Nobody has really mentioned it but,...

[Harve74]

The real reason we have 6 double-figure losses so far this season after once going about 10 years with less than that is mostly because Dixon opened up the offense to allow this group to run.

If we were still walking the ball up the court and keeping possesion count about 60, we might be losing just as many, but by smaller margins.

The difference in talent is also magnified with more possessions and open-court action. We didn't have more talent than most of the top BE teams either. We just made them play OUR gsme.

You can't run with the big dogs unless you HAVE big dogs. We don't. And won't for a long time. If ever.

I'd go back to playing Pitt style ASAP. If Virginia can be Top 10 playing basically the same schedule as us and THEIR style, so can we.

We've pretty much conclusively proven that SteelCurtain was wrong. We CAN'T just outscore most teams.

 

[Piranha]

The real reason we have 6 double-figure losses so far this season after once going about 10 years with less than that is mostly because Dixon opened up the offense to allow this group to run.

If we were still walking the ball up the court and keeping possesion count about 60, we might be losing just as many, but by smaller margins.

The difference in talent is slso magnified with more possessions and open-court action.

You can't run with the big dogs unless you HAVE big dogs. We don't. And won't for a long time. If ever.

I'd go back to playing Pitt style ASAP. If Virginia can be Top 10 playing basically the same schedule as us and THEIR style, so can we.

We've pretty much conclusively proven that SteelCurtain was wrong. We CAN'T just outscore most teams.

You have to stop the other team, rebound the ball, and throw a good outlet pass to start a good fast break. It has been a long time since I saw that happen.

 

[gary2]

You have to stop the other team, rebound the ball, and throw a good outlet pass to start a good fast break. It has been a long time since I saw that happen.

Chances of Pitt scoring on a two on one about 50% on a three on one about 33% (someone will screw it up)

I miss John Johnson (not really kidding)

 

[Piranha]

Chances of Pitt scoring on a two on one about 50% on a three on one about 33% (someone will screw it up)

I miss John Johnson (not really kidding)

Center the ball, draw the defender to you, make a good bounce pass, and finish strong. The basic fundamentals that are missing with this team are what irk me the most. The early Howland teams who played hard, were fundamentally sound, but overmatched talent wise were so much more enjoyable to watch even if they lost. If you are not going to play the game the right way, then you better be loaded with 4 and 5 stars like UK and beat teams on sheer talent.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

I've repeadily have said this but in a different way. There's no way to compete with likes of Duke,UNC and Louisville in recruiting and in trying to your playing their game with inferior talent. Get tough strong mature guys ( five yr guys ) and outmuscle the 18/19 kids, guys who know the system make them play your game. If all the other teams play fast then they'll have to adjust to your brand of ball and it's always tough to prepare for styles you don't see often. If you fly it 230 yds trying to carrying the water at 235 doesn't make much sense!

 

[bobfree]

We actually haven't opened anything up since December. We still run the clock down by standing around and then throwing up a shit shot. We are getting killed because we aren't stopping anyone on the other end of the floor. Tonight we will score a bunch because we actually have more talent than wake but they will score a good bit as well.

 

[LeftCoastPanther]

That lefty post player for Wake who's from Pennsylvania will eat Pitt up tonight is my guess.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

I don't know if we could be successful playing the old style with our current roster. We would, at least, need a PG capable of consistently driving to the hoop and a serviceable big body who could clean up the garbage. When I think of our 00 teams, they always involved the great defense, great passing, and a PG who could create space for the other four on the court.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

I don't know if we could be successful playing the old style with our current roster. We would, at least, need a PG capable of consistently driving to the hoop and a serviceable big body who could clean up the garbage. When I think of our 00 teams, they always involved the great defense, great passing, and a PG who could create space for the other four on the court.

not with this group

 

[CaptainMurphy]

That lefty post player for Wake who's from Pennsylvania will eat Pitt up tonight is my guess.

Seems like he has been around for about a decade.

 

[thebadby2]

I don't know if we could be successful playing the old style with our current roster. We would, at least, need a PG capable of consistently driving to the hoop and a serviceable big body who could clean up the garbage. When I think of our 00 teams, they always involved the great defense, great passing, and a PG who could create space for the other four on the court.

The Bo Ryan Wisconsin teams were undermanned in most of the P5 games they played from a talent standpoint. They were extremely fundamentally sound, everyone on the floor could shoot the ball, they were very deliberate in the half court , moved the ball and worked hard running off screens to get a good shot, boxed out and rebounded relentlessly, created runouts with their D and rebounding and finished them effectively, of course played very solid D. Once in a while they would get that one special player that would elevate them a notch or two like a Kaminsky or Devin Harris.

that was what Pitt basketball used to be like under Howland and Dixon, albeit without the great team shooting and guard play (rarely have we put 2 really good guards on the floor at the same time). We also never really found that one special individual talent to take it to the next level. IMO, with this coach and a realistic best case scenario with recruiting, being like Bo's Wisconsin teams--consistently good, occasionally really good--is the best we can hope for. We seemed to be very much on that arc at one time, but we are not going in that direction right now. Quite the opposite.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Or a Blair

 

[thebadby2]

Or a Blair

Blair was a great 5 man, but the kind of player I'm talking about is the kind that can create his own offense and take over a game offensively. DB was never that guy. They are usually guards or 3s, Kaminsky was an anomaly, a rare Dirk Nowitzki type big man with guard skills. He was able to just put that team on his back offensively at times.

 

[NC Panther]

The real reason we have 6 double-figure losses so far this season after once going about 10 years with less than that is mostly because Dixon opened up the offense to allow this group to run.

If we were still walking the ball up the court and keeping possesion count about 60, we might be losing just as many, but by smaller margins.

The difference in talent is also magnified with more possessions and open-court action. We didn't have more talent than most of the top BE teams either. We just made them play OUR gsme.

You can't run with the big dogs unless you HAVE big dogs. We don't. And won't for a long time. If ever.

I'd go back to playing Pitt style ASAP. If Virginia can be Top 10 playing basically the same schedule as us and THEIR style, so can we.

We've pretty much conclusively proven that SteelCurtain was wrong. We CAN'T just outscore most teams.

I thought after we were running and gunning our way to 23-1...or whatever it was over tomato cans....like we always seem to start.... that Dixon was a genius because he adjusted his team with the new foul rules and shot clock and decided that Pitt would now become UNLV of the '80's!!!

Effen' Aye!!! Shuck that ball up boys!!!

"We just beat Niagara...again by 40 - dang we're going to the Final Four!!!

Now...after getting smashed by about every good team we've played....I "guess" I was wrong....

No, I was dead wrong.

I don't know wtf to think regarding this team or Dixon for that matter anymore.

One thing that I'm pretty sure of....obviously I don't know diddley d!ck.... is that the players (and the refs) have just tuned him out - I mean, is there *any* coach more animated on the sidelines or in the huddle than Dixon?

I think the players are like...yeah ok coach and then just chuck the shots up or drive 1 on 5 and hope to get fouled.

And the refs are like..."Ok coach - I know, he got fouled, that was 3 seconds - dang, I missed that one coach - next one on me...I know..."

They're like..."Does he *ever* sit down and not yell?"

God, what I'd give for Carl Krauser or Levance Fields at the point and Blair at the 5...

Or any past Pitt players w/ stones and leadership.

Or Sean Miller as the HC or...who knows...

So disappointed.....again.

 

[ClarkLotTgate]

It'll be ok NC Panther.

Tease the over down from 152 and tease down Pitt.

Win that and be a happy NC Panther

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I don't know if we could be successful playing the old style with our current roster. We would, at least, need a PG capable of consistently driving to the hoop and a serviceable big body who could clean up the garbage. When I think of our 00 teams, they always involved the great defense, great passing, and a PG who could create space for the other four on the court.

I don't know much about the Xs and Os but I know the answer to that one. There is no chance this team could play that style. Zero.point.zero.

 

[Harve74]

I don't know much about the Xs and Os but I know the answer to that one. There is no chance this team could play that style. Zero.point.zero.

We're getting hammered playing the chuck it up style. It has becoe very obvious that simply trying to out-talent blue-blood teams is a recipe for double digit losses.

The roster in 2017-18 will have at least 8 new guys on it. We've signed a physical rebounder and a big athletic 2G plus a PG who gets to the rim. We have a physical 4/5 in Luther and a widebody post in Nix, plus we're trying to recruit another big bodied center. That is the nucleus of a team which could play the old style.

That should be the kind of guys we target with the scholarships we give to replace the current juniors.

Otherwise, we WILL become a bottom third ACC team.

 

[PittPoker]

We're getting hammered playing the chuck it up style. It has becoe very obvious that simply trying to out-talent blue-blood teams is a recipe for double digit losses.

The roster in 2017-18 will have at least 8 new guys on it. We've signed a physical rebounder and a big athletic 2G plus a PG who gets to the rim. We have a physical 4/5 in Luther and a widebody post in Nix, plus we're trying to recruit another big bodied center. That is the nucleus of a team which could play the old style.

That should be the kind of guys we target with the scholarships we give to replace the current juniors.

Otherwise, we WILL become a bottom third ACC team.

Harve do you think that Jamie needs to get some different assistant coaches or are you in the belief that he should keep status quo?

 

[NCanton Panther]

I can't agree with the original thesis of this post. I don't think we have really opened up the offense and can be described as run n gun. That and a shorter shot clock is not the reason why we have all these double digit losses. It really is just because the talent, toughness and/or BB IQ gap between us and the good opponents currently. In a number of those double digit losses, we really didn't look like we belonged on the same court with the opponent (Lou, Virg, UNC, ....). That was not the case in the past when we were winning these kind of games or losing but keeping the score close.

 

[levance2]

We're getting hammered playing the chuck it up style. It has becoe very obvious that simply trying to out-talent blue-blood teams is a recipe for double digit losses.

Harve, I hate to say it, but you are just flat wrong. Pitt has lost 5 of their slowest 7 games this year. Pitt is 15-2 when playing at least 65 possessions, with the losses being NC St and UNC. Pitt overall is still #282 in tempo. Within ACC play, they are 12th.

They shouldn't be trying to outrun UNC, I can agree with that, but they should be pushing faster than they have against everyone else.

 

[thebadby2]

We're getting hammered playing the chuck it up style. It has becoe very obvious that simply trying to out-talent blue-blood teams is a recipe for double digit losses.

The roster in 2017-18 will have at least 8 new guys on it. We've signed a physical rebounder and a big athletic 2G plus a PG who gets to the rim. We have a physical 4/5 in Luther and a widebody post in Nix, plus we're trying to recruit another big bodied center. That is the nucleus of a team which could play the old style.

That should be the kind of guys we target with the scholarships we give to replace the current juniors.

Otherwise, we WILL become a bottom third ACC team.

If Nix works out as a serviceable ACC 5 man, I'll be very surprised. The weight loss is impressive, but you still have to be able to go baseline to baseline as fast as the other team's bigs without tripping over your own feet. He has had a year to work on nothing but his body and his game, and I assume our staff has been drilling him like crazy, so he will have no excuses. He can either play or he can't, we will know it real quick next season--as soon as we get into ACC play.

As we have all learned over time, we certainly can't make any assumptions about our players based on their performances against our OOC schedule. If we could, Jamel Artis would be a lottery pick and JROB would be an All-American PG. Nix could look like Shaq against the likes of RMU and Central Arkansas, doesn't mean a thing until he does it in the conference against legit P5 opponents.

 

[thebadby2]

I can't agree with the original thesis of this post. I don't think we have really opened up the offense and can be described as run n gun. That and a shorter shot clock is not the reason why we have all these double digit losses. It really is just because the talent, toughness and/or BB IQ gap between us and the good opponents currently. In a number of those double digit losses, we really didn't look like we belonged on the same court with the opponent (Lou, Virg, UNC, ....). That was not the case in the past when we were winning these kind of games or losing but keeping the score close.

I agree. I just don;t buy this idea that Dixon has changed radically and become some kind of half-assed Paul Westhead offensively. We are still very much a slow, deliberate, ugly offensive team. We just aren't as good offensively as we have been in the past for a variety of reasons mostly related to the lack of quality of our personnel, and we are horrific defensively. As Harve pointed out the other day, we don;t move the ball. Our half court sets used to be a precision instrument, think about Gibbs at the 2 running tirelessly off a series of brick-wall screens until we got him the ball in the sport he wanted it. This thing we roll out there now is a mess, it bears zero resemblance to our old offense, and it certainly isn't producing higher output, except against lousy teams like Wake or most of our OOCs.

 

[Harve74]

Harve do you think that Jamie needs to get some different assistant coaches or are you in the belief that he should keep status quo?

I've addressed this multiple times.

First, last and always, I think the head coach has the right to pick his staff. NOBODY, particularly fans, knows whether any particular assistant is doing what the head man wants him to do.

If Barnes wants to give Dixon more money to upgrade the staff, that's one thing but ordering a HC to bring in somebody else was a disaster when Pederson brought in Slice and would probably be a disaster now.

Obviously, recruiting has to be more productive. We disagree with how that would be defined. My contention for years has been this program went off the track when we started chasing star ratings instead of internal drive and toughness.

We were best when we signed under-rated kids who had the drive to improve. Kithcart and Manigault may be the first ones of a new generation of those. Those kind of kids would be good productivity to me, not underachieving 4- or 5-stars.

The recruiting cycle is greatly accelerated these days. We have already been in contact and building relationships with most of the targets for 2017. B-Man, who I respect greatly, says there is a full 2-year cycle to build relationships and recruit effectively. So, hiring a new recruiter for the 2017 class would possibly, maybe even probably, yield NEGATIVE outcomes.

That said, to me, Smoke Williamson is on borrowed time, for several reasons. First, he didn't land any of the Family 5-stars. Or the Mac Irvin kids. That's not hugely surprising since we hadn't been on any of them previously, but signing ONE of them would have made his bones, so to speak. Manigault is nice but BK had slready built a relationship with him to some extent.

Second, Smoke is a NIKE guy. Barnes is flirting with adidas and Under Armor. If we switch, then a new guy associated with the new supplier is arguably needed, ASAP.

IMHO, Smoke needs to land a pretty good commit soon or he is on the hot seat. The apparel decision could come anytime and it could REALLY screw up the 2017 recruiting and the program.

We could make a case for replacing any assistant, but it comes down to what Dixon wants.
First, he's unlikely to listen to anyone forced on him.

Second, Basketball is not football. Offensive and Defensive coordinators don't run their sides of the ball and call plays. Frankly, most of our fans don't know enough about basketball to understand that assistants have much less impact in hoops.

 

[NTOP]

I agree. I just don;t buy this idea that Dixon has changed radically and become some kind of half-assed Paul Westhead offensively. We are still very much a slow, deliberate, ugly offensive team. We just aren't as good offensively as we have been in the past for a variety of reasons mostly related to the lack of quality of our personnel, and we are horrific defensively. As Harve pointed out the other day, we don;t move the ball. Our half court sets used to be a precision instrument, think about Gibbs at the 2 running tirelessly off a series of brick-wall screens until we got him the ball in the sport he wanted it. This thing we roll out there now is a mess, it bears zero resemblance to our old offense, and it certainly isn't producing higher output, except against lousy teams like Wake or most of our OOCs.

We looked like a different team early on, getting runouts and shooting with confidence. That sorta disappeared when we started playing teams with a pulse. I think the Purdue team shocked the players AND the coaches.

 

[Harve74]

I agree. I just don;t buy this idea that Dixon has changed radically and become some kind of half-assed Paul Westhead offensively. We are still very much a slow, deliberate, ugly offensive team. We just aren't as good offensively as we have been in the past for a variety of reasons mostly related to the lack of quality of our personnel, and we are horrific defensively. As Harve pointed out the other day, we don;t move the ball. Our half court sets used to be a precision instrument, think about Gibbs at the 2 running tirelessly off a series of brick-wall screens until we got him the ball in the sport he wanted it. This thing we roll out there now is a mess, it bears zero resemblance to our old offense, and it certainly isn't producing higher output, except against lousy teams like Wake or most of our OOCs.

Well, we agree what we are doing has no resemblence to our old offense. That's at leat something.

I'll accept that what we've done in the past few games isn't the offense we ran in November or December. It s basically a few guys going 1 on 5, like a pick up game.

However, I'm sticking to my point that we WERE going uptempo in November and December. Our possessions went up by 10, much more than the national increase with the 5 second shorter shot clock. We were scoring 85 ppg. We abandoned the high ball screen which started our possessions for the past 3 or 4 years. We were far from a slow, deliberate offense.

I'm 100% confident Dixon made those changes because that is really the only way this roster WOULD play. They're not at all physical. They won't screen. Nobody can dribble well enough to attack the rim. He has actually tried to run more several times over the past few seasons and it has always broken down for the same reason: the team wants to get out and run so much they forget about rebounding.

This group has also quit passing. Whether the spacing and movement broke down BEFORE the passing stopped or after, I'm not sure, but both have been AWOL since Louisville.

There are lots of problems with this team and I doubt many go away until the roster turns over, no matter who the coach is or what he tries to do.

But, a Virginia/Wisconsin/old style Pitt system woud give us SOME chance of becoming competitive in future years.,We're not going to do it playing typical ACC style.

 

[thebadby2]

We looked like a different team early on, getting runouts and shooting with confidence. That sorta disappeared when we started playing teams with a pulse. I think the Purdue team shocked the players AND the coaches.

And Purdue, as it turns out, is pretty good but not

We looked like a different team early on, getting runouts and shooting with confidence. That sorta disappeared when we started playing teams with a pulse. I think the Purdue team shocked the players AND the coaches.

I've addressed this multiple times.

First, last and always, I think the head coach has the right to pick his staff. NOBODY, particularly fans, knows whether any particular assistant is doing what the head man wants him to do.

If Barnes wants to give Dixon more money to upgrade the staff, that's one thing but ordering a HC to bring in somebody else was a disaster when Pederson brought in Slice and would probably be a disaster now.

Obviouasly, recruiting has to be more productive. We disagree wi5h how that would be defined. My contention for years has been this program went off the track when we started chasing star ratings instead of internal drive and toughness.

We were best when we signed under-rated kids who had the drive to improve. Kithcart and Manigault may be the first ones of a new generation of those. Those kind of kids would be good productivity to me, not underachieving 4- or 5-stars.

The recruiting cycle is greatly accelerated these days. We have already been in contact and building relationships with most of the targets for 2017. B-Man, who I respect greatly, says ghere is a full 2-year cycle to build relationships and recruit effectively. So, hiring a new recruiter for the 2017 class would possibly, maybe even probably, yield NEGATIVE outcomes.

That said, to me, Smoke Williamson is on borrowed time, for several reasons. First, he didn't land any of the Family 5-stars. Or the Mac Irvin kids. That's not hugely surprising since we hadn't been on any of them previously, but signing ONE of them would have made his bones, so to speak. Manigault is nice but BK had slready built a relationship with him to some extent.

Second, Smoke is a NIKE guy. Barnes is flirting with adidas and Under Armor. If we switch, then a new guy associated with the new supplier is arguably needed, ASAP.

IMHO, Smoke needs to land a pretty good commit soon or he is on the hot seat. The apparel decision could come anytime and it could REALLY screw up the 2017 recruiting and the program.

We could make a case for replacing any assistant, but it comes down to what Dixon wants.
First, he's unlikely to listen to anyone forced on him.

Second, Basketball is not football. Offensive and Defensive coordinators don't run their sides of the ball and call plays. Frankly, most of our fans don't know enough about basketball to understand that assistants have much less impact in hoops.

Agree 100%. Basketball assistant coaches have three functions really, to run drills, to recruit, and to be the buffer between the HC and the players, the guy that props the players up psychologically when the HC leans on them. This constant call for JD to change assistant coaches as the cure to our issues is just laughable. If there's a coaching problem on any basketball team, it's the HC, not his assistants.

 

[NCanton Panther]

Well, we agree what we are doing has no resemblence to our old offense. That's at leat something.

I'll accept that what we've done in the past few games isn't the offense we ran in November or December. It s basically a few guys going 1 on 5, like a pick up game.

However, I'm sticking to my point that we WERE going uptempo in November and December. Our possessions went up by 10, much more than the national increase with the 5 second shorter shot clock. We were scoring 85 ppg. We abandoned the high ball screen which started our possessions for the past 3 or 4 years. We were far from a slow, deliberate offense.

I'm 100% confident Dixon made those changes because that is really the only way this roster WOULD play. They're not at all physical. They won't screen. Nobody can dribble well enough to attack the rim. He has actually tried to run more several times over the past few seasons and it has always broken down for the same reason: the team wants to get out and run so much they forget about rebounding.

This group has also quit passing. Whether the spacing and movement broke down BEFORE the passing stopped or after, I'm not sure, but both have been AWOL since Louisville.

There are lots of problems with this team and I doubt many go away until the roster turns over, no matter who the coach is or what he tries to do.

But, a Virginia/Wisconsin/old style Pitt system woud give us SOME chance of becoming competitive in future years.,We're not going to do it playing typical ACC style.

O'k, I'll give you that we were more uptempo in November and December, but I would say that was more because of the level of completion back then.

I don't think we've been uptempo since the uptick in the level of completion and, as already noted, I don't see that as the reason for the losses being double digit as opposed to single digit if not wins in the past.

 

[33pitt99]

And Purdue, as it turns out, is pretty good but not


Agree 100%. Basketball assistant coaches have three functions really, to run drills, to recruit, and to be the buffer between the HC and the players, the guy that props the players up psychologically when the HC leans on them. This constant call for JD to change assistant coaches as the cure to our issues is just laughable. If there's a coaching problem on any basketball team, it's the HC, not his assistants.

Seems to me that Brandin yells at the players more than Jamie does. I mean flat out screaming at them when they make mistakes. It seems as though Jamie's yelling is more instruction/encouragement, but Brandin seems much more in your face and critical. Maybe it's different in practice and away from the court.

 

[ClarkLotTgate]

Second, Smoke is a NIKE guy. Barnes is flirting with adidas and Under Armor. If we switch, then a new guy associated with the new supplier is arguably needed, ASAP.

Harve, i have been trying to find it, but any idea when is our current deal with Nike over?

ACC brands:
BC (UA)
Clemson (Nike)
Duke (Nike)
FSU (Nike)
GTech (Russel)
LVille (Adidas)
Miami (Adidas)
UNC (Nike)
NC State (Adidas)
ND (UA)
Syracuse (Nike)
UVA (Nike)
VTech (Nike)
Wake (Nike)

So more or less the traditional ACC footprint is Nike, maybe having a UA or Adidas AAU connection would allow us to recruit other spots in the mid-Atlantic/southeast that are already saturated by nike schools?

 

[Harve74]

O'k, I'll give you that we were more uptempo in November and December, but I would say that was more because of the level of completion back then.

I don't think we've been uptempo since the uptick in the level of completion and, as already noted, I don't see that as the reason for the losses being double digit as opposed to single digit if not wins in the past.

Well, our total lack of defense certainly contributes to the double digit losses too, but adding 10 more possessions is going to mean higher scores.

I think the aggressive offensive mindset compared to a slower controlled pace is mostly going to result in worse defense, unless it is matched with an aggresive defense.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Harve, I hate to say it, but you are just flat wrong. Pitt has lost 5 of their slowest 7 games this year. Pitt is 15-2 when playing at least 65 possessions, with the losses being NC St and UNC. Pitt overall is still #282 in tempo. Within ACC play, they are 12th.

They shouldn't be trying to outrun UNC, I can agree with that, but they should be pushing faster than they have against everyone else.

Thanks for that..
I think it's safe to see our efficiency on both ends is substantially worse in losses.. Especially with awful defense.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

We're getting hammered playing the chuck it up style. It has becoe very obvious that simply trying to out-talent blue-blood teams is a recipe for double digit losses.

The roster in 2017-18 will have at least 8 new guys on it. We've signed a physical rebounder and a big athletic 2G plus a PG who gets to the rim. We have a physical 4/5 in Luther and a widebody post in Nix, plus we're trying to recruit another big bodied center. That is the nucleus of a team which could play the old style.

That should be the kind of guys we target with the scholarships we give to replace the current juniors.

Otherwise, we WILL become a bottom third ACC team.

I would LOVE to see them get back to that style. It can work. As many have stated including me - see Virginia. But I was speaking of this particular team. They don't have the physical make up and in my view even less of that mental make up.

 

[Harve74]

Harve, i have been trying to find it, but any idea when is our current deal with Nike over?

ACC brands:
BC (UA)
Clemson (Nike)
Duke (Nike)
FSU (Nike)
GTech (Russel)
LVille (Adidas)
Miami (Adidas)
UNC (Nike)
NC State (Adidas)
ND (UA)
Syracuse (Nike)
UVA (Nike)
VTech (Nike)
Wake (Nike)

So more or less the traditional ACC footprint is Nike, maybe having a UA or Adidas AAU connection would allow us to recruit other spots in the mid-Atlantic/southeast that are already saturated by nike schools?

I have no hard information but I gotta assume it either ends soon or we have an out clause. Barnes is at the very minimum using the threat of swtching to force higher rights fees from Nike. If the contract had years to run, he probably would be doing that less publicly.

I believe it is in effect the remainder of this year at least because it has been bandied about that we will be in Nike Script uniforms in FB and hoops in the 2016-17 season but might switch after that.

Nike is the giant in the industry. The question is whether being the exception with UA or adidas is better than being lost in the Nike monolith. We wouldn't be one of the top schools with adidas either. They have a group of high profile programs. UA has fewer, but they have a previous very strong relationship with Maryland within our footprint.

Other than a few dollars more in the coffers, unless we return to national relevance, it really has little effect. I think we got one decent recruiting class when we joined Nike with great fanfare, then it was back to business as usual.

 

[Pete108K11]

Well, we agree what we are doing has no resemblence to our old offense. That's at leat something.

I'll accept that what we've done in the past few games isn't the offense we ran in November or December. It s basically a few guys going 1 on 5, like a pick up game.

However, I'm sticking to my point that we WERE going uptempo in November and December. Our possessions went up by 10, much more than the national increase with the 5 second shorter shot clock. We were scoring 85 ppg. We abandoned the high ball screen which started our possessions for the past 3 or 4 years. We were far from a slow, deliberate offense.

I'm 100% confident Dixon made those changes because that is really the only way this roster WOULD play. They're not at all physical. They won't screen. Nobody can dribble well enough to attack the rim. He has actually tried to run more several times over the past few seasons and it has always broken down for the same reason: the team wants to get out and run so much they forget about rebounding.

This group has also quit passing. Whether the spacing and movement broke down BEFORE the passing stopped or after, I'm not sure, but both have been AWOL since Louisville.

There are lots of problems with this team and I doubt many go away until the roster turns over, no matter who the coach is or what he tries to do.

But, a Virginia/Wisconsin/old style Pitt system woud give us SOME chance of becoming competitive in future years.,We're not going to do it playing typical ACC style.

The offense has turned to dribble handoffs lately. Perhaps with using Maia and ANO less there was a decision that Luther, Jeter and Young do other things better (or have a habit of picking up a foul on a moving pick) so now the 4s and 5s are popping out to the top of the key to accept the ball but not to screen as the first option.

We still use a lot of curls to get Young, Artis and Robinson open around the foul line. The problem with the curls seems to be that it eats up 5 seconds or so and if the first option fails, there are 15 seconds left in the shot clock to do something else.

You would think Robinson and Young ought to be able to execute a pick and roll. Maybe Robinson's shooting does not command enough respect to cause a switch and the defenses concede a three if Robinson's man goes under the screen

 

[ClarkLotTgate]

i did a little research and here's the breakdown of affiliation in the top 25 u17 AAU rankings:
Nike: 13
Adidas: 7
UA: 5
http://www.indihoops.com/rankings#sthash.m3yPatgd.EIFvrmAT.dpbs