulse. The situation is going forward is still critical. But it’s no longer on life support like it was just three weeks ago.

-Jaland Lowe is averaging 15 points per game and 3.5 assists per game in his last 7 acc games. He has been the main catalyst of our surge in winning games and is this teams engine. I called for him to start at Louisville in making a critical switch in the lineup 9 games ago and that call has been crucial in turning this season around. Besides a few turnover issues tonight, he was a star tonight in another road win.

-Carrington and Lowe have flipped the switch and have turned it ON the last 6 games.

-This is another lesson for many of the folks on here that already threw the towel in 6 games ago. We are 5-1 in the last 6 games with 2 very talented freshmen guards starting to surge down the stretch of the season. We will be a difficult out in the ACC Tournament.

-Exciting things are on the horizon if the nucleus of Jaland, Bub, and Ish come back to join Cummings and Kante. 2 talented freshmen are showing people around the country just how good they are and just how underrated they were. We are adding 2 more studs next year with Cummings who can absolutely light it up from distance and Kante who is a bull down low. The 2 next year will also show just how good they are and how underrated they were.

-Win the next game at Virginia, and things will get real interesting...

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

But it is worth pointing out that after these two guys, the entire remainder of the Wolfpack scored 20 points and shot 6-20 from the floor.

That isn't right. The rest of the Wolfpack were 9-26. If you include Middlebrook and say Horne plus the NC State centers, they went 21-36 then rest of the team was 5-20.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

That isn't right. The rest of the Wolfpack were 9-26. If you include Middlebrook and say Horne plus the NC State centers, they went 21-36 then rest of the team was 5-20.

Why does former Clemson center Middlebrook look 100% like PJ Hall and that Schifflein dude? Seriously, they look like triplets. I wonder if that's why he transferred. Reminds me of Luke Harangody and Jack Cooley.

 

[DT_PITT]

That isn't right. The rest of the Wolfpack were 9-26. If you include Middlebrook and say Horne plus the NC State centers, they went 21-36 then rest of the team was 5-20.

You know what’s kinda funny. I did a very quick count, and meant to go back and check it but I hit post before I remembered to do it. So I was going to check it and correct it if I needed to. But then I thought, why bother? Joe will correct me if I’m wrong! Lol.

Let’s agree that the rest of the team shot poorly!!

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Let’s agree that the rest of the team shot poorly!!

Middlebrook was 4-6, no one else was above 40% for the game. They didn't even have someone like Austin who was 1-1 or someone who went 1-2 or something simliar.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

When I predicted the remaining schedule to try and see a way in the NCAAT a few weeks back, I gave us a maybe 1.4 percent chance of having everything break right. We’re slowly creeping up, it’s gotta be about 10x that right now. Still gotta keep level, a win at UVA would bump that significantly higher.

 

[DT_PITT]

When I predicted the remaining schedule to try and see a way in the NCAAT a few weeks back, I gave us a maybe 1.4 percent chance of having everything break right. We’re slowly creeping up, it’s gotta be about 10x that right now. Still gotta keep level, a win at UVA would bump that significantly higher.

If only we hadn't let those Missouri and Syracuse games slip away!!!!

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

If only we hadn't let those Missouri and Syracuse games slip away!!!!

Those two really sting. I hope it doesn’t cost us a bid.

 

[Protes]

-Jaland Lowe is averaging 15 points per game and 3.5 assists per game in his last 7 acc games. He has been the main catalyst of our surge in winning games and is this teams engine. I called for him to start at Louisville in making a critical switch in the lineup 9 games ago and that call has been crucial in turning this season around. Besides a few turnover issues tonight, he was a star tonight in another road win.

-Carrington and Lowe have flipped the switch and have turned it ON the last 6 games.

-This is another lesson for many of the folks on here that already threw the towel in 6 games ago. We are 5-1 in the last 6 games with 2 very talented freshmen guards starting to surge down the stretch of the season. We will be a difficult out in the ACC Tournament.

-Exciting things are on the horizon if the nucleus of Jaland, Bub, and Ish come back to join Cummings and Kante. 2 talented freshmen are showing people around the country just how good they are and just how underrated they were. We are adding 2 more studs next year with Cummings who can absolutely light it up from distance and Kante who is a bull down low. The 2 next year will also show just how good they are and how underrated they were.

-Win the next game at Virginia, and things will get real interesting...

Yep, Jaland has been terrific. Game ball goes to him. Team-high 20 points, tying his career-high. Iced it at the line. We'll just have to forgive @DT_PITT for not giving him a dribble tonight. 😉

 

[DT_PITT]

Those two really sting. I hope it doesn’t cost us a bid.

In the Missouri game, Jaland played 12 minutes and had 4 points. Against Clemson, he played 9 minutes and didn't score. That's another game I'd love to see us play again.

 

[DT_PITT]

Yep, Jaland has been terrific. Game ball goes to him. Team-high 20 points, tying his career-high. Iced it at the line. We'll just have to forgive @DT_PITT for not giving him a dribble tonight. 😉

I mean ... he really didn't need one from me. We all know how good he was!!

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

In the Missouri game, Jaland played 12 minutes and had 4 points. Against Clemson, he played 9 minutes and didn't score. That's another game I'd love to see us play again.

Good point. Lowe is averaging almost 13 points a game in the new year and has become a floor general. We are a different team right now.

 

[Fredact]

The offensive rebounding of this team is very different than some of those old Big East teams. Now we’re getting long rebounds from missed threes. Back then I remember Aaron Gray getting 3 on one possession from his own missed bunnys.

 

[Chairman Moe]

Moe-bservations:

*Three stars: J-Lowe/Blake/Fede (his defensive play in the last seconds of the game [and his 10 boards] should not be ignored
*A tale of two halfs [sic], a few scoring lulls, and excellent free throw shooting
*Ish Leggett, while missing a few wide open threes, had 6 boards and a key put back late in the game
* A bit of old-time Big East physical play, with the refs letting the boys play
*Two obvious "scale" errors: Burns weighs at LEAST 320; Trump weighs at LEAST 270
*Next to Burns, Fede looked like a twig, but he didn't snap
*GDG is due for a better game ... and we will NEED one from him ... soon
*A win in Charlottesville would be amazing - not saying they can't, but they'll need to play a full 60 minutes to get one; they're good
*24 points in the fist 10 minutes (96 ppg pace); 43 points in the final 30 minutes (57 ppg pace)
*The 8-0 run at the end of the 1st half was huge
*Pitt is 3-0 when I watch the game on a tape delay; I won't watch them live again until this changes
*Yes, I am superstitious

 

[Sam Young 23]

Great win for the Panthers. Complete agreement with you guys. The freshman guards are growing up.

 

[PittPharm2002]

** I hate clichés. Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

** As the beholders of a gritty 3 point ACC road win for our Panthers, and now a 6-6 ACC record, I think this game was pretty damn gorgeous.

** More than once this year, I’ve quoted another adage which is “shoot good, look good.”

** Well, we didn’t shoot good on the Raleigh court, nor did we at all look good. In fact, offensively in the second half we looked bad. But, aren’t these exactly the kinds of games we used to cherish when we ruled the Big East?

** There is one difference though. I can’t remember many times, even in our Top 10 days, when the foul line was our shining star, instead of our Achilles Heel.

** For all of the times I’ve rallied against those who complain about missed free throws when our team has shot something like 75% for the game, I’ll offer another simpleton. It sure is nicer to make them than miss them. Especially making 18 of 20 of them.

** Considering we really couldn’t even figure out how to make many baskets in the second half tonight, outscoring the Wolfpack by a dozen at the foul line was maybe the only reason we moved to the middle of the ACC pack.

** There’s another reason we came away victorious though. And this reason is something that was more a staple of our Big East days. We won the glass.

** More importantly, it was our 9 offensive rebounds, many of which were very timely, that added up to our 3 point final difference.

** Let’s go to the three offensive rebounds that made the most difference. First after the Wolfpack cut our early second half 13 point lead to 5, Zack Austin corralled a Blake Hinson missed three and turned it into one of his own. Big.

** With under 4 minutes to go, Blake missed a three which was rebounded by Bub, who tossed back to Blake for another missed three. But this one was cleaned up by Ish (one of his 6 caroms) who laid it back in to put the Panthers back up by 2. Bigger.

** Finally, with just 30 second to go, Fede followed up Bub’s miss with one of his 10 rebounds for the points that would give the Panthers their winning number. Biggest.

** Back in the glory days of the early 2000’s, Jay Bilas would often left handedly compliment our Panthers by suggesting our “best offense was a missed shot.” In the second half when we only deposited eight field goals (only 6 in the final 19 minutes) and no three pointers, Jay’s former words about our Panthers would seem to be appropriate.

** One of the reason’s I used to think our Panther Rock Fight games were so beautiful was how well we played defense.

** I’m not going to try to suggest that what the Panthers offered tonight was a "defense wins championships" kind of game. This is especially true when we were torched from deep by Horne and devastated down low by Burns.

** But it is worth pointing out that after these two guys, the entire remainder of the Wolfpack scored 20 points and shot 6-20 from the floor. A fair rebuttal could be that with the success of Horne and Burns, NC State didn’t need anyone else. Perhaps. But we won on their court so obviously they needed something more. And we kept that from happening.

** Earlier this year, we often wondered if the Panthers could win a close tough game against a good opponent when they weren’t shooting the ball well.

** It can’t say it was necessary by the Panther’s design, but we won this one by winning ugly. That's something we couldn't do in December.

** So I’ll toss out one more. I’d rather win ugly than lose beautifully.

** And with this now proven-to-be gorgeous win, our Pomeroy rises to #64, our NET will go higher than that, and our ACC record evens at .500.

** Most importantly, our NCAA tournament bid hopes still have a pulse. The situation is going forward is still critical. But it’s no longer on life support like it was just three weeks ago.

Well done
Although I always assumed Bilas meant that more as a compliment to how well we rebounded .
But maybe I just wanted to believe it

 

[121rum]

Big thing is that our young cats are learning how to and what it means to win in conference, that'll pay dividends in the future, especially if Bub comes back

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Any win on the road in the ACC is a great win .

Going 5-1 in the last 6 conference games with an all freshman backcourt in the days of 23/24 yr olds still playing is beyond impressive.

Not rushing Lowe into the starting lineup wasn’t a mistake , he wasn’t ready earlier in the season . He’s been handled perfectly and it’s paying off with big dividends .

Let’s discuss the HC , that many on here love to hate . Last season after a disastrous start Pitt had its best season in yrs barely missing out on a conference championship and with 2 NCCA wins . This season after losing all his guards and their most clutch player in Burton , losing Dior at the last minute and Papa due to injury he has his team which heavily relies on freshman back in the conversation of earning a tournament bid . Kudos to JC and his staff and with Cummings and Papa joining Bub , Lowe and Ish next season plus hopefully adding a couple of portal guys the future looks bright . You guys better get use to JC being the HC an extension isn’t far off !

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Capel is doing a very good job of bringing this team along. I'll admit that. I don't think we're at the point yet where we can discuss being on the bubble for the NCAAT. But if we reel off at least 5 more wins late in the season and a couple of ACCT wins, we'll probably be there.

I'll be very pleased and surprised if we can keep both Carrington and Lowe for next season. I doubt both will be back with the NIL being thrown around. But we MUST keep Lowe no matter what. Take money from the football NIL to keep him here. Do whatever it takes. Cummings and Lowe with Kante and Ish would be a pretty good start for next year. Then see what else we can get in the portal to fill the holes.

 

[pittchagg]

Any win on the road in the ACC is a great win .

Going 5-1 in the last 6 conference games with an all freshman backcourt in the days of 23/24 yr olds still playing is beyond impressive.

Not rushing Lowe into the starting lineup wasn’t a mistake , he wasn’t ready earlier in the season . He’s been handled perfectly and it’s paying off with big dividends .

Let’s discuss the HC , that many on here love to hate . Last season after a disastrous start Pitt had its best season in yrs barely missing out on a conference championship and with 2 NCCA wins . This season after losing all his guards and their most clutch player in Burton , losing Dior at the last minute and Papa due to injury he has his team which heavily relies on freshman back in the conversation of earning a tournament bid . Kudos to JC and his staff and with Cummings and Papa joining Bub , Lowe and Ish next season plus hopefully adding a couple of portal guys the future looks bright . You guys better get use to JC being the HC an extension isn’t far off !

I think Capel has managed games pretty well over the past few weeks. He’s had a stretch where he’s coached against some pretty talented basketball coaches and teams - Duke/Scheyer, GT/Stoudamire (I like Stoudamire), Miami/Larranaga, Wake/Forbes, Notre Dame/Shrewsberry (his team isn’t good, but Capel outcoached him), and now Keatts/NC State with a collection of grad transfers.

There have been long stretches in the Capel tenure where I think the coaching hasn’t added much to the team’s chances to win. I don’t think it’s been a negative like is often talked about, but I don’t think it’s added a ton. A neutral. But I think we’re getting coaching that’s actively adding to the team’s chances to win.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I'll be very pleased and surprised if we can keep both Carrington and Lowe for next season. I doubt both will be back with the NIL being thrown around. But we MUST keep Lowe no matter what. Take money from the football NIL to keep him here. Do whatever it takes. Cummings and Lowe with Kante and Ish would be a pretty good start for next year. Then see what else we can get in the portal to fill the holes.

Just my opinion, but Carrington continues to not blow me away. He's obviously a good player, but his spot (as a starter - not as a member of the overall roster) can be upgraded from a team needs standpoint, I think... and that will be especially true once Hinson leaves and we're starving for 3-point shooters.

28% from three and a good free throw shooter who never gets to the line because he doesn't take the ball to the hoop. I don't know. It's kind of a weird skillset. I'd rather have him than not, but I just feel like he's never not going to start if he's here, and we might be better off with some of these other guards who are being talked about, paired with Lowe.

As for Kante... I get sick of GDG and Fede getting tossed around like a piece of paper, but, at least in street clothes, he looks skinny as a rail to me. I'll be curious to see him in action.

 

[Wanstash21]

Big thing is that our young cats are learning how to and what it means to win in conference, that'll pay dividends in the future, especially if Bub comes back

Bub not coming back would be a mistake .. that is if it's Pitt or the NBA Draft

 

[Vader_Storm]

Capel is doing a very good job of bringing this team along. I'll admit that. I don't think we're at the point yet where we can discuss being on the bubble for the NCAAT. But if we reel off at least 5 more wins late in the season and a couple of ACCT wins, we'll probably be there.

I'll be very pleased and surprised if we can keep both Carrington and Lowe for next season. I doubt both will be back with the NIL being thrown around. But we MUST keep Lowe no matter what. Take money from the football NIL to keep him here. Do whatever it takes. Cummings and Lowe with Kante and Ish would be a pretty good start for next year. Then see what else we can get in the portal to fill the holes.

The offseason is going to be interesting in portal players vs 2025 recruiting class. I want at least 3 ships open for 2025 class.


I know the hype is with Meleek Thomas for being a 5 star and being a hometown kid. But we have to do whatever it takes to get Derek Dixon in 2025.

 

[Vader_Storm]

Just my opinion, but Carrington continues to not blow me away. He's obviously a good player, but his spot (as a starter - not as a member of the overall roster) can be upgraded from a team needs standpoint, I think... and that will be especially true once Hinson leaves and we're starving for 3-point shooters.

28% form three and a good free throw shooter who never gets to the line because he doesn't take the ball to the hoop. I don't know. It's kind of a weird skillset. I'd rather have him than not, but I just feel like he's never not going to start if he's here, and we might be better off with some of these other guards who are being talked about, paired with Lowe.

As for Kante... I get sick of GDG and Fede getting tossed around like a piece of paper, but, at least in street clothes, he looks skinny as a rail to me. I'll be curious to see him in action.

There were plenty of people that said Nate Santos couldnt shoot either after his freshmen and sophomore seasons. Santos is shooting 44% from 3 this year on a top 15 nationally ranked team as a full time starter.

Yes, Im surprised Carrington has not shot the ball better from 3 point range. Very surprised actually. But Carrington is shooting the midrange at 52% this year as an 18 year old which is just lethal. I dont know why this is not talked about here or maybe because people dont know where to get these stats. Just like I have been pounding the notion of Jaland Lowe constantly attacking the rim, Carrington needs to constantly attack from midrange.

 

[latz66]

NC State needs to move back into Reynolds Coliseum. In this day and age, they shouldn't be playing off-campus in an NHL arena. The arena is right next to their off-campus football stadium and close to campus (Google maps says 5.6 miles but it felt much closer to that when I was down there for the Russell Wilson game) but its too big and the site lines are bad since its a hockey arena. They should renovate Reynolds, which they still use for women's hoops and wrestling, and move back there. They can still play Duke and UNC off-campus if they want.

You are spot on. I was at the game last night. As I am for any Pitt games in the Triangle area. State's problem with the basketball arena is simialr to our problem for football. The stadium is too big and not easy to get to for the student (especially on a weeknight). Both of my kids go to State, and my son's dorm is right down the street from Reynolds. He complains all the time about this. He said he would go all the time if they played at Reynolds. But riding a shuttle ( the 3 or so miles from campus) is a pain sometimes. Thats why the 8-9 thousand in attendance last night get drowned out and there is no buzz. If they played at Reynolds (or a nicer version of) it would be a big difference. For football down here, the stadium is great (even though its not on campus). Since its all tailgating lots and a great tailgate experience at that, and its only 6-7 times a year.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

There were plenty of people that said Nate Santos couldnt shoot either after his freshmen and sophomore seasons. Santos is shooting 44% from 3 this year on a top 15 nationally ranked team as a full time starter.

Yes, Im surprised Carrington has not shot the ball better from 3 point range. Very surprised actually. But Carrington is shooting the midrange at 52% this year as an 18 year old which is just lethal. I dont know why this is not talked about here or maybe because people dont know where to get these stats. Just like I have been pounding the notion of Jaland Lowe constantly attacking the rim, Carrington needs to constantly attack from midrange.

I've been saying all year that Carrington's sweet spot is midrange... which makes him even less appealing of an NBA prospect, in my estimation.

However, this is where the eye test comes into play. With Santos, you could tell he has a sweet stroke and the psyche just wasn't there. Bub's long range jumper is not pretty. It's somewhat of a line drive with poor rotation and too much push, as opposed to follow-through. Krauser and Fields succeeded in spite of having weird shots... but they were also pretty good facilitators. Is Bub, at the 2, a value added given his 3-point struggles? I mean, yeah... but, and especially after losing Hinson, could we add a higher value there with someone who shoots more effectively? I would think so.

I guess going small next season is an option, but is Bub okay with guarding the 3 and potentially getting less touches on offense? Because I don't think that's going to be much of an NBA resume builder for him.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I think Capel has managed games pretty well over the past few weeks. He’s had a stretch where he’s coached against some pretty talented basketball coaches and teams - Duke/Scheyer, GT/Stoudamire (I like Stoudamire), Miami/Larranaga, Wake/Forbes, Notre Dame/Shrewsberry (his team isn’t good, but Capel outcoached him), and now Keatts/NC State with a collection of grad transfers.

There have been long stretches in the Capel tenure where I think the coaching hasn’t added much to the team’s chances to win. I don’t think it’s been a negative like is often talked about, but I don’t think it’s added a ton. A neutral. But I think we’re getting coaching that’s actively adding to the team’s chances to win.

And he has shown that he takes advice from me, even in-game in real time as I said you cant double Burns. Really, besides Edey, I'm not sure there's a big I'd double in college basketball. Doubling could lead to a wide-open 3 and a wide-open 3 may go down at a 60-70% clip. So I play straight up and make you beat us on 2s.

He also took my advice on starting Lowe and brining Ish off the bench in a Nike role.

 

[Vader_Storm]

I've been saying all year that Carrington's sweet spot is midrange... which makes him even less appealing of an NBA prospect, in my estimation.

However, this is where the eye test comes into play. With Santos, you could tell he has a sweet stroke and the psyche just wasn't there. Bub's long range jumper is not pretty. It's somewhat of a line drive with poor rotation and too much push, as opposed to follow-through. Krauser and Fields succeeded in spite of having weird shots... but they were also pretty good facilitators. Is Bub, at the 2, a value added given his 3-point struggles? I mean, yeah... but, and especially after losing Hinson, could we add a higher value there with someone who shoots more effectively? I would think so.

Well, you and Nate Oats certainly think a like with not liking midrange shots and Oats cant do squat in the NCAA tournament. The greatest basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan would certainly disagree. So would players like Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker with respect to having a dominant midrange game.


Ill be willing to bet Bub's 3 point shot improves exponentially next year. The biggest chunk of his problem is too much 1 on 1 play and poor shot selection. If he gets a lot more catch and shoot 3s as opposed to doing everything 1 on 1 off the bounce, that percentage is going to go up quite a bit. Bub and our coach need to watch Rip Hamilton and learn to move without the ball for quality catch and shoot shots.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Well, you and Nate Oats certainly think a like with not liking midrange shots and Oats cant do squat in the NCAA tournament. The greatest basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan would certainly disagree. So would players like Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker with respect to having a dominant midrange game.


Ill be willing to bet Bub's 3 point shot improves exponentially next year. The biggest chunk of his problem is too much 1 on 1 play and poor shot selection. If he gets a lot more catch and shoot 3s as opposed to doing everything 1 on 1 off the bounce, that percentage is going to go up quite a bit. Bub and our coach need to watch Rip Hamilton and learn to move without the ball for quality catch and shoot shots.

Maybe I'll have to go back and watch the tape on Michael Jordan, but I'm pretty sure he did other things slightly above average as well. Bub's drive game is something close to non-existent, and he is shooting threes about as well as John Hugley has in his college career.

He's a good asset, and I've said as much. Just don't think it'd be a death knell if he left.

 

[Vader_Storm]

Maybe I'll have to go back and watch the tape on Michael Jordan, but I'm pretty sure he did other things slightly above average as well. Bub's drive game is something close to non-existent, and he is shooting threes about as well as John Hugley.

He's a good asset, and I've said as much. Just don't think it'd be a death knell if he left.

BTW, besides Bub being lethal in the midrange game, Bub is also shooting 90% from the free throw line his last 6 games of the season.

You don't think that is important? We won on the road last game by 3 points and our freshmen was 6-6 from the line on the road yesterday.

In that tight win over Wake Forest where we barely won not long ago, Bub was 8-9 from the line.


It amazes me how often things like this get overlooked. Last year it took elite free throw shooting from our guards to make the NCAA Tournament. This year, we are again getting Elite free throw shooting in the most critical stretch of the season by our 2 freshmen guards that have been absolute money from the free throw line, home or away.

We are winning tight games because these 2 freshmen, among other things, are making critical foul shots at a high rate.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

BTW, besides Bub being lethal in the midrange game, Bub is also shooting 90% from the free throw line his last 6 games of the season.

You don't think that is important? We won on the road last game by 3 points and our freshmen was 6-6 from the line on the road yesterday.

In that tight win over Wake Forest where we barely won not long ago, Bub was 8-9 from the line.


It amazes me how often things like this get overlooked. Last year it took elite free throw shooting from our guards to make the NCAA Tournament. This year, we are again getting Elite free throw shooting in the most critical stretch of the season by our 2 freshmen guards that have been absolute money from the free throw line, home or away.

We are winning tight games because these 2 freshmen, among other things, are making critical foul shots at a high rate.

How am I overlooking it when I literally mentioned it? I said he is a good free throw shooter who doesn't get to the line enough because he doesn't take the ball to the hoop.

Your buddy Michael Jordan (interesting comparison, to say the least) was getting 8-12 free throw attempts per game in his prime. Bub is getting 3.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

You are spot on. I was at the game last night. As I am for any Pitt games in the Triangle area. State's problem with the basketball arena is simialr to our problem for football. The stadium is too big and not easy to get to for the student (especially on a weeknight). Both of my kids go to State, and my son's dorm is right down the street from Reynolds. He complains all the time about this. He said he would go all the time if they played at Reynolds. But riding a shuttle ( the 3 or so miles from campus) is a pain sometimes. Thats why the 8-9 thousand in attendance last night get drowned out and there is no buzz. If they played at Reynolds (or a nicer version of) it would be a big difference. For football down here, the stadium is great (even though its not on campus). Since its all tailgating lots and a great tailgate experience at that, and its only 6-7 times a year.

Is there any talk about moving back? I mean it seems pretty silly to be playing weeknight or less appealing games off campus. On TV, the place looked empty a d it sounded like a neutral site game because there was no noise. I think it was a good idea at the time to move there but attendance is trending down all the time now. They can renovate Reynolds as Cincy, Nova, Duquesne, ND, Clemson, etc have done. This arena is perfect for modern-day college basketball.

Reynolds Coliseum arena to be named for Valvano

Legendary NC State men’s basketball coach Jim Valvano’s name will be honored in the place where he coached for 10 years, as the arena of Reynolds Coliseum on campus will

www.technicianonline.com

They can play Duke, UNC, and maybe a few other Saturday games off campus as Nova does.

 

[Vader_Storm]

How am I overlooking it when I literally mentioned it? I said he is a good free throw shooter who doesn't get to the line enough because he doesn't take the ball to the hoop.

He's attempted 70 free throws this year and there are still 8 games left to play.


Nelly Cummings and Greg Elliot last year for example attempted 78 and 79 free throw respectively after a full season including both the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.


I dont know what you are expecting here, but he is doing just fine getting to the free throw line. Depending on how many free throws he takes the rest of the way including both tournaments, he could actually overtake Burton last year as a freshmen with free throw attempts for a season.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Maybe I'll have to go back and watch the tape on Michael Jordan, but I'm pretty sure he did other things slightly above average as well. Bub's drive game is something close to non-existent, and he is shooting threes about as well as John Hugley has in his college career.

He's a good asset, and I've said as much. Just don't think it'd be a death knell if he left.

He has a high ceiling and is good for a freshman but his game is very weird as you say. I am not sure he has driven to the hoop once all year. Perhaps he isnt quick enough to beat his man? I doubt that to be true.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

He's attempted 70 free throws this year and there are still 8 games left to play.


Nelly Cummings and Greg Elliot last year for example attempted 78 and 79 free throw respectively after a full season including both the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.


I dont know what you are expecting here, but he is doing just fine getting to the free throw line. Depending on how many free throws he takes the rest of the way including both tournaments, he could actually overtake Burton last year as a freshmen.

Elliot was a stand-still shooter. And Nelly was an undersized guard. Neither of them are comparable to Bub in terms of the pressure he should be putting on defenses. Judah Mintz has shot 286 FT's this season and while that is excessive and a sign of a player trying to do too much, Bub has to be able to create. Right now he is James Robinson with a mid-range game.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

He's attempted 70 free throws this year and there are still 8 games left to play.


Nelly Cummings and Greg Elliot last year for example attempted 78 and 79 free throw respectively after a full season including both the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.


I dont know what you are expecting here, but he is doing just fine getting to the free throw line. Depending on how many free throws he takes the rest of the way including both tournaments, he could actually overtake Burton last year as a freshmen with free throw attempts for a season.

Well Greg Elliot definitely is not his comp, as a spot shooter, and Nelly Cummings was more of a table setter. Burton averaged .6 more FT attempts and shot 12% higher from the field. You're picking and choosing stats that fit a narrative, as per usual.

Like I said, he's a good player with a strange skillset. I want him back. Just can't help but think we could still have a good backcourt even if he leaves.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

The offseason is going to be interesting in portal players vs 2025 recruiting class. I want at least 3 ships open for 2025 class.


I know the hype is with Meleek Thomas for being a 5 star and being a hometown kid. But we have to do whatever it takes to get Derek Dixon in 2025.

Yes, it will definitely be very interesting. I think the local kids and high school recruiting is interesting and causes a lot of buzz. I'm more interested in what Pitt can get in the portal with experienced, higher level guys who can contribute immediately and with maturity.

We can see how freshmen like Lowe and Carrington can mature within one year given higher talent levels. But we also see the inconsistency and a lot to improve. They'd be the first to admit that. Incoming 5* talent is no guarantee that they'll be another Lowe or Carrington. But experienced guys, like a Burton or Leggett, can help immediately with more consistency.

That's just my take and opinion. I used to only be interested in getting the 4* and 5* guys out of high school coming to Pitt. But that has all changed now with the portal and NIL. We'll see what happens after the season is over.

 

[Vader_Storm]

Elliot was a stand-still shooter. And Nelly was an undersized guard. Neither of them are comparable to Bub in terms of the pressure he should be putting on defenses. Judah Mintz has shot 286 FT's this season and while that is excessive and a sign of a player trying to do too much, Bub has to be able to create. Right now he is James Robinson with a mid-range game.

Burton attempted 122 free throws last year and was Pitt's go to leader, captain, and best player last year.




Judah Mintz specialty is driving to the rim and getting to the rim. Bub is a jump shooter, he isn't Carl Krauser. Mintz is also going to be 1st team all acc and going to the NBA. He's a stud as I hyped him to be.

Well Greg Elliot definitely is not his comp, as a spot shooter, and Nelly Cummings was more of a table setter. Burton averaged .6 more FT attempts and shot 12% higher from the field. You're picking and choosing stats that fit a narrative, as per usual.

Like I said, he's a good player with a strange skillset. I want him back. Just can't help but think we could still have a good backcourt even if he leaves.

He's an 18 year old freshmen. LOL

We have won 5 or our last 6 acc games including beating Duke at Cameron Indoor with 2 freshmen starting in the backcourt. You are throwing out 24 year old 5th year seniors and suggesting to me I am cherry picking stats when Bub is already going to overtake 2 5th year senior starters on an NCAA tournament team last year with free throw attempts. You want him to be Carl Krauser and drive when he is a jump shooter. Rip Hamilton aint Chris Paul. Bub is a shooter, not a penetrator.

And he still gets to the line more than enough as a freshmen which is the entire point.