Notre Dame Game & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** Let’s start with the one and only point that really matters. This was an excellent win!

** From there, I’ll move to full disclosure. I missed the first half, and about the first five minutes of the second, coaching my Son’s basketball game. So I’m writing much of this while first watching what I missed.

** Nonetheless, as maddening as it was watching two 18 point leads slip away (and I had to "watch" the first half lead tick down on my iphone), the end result was almost exactly what should have been expected, or perhaps even the best for which we really should have really hoped.

* I’ll submit that as fans we should focus not on the fact that we lost two 18 point leads. Instead, let’s celebrate that we had two 18 point leads.

** Let’s also enjoy the fact that we went into the final minute or so knowing that foul shooting wouldn’t be our demise. As it has been all year, it's been an incredible strength. For a team who can't defend, we need all the points we can get.

** But we already knew that our inability to defend is problematic. If we wish to compete with the very best teams, teams that can score and defend, we are going to have to find ways to get stops.

** Louisville is one such team.

** But let’s worry about that in a couple of days.

** For now I’ll go back to the first point, which is the excellent win, and the players who got us there.

** In almost all ways on the offensive end, Mike Young was simply tremendous. Mike has so many offensive weapons in his toolkit that he must be a nightmare for the scouting report.

** I don’t wish to harp on one bad decision, but I hope Mike can learn from his charge call late in the game. Mike can take players off the dribble, but seemingly he only does this well when he has an angle, as opposed to trying to make a drive straight down the lane.

** In this case, Mike should have turned around and back Colson down.

** I do look at Dixon’s decision not to pull Mike with two fouls for the last minute of the first half to be a curious one. I’m not going to try to say it was necessarily the wrong decision (although it sure turned out to be), but it’s a decision Dixon probably has never once made in his entire tenure as a head coach.

** Then again, did it really turn out to be the wrong decision? Maybe it was a blessing in disguise as it opened the door for Sheldon to shine through.

** Again, I’ll look to spend more time speaking to the positive (and try to overlook when Sheldon simply did not bother to guard Demetrius Jackson at the three point line with 2:00 minutes to go), but when Sheldon scores, the Panthers win. After a year and a half of evidence , it’s almost becoming a given.

** The only thing I wish Dixon could find is Sheldon’s off switch when he’s used up all of his made shots.

** If you joined the game late as I did without the benefit of a box score, you might have thought the Jamel Artis was very quiet. Perhaps what’s more unusual is that even his first half points even seemed quiet. Four three pointers quiet? Well ...

** There’s two ways of looking at the situation. One is that we can be pleased the Jamel didn’t force a bad shot when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. The other is that we needed Jamel to look to score when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. Since we won, we’ll say it worked this time.

** On the postgame show, Groat and Co. talked about the poise the Panthers showed to win this game. Maybe in the final minute or so ... maybe.

** Otherwise, I am left with one real bug-a-boo that did bother me greatly as our 18 point second half lead fell to a single deuce. That is, the complete lapses on the defensive glass that led to a couple of easy ND put backs. There’s really no excuse for that, and this must improve for sure.

** One player who certainly did show at least some poise at the end was James Robinson. We know James had a poor shooting game, but the slip away for the layup after the deft feed from Mike was gorgeous.

** One thing that probably goes a little overlooked when it comes to James is how well he handles the press, even if ND didn’t offer a very troubling one.

** When teams are on a run like ND, they almost always get a steal before the timeline, and James easily made sure that wasn’t going to happen.

** As I prepare to watch the Steelers, I’ll end with a hearty congrats to our Panthers. The passed their first road test and have many things going for them as they head to the Yum Center.

 

[DT_PITT]

And just for good measure, our Pomeroy rankings after this game ended up as follows ...

#24 overall.

#4 on offense.

#186 on defense.

Pretty much says it all about this team in my mind ...

To go a step further, ND also moved up in this game to #31 overall.

They now have Pomeroy's #1 ranked offense. But they fell to #213 on defense.

All these numbers notwithstanding, a road win against a team of ND's quality is something with which we should be very pleased.

 

[pitt-girl]

** Let’s start with the one and only point that really matters. This was an excellent win!

** From there, I’ll move to full disclosure. I missed the first half, and about the first five minutes of the second coaching my Son’s basketball game. So I’m writing much of this while first watching what I missed.

** Nonetheless, as maddening as it was watching two 18 point leads slip away (and I had to "watch" the first half lead tick down on my iphone), the end result was almost exactly what should have been expected, or perhaps even the best for which we really should have really hoped.

* I’ll submit that as fans we should focus not on the fact that we lost two 18 point leads. Instead, let’s celebrate that we had two 18 point leads.

** Let’s also enjoy the fact that we went into the final minute or so knowing that foul shooting wouldn’t be our demise. As it has been all year, it's been an incredible strength. For a team who can't defend, we need all the points we can get.

** But we already knew that our inability to defend is problematic. If we wish to compete with the very best teams, teams that can score and defend, we are going to have to find ways to get stops.

** Louisville is one such team.

** But let’s worry about that in a couple of days.

** For now I’ll go back to the first point, which is the excellent win, and the players who got us there.

** In almost all ways on the offensive end, Mike Young was simply tremendous. Mike has so many offensive weapons in his toolkit that he must be a nightmare for the scouting report.

** I don’t wish to harp on one bad decision, but I hope Mike can learn from his charge call late in the game. Mike can take players off the dribble, but seemingly he only does this well when he has an angle, as opposed to trying to make a drive straight down the lane.

** In this case, Mike should have turned around and back Colson down.

** I do look at Dixon’s decision not to pull Mike with two fouls for the last minute of the first half to be a curious one. I’m not going to try to say it was necessarily the wrong decision (although it sure turned out to be), but it’s a decision Dixon probably has never once made in his entire tenure as a head coach.

** Then again, did it really turn out to be the wrong decision? Maybe it was a blessing in disguise as it opened the door for Sheldon to shine through.

** Again, I’ll look to spend more time speaking to the positive (and try to overlook when Sheldon simply did not bother to guard Demetrius Jackson at the three point line with 2:00 minutes to go), but when Sheldon scores, the Panthers win. After a year and a half of evidence , it’s almost becoming a given.

** The only thing I wish Dixon could find is Sheldon’s off switch when he’s used up all of his made shots.

** If you joined the game late as I did without the benefit of a box score, you might have thought the Jamel Artis was very quiet. Perhaps what’s more unusual is that even his first half points even seemed quiet. For three pointers quiet? Well ...

** There’s two ways of looking at the situation. One is that we can be pleased the Jamel didn’t force a bad shot when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. The other is that we needed Jamel to look to score when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. Since we won, we’ll say it worked this time.

** On the postgame show, Groat and Co. talked about the poise the Panthers showed to win this game. Maybe in the final minute or so ... maybe.

** Otherwise, I am left with one real bug-a-boo that did bother me greatly as our 18 point second half lead fell to a single deuce. That is, the complete lapses on the defensive glass that led to a couple of easy ND put backs. There’s really no excuse for that, and this must improve for sure.

** One player who certainly did show at least some poise at the end was James Robinson. We know James had a poor shooting game, but the slip away for the layup after the deft feed from Mike was gorgeous.

** One thing that probably goes a little overlooked when it comes to James is how well he handles the press, even if ND didn’t offer a very troubling one.

** When teams are on a run like ND, they almost always get a steal before the timeline, and James easily made sure that wasn’t going to happen.

** As I prepare to watch the Steelers, I’ll end with a hearty congrats to our Panthers. The passed their first road test and have many things going for them as they head to the Yum Center.

** One thing that probably goes a little overlooked when it comes to James is how well he handles the press

Well, those skills will certainly be put to the test next week in the Yum Center!

(Edit: THIS week)

 

[DT_PITT]

** One thing that probably goes a little overlooked when it comes to James is how well he handles the press

Well, those skills will certainly be put to the test next week in the Yum Center!

They will work very hard to get it out of James' hands.

 

[Scruffy the Panther]

** One thing that probably goes a little overlooked when it comes to James is how well he handles the press

Well, those skills will certainly be put to the test next week in the Yum Center!

(Edit: THIS week)

Wilson has been decent so far, but he's seemed to struggle when teams have pressed him so far this year. I'd worry about him playing against Louisville, the best pressing team we will play. So this is a game that I'm really hoping James can stay on the floor for the vast majority of minutes at PG. Although I already think this anyways.

 

[drunkinoakland]

** Let’s start with the one and only point that really matters. This was an excellent win!

** From there, I’ll move to full disclosure. I missed the first half, and about the first five minutes of the second coaching my Son’s basketball game. So I’m writing much of this while first watching what I missed.

** Nonetheless, as maddening as it was watching two 18 point leads slip away (and I had to "watch" the first half lead tick down on my iphone), the end result was almost exactly what should have been expected, or perhaps even the best for which we really should have really hoped.

* I’ll submit that as fans we should focus not on the fact that we lost two 18 point leads. Instead, let’s celebrate that we had two 18 point leads.

** Let’s also enjoy the fact that we went into the final minute or so knowing that foul shooting wouldn’t be our demise. As it has been all year, it's been an incredible strength. For a team who can't defend, we need all the points we can get.

** But we already knew that our inability to defend is problematic. If we wish to compete with the very best teams, teams that can score and defend, we are going to have to find ways to get stops.

** Louisville is one such team.

** But let’s worry about that in a couple of days.

** For now I’ll go back to the first point, which is the excellent win, and the players who got us there.

** In almost all ways on the offensive end, Mike Young was simply tremendous. Mike has so many offensive weapons in his toolkit that he must be a nightmare for the scouting report.

** I don’t wish to harp on one bad decision, but I hope Mike can learn from his charge call late in the game. Mike can take players off the dribble, but seemingly he only does this well when he has an angle, as opposed to trying to make a drive straight down the lane.

** In this case, Mike should have turned around and back Colson down.

** I do look at Dixon’s decision not to pull Mike with two fouls for the last minute of the first half to be a curious one. I’m not going to try to say it was necessarily the wrong decision (although it sure turned out to be), but it’s a decision Dixon probably has never once made in his entire tenure as a head coach.

** Then again, did it really turn out to be the wrong decision? Maybe it was a blessing in disguise as it opened the door for Sheldon to shine through.

** Again, I’ll look to spend more time speaking to the positive (and try to overlook when Sheldon simply did not bother to guard Demetrius Jackson at the three point line with 2:00 minutes to go), but when Sheldon scores, the Panthers win. After a year and a half of evidence , it’s almost becoming a given.

** The only thing I wish Dixon could find is Sheldon’s off switch when he’s used up all of his made shots.

** If you joined the game late as I did without the benefit of a box score, you might have thought the Jamel Artis was very quiet. Perhaps what’s more unusual is that even his first half points even seemed quiet. For three pointers quiet? Well ...

** There’s two ways of looking at the situation. One is that we can be pleased the Jamel didn’t force a bad shot when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. The other is that we needed Jamel to look to score when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. Since we won, we’ll say it worked this time.

** On the postgame show, Groat and Co. talked about the poise the Panthers showed to win this game. Maybe in the final minute or so ... maybe.

** Otherwise, I am left with one real bug-a-boo that did bother me greatly as our 18 point second half lead fell to a single deuce. That is, the complete lapses on the defensive glass that led to a couple of easy ND put backs. There’s really no excuse for that, and this must improve for sure.

** One player who certainly did show at least some poise at the end was James Robinson. We know James had a poor shooting game, but the slip away for the layup after the deft feed from Mike was gorgeous.

** One thing that probably goes a little overlooked when it comes to James is how well he handles the press, even if ND didn’t offer a very troubling one.

** When teams are on a run like ND, they almost always get a steal before the timeline, and James easily made sure that wasn’t going to happen.

** As I prepare to watch the Steelers, I’ll end with a hearty congrats to our Panthers. The passed their first road test and have many things going for them as they head to the Yum Center.

I'm much more of a casual spectator than I was in past years.

I just wanted to add:

1. Thanks for the dribbles as always
2. I was on this bandwagon in the summer that we were good.
3. Sheldon has been pretty good, but as a favor to the fan base I'll continue my unfounded and irrational criticism so he keeps producing. You are all welcome.
4. Great yet frustrating at times win.

 

[PittMan 72]

Think this was a VERY BIG WIN for Pitt regardless of how it came down in the end. ND is a real tough out at home. Pitt started the game shooting and playing on offense (and some good D at the start, too) about as well as I've ever seen them. Hard to do that all game. But those points they banked early still counted.

We all know that the D has to improve. Part of that D is def. rebounding. There were some lapses late. If there was one play that might have changed things a bit it was when Mike Young picking up his 3rd foul very late in the first half (right after he picked up his second!),

But a win is a win. And a ROAD win is maybe even better. This team has a LOT of options offensively. So we'll see. On to the 'Ville. Know what? Another Pitt win there wouldn't shock me! Looking forward to it.

 

[DT_PITT]

I'm much more of a casual spectator than I was in past years.

I just wanted to add:

1. Thanks for the dribbles as always
2. I was on this bandwagon in the summer that we were good.
3. Sheldon has been pretty good, but as a favor to the fan base I'll continue my unfounded and irrational criticism so he keeps producing. You are all welcome.
4. Great yet frustrating at times win.

Here's what is funny. If we KNEW we were a really good team (like a sure-fire Top 10 team), then we would be thrilled that we came out this game, thrilled because we took a great run from ND but still won.

But because we are NOT sure we are a pretty good team, it is frustrating that we couldn't put them away more easily.

It seems like it should be the other way around, but it isn't.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Was a nice win. Shot well enough on the road to hold them off.

 

[Fredact]

Like a lot of folks, I thought Pitt started slowing it down too soon, but as it turned out, that was exactly the correct thing to do. Had ND had another 40 seconds or so to play with at the end, this may have turned out very differently.

 

[lunzhegu]

It's not just about scoring and defense. It's also about the team mentality. They display a lot of confidence and composure. That was a tough challenge they faced, and they didn't panic or make mistakes.

It's all right to get excited by now. Anyone who is still hedging on this team might miss the season. When we lose, it won't validate the hedge. The proverb I gave in the discussion on ratings systems in your Georgia Tech dribbles is "Observers Are Worried; Believers Are Enjoying."

On another point, regarding Young's third foul, the broadcasters were under the impression that his second foul was on Artis. It is possible that the coaches lost track in a similar way. Maybe they didn't think Young had two fouls when they left him in. They are usually automatic about that policy with post players.

 

[goalieman]

It's not just about scoring and defense. It's also about the team mentality. They display a lot of confidence and composure. That was a tough challenge they faced, and they didn't panic or make mistakes.

It's all right to get excited by now. Anyone who is still hedging on this team might miss the season. When we lose, it won't validate the hedge. The proverb I gave in the discussion on ratings systems in your Georgia Tech dribbles is "Observers Are Worried; Believers Are Enjoying."

On another point, regarding Young's third foul, the broadcasters were under the impression that his second foul was on Artis. It is possible that the coaches lost track in a similar way. Maybe they didn't think Young had two fouls when they left him in. They are usually automatic about that policy with post players.

- I was astounded that Young wasn't taken out when he picked up his 2nd foul as there was only 1:05 left to play in the 1st half with Pitt up by 9 at the time and I wondered out loud whether the staff didn't know he had 2 fouls ...... unfortunately he picked up his 3rd with 0:34 seconds to go in the half (he actually committed 3 fouls in 48 seconds) ...... fortunately Jeter played well in the 2nd half with Young out and kept the situation from costing us..... there may be times when you should keep a player in the game in the 1st half with two fouls ..... this did not seem like one of them to me ...... did anyone ask Jamie about it in the post game interviews ??

- A fascinating question with this team also, IMO, is when we have the lead late in the 2nd half, when should we start slowing it down ? ...... we started slowing the game down with about 8+ minutes to play yesterday and we didn't seem to get as open shots in our half court offense as we did when we played at our usual tempo and Notre Dame made their late comeback ...... every game is different and it depends on the opponent, the time left, the size of the lead, etc. but it looks like with this team that we may have to be careful not to slow it down too soon.

- Improve the defense and we have a chance to go a long way !!

 

[GT74]

Like a lot of folks, I thought Pitt started slowing it down too soon, but as it turned out, that was exactly the correct thing to do. Had ND had another 40 seconds or so to play with at the end, this may have turned out very differently.

Get what your saying, but if they had stayed playing fast and taking the first good shot, or pushing it inside, the game might not have been that close to have the last 40 sec. matter. We just don't know. how that would have turned out. To me, when they started using clock, they looked apprehensive and uncomfortable. And, the lack of FGs and a few TOs showed it. Using clock is beneficial, but you must stay aggressive and try to score when you can, because 30 secs isn't a long time.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Awhile back there was a thread about sitting a player with two fouls in the first half and this was the perfect example as to why you do it. Pitt was very fortunate that Jeter played so well today. Hasn't he improved his play ,without a doubt he'll be a hugh determinant for Pitts continued success this season.
I have no issue about the perimeter defense ,when guys are making shots from 5-7 ft behind the arc with a hand in their face what are you going to about it ,but yesterday in the first half Chris Jones twice allowed the ND player to step back and drain a pair of threes. ( he was on fire at the time ). My concern is with the defense around the bucket ND constantly drove strong to the hoop for slams or lay ups.
This team is truly the most exciting Pitt team to watch that I can remember they can explode offensively with the points coming from so many players and no lead is safe .its going to be fun to watch this play out.

 

[Jeffburgh]

I don't give a $hit if they were up 50 and only won by 1.

This is ND, and Brey has JD's number.

Take the win there, get on the team plane and GTFO of Indiana.

 

[PittMan 72]

Awhile back there was a thread about sitting a player with two fouls in the first half and this was the perfect example as to why you do it. Pitt was very fortunate that Jeter played so well today. Hasn't he improved his play ,without a doubt he'll be a hugh determinant for Pitts continued success this season.
I have no issue about the perimeter defense ,when guys are making shots from 5-7 ft behind the arc with a hand in their face what are you going to about it ,but yesterday in the first half Chris Jones twice allowed the ND player to step back and drain a pair of threes. ( he was on fire at the time ). My concern is with the defense around the bucket ND constantly drove strong to the hoop for slams or lay ups.
This team is truly the most exciting Pitt team to watch that I can remember they can explode offensively with the points coming from so many players and no lead is safe .its going to be fun to watch this play out.

Jamie is in a bit of a quandary with his interior D right now. The best rim protector is A N-O. But he just can't seem to stay out of foul trouble and he looks at times to be having some problems assimilating into the offense. Maia, while not a scorer, is a solid rebounder and and a very nice passer (really like his quick decision-making in terms of moving the ball when he grabs a rebound). But he is comparatively slower afoot when trying to defend in the post. Jeter's interior D has been better at times this year, but still sporadic. So it looks like Jamie is going to have to try to handle things situationally: play the guy he thinks fits best at the appropriate time based on score; time left; match-ups; foul situation; in general what he feels is needed at that particular point in a given game.

 

[mo cheeks]

I was su

Here's what is funny. If we KNEW we were a really good team (like a sure-fire Top 10 team), then we would be thrilled that we came out this game, thrilled because we took a great run from ND but still won.

But because we are NOT sure we are a pretty good team, it is frustrating that we couldn't put them away more easily.

It seems like it should be the other way around, but it isn't.

re we are pretty many good games ago. I am amazed by the consistency of the offense, and all the weapons we have. I am also miffed by the defense at times. I do worry that one day, we are going to have a bad shooting night. will the defense be able to pick up the slack or will we get blown out ? Our best offensive team is clearly with Jeter, Young at the 4/5. However, I think that is our worst defensive team.

Sheldon Jeter has amazed me, in how much he has improved, offensively and rebounding, even shot blocking. He and Mike young both have problems on defense, guarding. they must improve at the defensive end !

when we went up by 18 in the second half, Pitt felt like a potential final 4 team. I really thought the game was over. when we let them come back, I had to hold off on my final 4 prediction and settle for knowing we are a pretty good team with a chance to be really good.

PS. I was confident that this is a really good team when I saw what Maia could do, when I watched Sterling Smith closely and then the improvement in Jeter.

 

[phijo]

Jamie is in a bit of a quandary with his interior D right now. The best rim protector is A N-O. But he just can't seem to stay out of foul trouble and he looks at times to be having some problems assimilating into the offense. Maia, while not a scorer, is a solid rebounder and and a very nice passer (really like his quick decision-making in terms of moving the ball when he grabs a rebound). But he is comparatively slower afoot when trying to defend in the post. Jeter's interior D has been better at times this year, but still sporadic. So it looks like Jamie is going to have to try to handle things situationally: play the guy he thinks fits best at the appropriate time based on score; time left; match-ups; foul situation; in general what he feels is needed at that particular point in a given game.

Real nice assessment of what the guys in the interior bring. I like Maia, but he is going to be limited against physical players. Ododa is the only "interior presence" but he is not as good a rebounder and rarely stays out of foul trouble. It is the best that we have. Maybe Nix, in 3 years will be that complete interior player.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

I was su

re we are pretty many good games ago. I am amazed by the consistency of the offense, and all the weapons we have. I am also miffed by the defense at times. I do worry that one day, we are going to have a bad shooting night. will the defense be able to pick up the slack or will we get blown out ? Our best offensive team is clearly with Jeter, Young at the 4/5. However, I think that is our worst defensive team.

Sheldon Jeter has amazed me, in how much he has improved, offensively and rebounding, even shot blocking. He and Mike young both have problems on defense, guarding. they must improve at the defensive end !

when we went up by 18 in the second half, Pitt felt like a potential final 4 team. I really thought the game was over. when we let them come back, I had to hold off on my final 4 prediction and settle for knowing we are a pretty good team with a chance to be really good.

PS. I was confident that this is a really good team when I saw what Maia could do, when I watched Sterling Smith closely and then the improvement in Jeter.

" . . . when we let them come back." I am not sure how much of it was on us. Sure, playing more deliberately to burn clock got us out of offensive rhythem in the 2nd half; but, they also came back from 18 in the first half. IMHO, their comebacks were as much the result of the new officiating freedom of movement rule enforcement and a very talented shooting team as the opponent, It really seemed to me mostly more like an NBA-style runs and counter runs, and less to do with playing style or defensive effort. It looked like simply offensive talent coming to the fore under the new officiating emphasis.

 

[NTOP]

** Let’s start with the one and only point that really matters. This was an excellent win!

** From there, I’ll move to full disclosure. I missed the first half, and about the first five minutes of the second, coaching my Son’s basketball game. So I’m writing much of this while first watching what I missed.

** Nonetheless, as maddening as it was watching two 18 point leads slip away (and I had to "watch" the first half lead tick down on my iphone), the end result was almost exactly what should have been expected, or perhaps even the best for which we really should have really hoped.

* I’ll submit that as fans we should focus not on the fact that we lost two 18 point leads. Instead, let’s celebrate that we had two 18 point leads.

** Let’s also enjoy the fact that we went into the final minute or so knowing that foul shooting wouldn’t be our demise. As it has been all year, it's been an incredible strength. For a team who can't defend, we need all the points we can get.

** But we already knew that our inability to defend is problematic. If we wish to compete with the very best teams, teams that can score and defend, we are going to have to find ways to get stops.

** Louisville is one such team.

** But let’s worry about that in a couple of days.

** For now I’ll go back to the first point, which is the excellent win, and the players who got us there.

** In almost all ways on the offensive end, Mike Young was simply tremendous. Mike has so many offensive weapons in his toolkit that he must be a nightmare for the scouting report.

** I don’t wish to harp on one bad decision, but I hope Mike can learn from his charge call late in the game. Mike can take players off the dribble, but seemingly he only does this well when he has an angle, as opposed to trying to make a drive straight down the lane.

** In this case, Mike should have turned around and back Colson down.

** I do look at Dixon’s decision not to pull Mike with two fouls for the last minute of the first half to be a curious one. I’m not going to try to say it was necessarily the wrong decision (although it sure turned out to be), but it’s a decision Dixon probably has never once made in his entire tenure as a head coach.

** Then again, did it really turn out to be the wrong decision? Maybe it was a blessing in disguise as it opened the door for Sheldon to shine through.

** Again, I’ll look to spend more time speaking to the positive (and try to overlook when Sheldon simply did not bother to guard Demetrius Jackson at the three point line with 2:00 minutes to go), but when Sheldon scores, the Panthers win. After a year and a half of evidence , it’s almost becoming a given.

** The only thing I wish Dixon could find is Sheldon’s off switch when he’s used up all of his made shots.

** If you joined the game late as I did without the benefit of a box score, you might have thought the Jamel Artis was very quiet. Perhaps what’s more unusual is that even his first half points even seemed quiet. Four three pointers quiet? Well ...

** There’s two ways of looking at the situation. One is that we can be pleased the Jamel didn’t force a bad shot when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. The other is that we needed Jamel to look to score when the team was struggling to score down the stretch. Since we won, we’ll say it worked this time.

** On the postgame show, Groat and Co. talked about the poise the Panthers showed to win this game. Maybe in the final minute or so ... maybe.

** Otherwise, I am left with one real bug-a-boo that did bother me greatly as our 18 point second half lead fell to a single deuce. That is, the complete lapses on the defensive glass that led to a couple of easy ND put backs. There’s really no excuse for that, and this must improve for sure.

** One player who certainly did show at least some poise at the end was James Robinson. We know James had a poor shooting game, but the slip away for the layup after the deft feed from Mike was gorgeous.

** One thing that probably goes a little overlooked when it comes to James is how well he handles the press, even if ND didn’t offer a very troubling one.

** When teams are on a run like ND, they almost always get a steal before the timeline, and James easily made sure that wasn’t going to happen.

** As I prepare to watch the Steelers, I’ll end with a hearty congrats to our Panthers. The passed their first road test and have many things going for them as they head to the Yum Center.

Did Sammy's team hit their FT's in the last 2 minutes?? Those are REALLY big, ya know!!

 

[mjf313]

** Otherwise, I am left with one real bug-a-boo that did bother me greatly as our 18 point second half lead fell to a single deuce. That is, the complete lapses on the defensive glass that led to a couple of easy ND put backs. There’s really no excuse for that, and this must improve for sure.

Great observation. I think we were doing a great job of it until the stretch. The announcers remarked about the put back as being the first time ND had scored on the offensive glass all game. So we were holding them off.... and picked a bad time to stop playing well there.

 

[DT_PITT]

It's not just about scoring and defense. It's also about the team mentality. They display a lot of confidence and composure. That was a tough challenge they faced, and they didn't panic or make mistakes.

It's all right to get excited by now. Anyone who is still hedging on this team might miss the season. When we lose, it won't validate the hedge. The proverb I gave in the discussion on ratings systems in your Georgia Tech dribbles is "Observers Are Worried; Believers Are Enjoying."

On another point, regarding Young's third foul, the broadcasters were under the impression that his second foul was on Artis. It is possible that the coaches lost track in a similar way. Maybe they didn't think Young had two fouls when they left him in. They are usually automatic about that policy with post players.

I didn't think there was any confusion at all for the second foul since it was a clear offensive foul on Mike.

That's what made me even MORE confused that he didn't pull Mike -- because that second foul send Mike (and the team) back to the defensive end for just one minute.

However, perhaps there was some confusion, as this was a highly unusual decision for Jamie.

 

[lunzhegu]

You're right about the 2nd foul, which was the offensive foul. It was the first foul, just before that, when August was fouled on the drive. Artis and Young were in the lane, and it was clearly Young's foul, and the TV announcers called it, but Groat and the other radio announcer said that it was Artis' foul. If I remember correctly, they didn't correct themselves to note that that Young had two fouls after the offensive one that you corrected me about. Artis was on the Pitt bench side of the play. I don't know what everyone was looking at on the bench or at the scorers' table. I couldn't see whom the ref was indicating on that first foul. I think that somebody blew it.

 

[Franb]

You're right about the 2nd foul, which was the offensive foul. It was the first foul, just before that, when August was fouled on the drive. Artis and Young were in the lane, and it was clearly Young's foul, and the TV announcers called it, but Groat and the other radio announcer said that it was Artis' foul. If I remember correctly, they didn't correct themselves to note that that Young had two fouls after the offensive one that you corrected me about. Artis was on the Pitt bench side of the play. I don't know what everyone was looking at on the bench or at the scorers' table. I couldn't see whom the ref was indicating on that first foul. I think that somebody blew it.

With all of the guys in suits on Pitt's bench, someone should have known that it was Young's 2nd foul - everyone watching on TV knew it.

 

[mvk112]

I don't give a $hit if they were up 50 and only won by 1.

This is ND, and Brey has JD's number.

Take the win there, get on the team plane and GTFO of Indiana.

Pitt has beaten Notre Dame the past three times now. ND had a decent streak against Pitt going for awhile but I don't think Brey has Jamie's number. I don't believe JD has a losing record vs Brey even.

 

[DT_PITT]

Pitt has beaten Notre Dame the past three times now. ND had a decent streak against Pitt going for awhile but I don't think Brey has Jamie's number. I don't believe JD has a losing record vs Brey even.

I believe Dixon is now 9-6 against Brey.

I think Dixon won the first 5 contests, Brey won six of the next seven (including 5 straight), and Dixon has won the last three.

 

[Harve74]

I didn't think there was any confusion at all for the second foul since it was a clear offensive foul on Mike.

That's what made me even MORE confused that he didn't pull Mike -- because that second foul send Mike (and the team) back to the defensive end for just one minute.

However, perhaps there was some confusion, as this was a highly unusual decision for Jamie.

Jamie basically always sits Mike and/or Jamel when they get their 2nd foul in the first half . I assume someone simply made a mistake in not taking him out. Jamie HAS actually reinserted Mike once or twice in the last minute or possession despite having 2 fouls, when he really wanted a last score before half.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Pitt has beaten Notre Dame the past three times now. ND had a decent streak against Pitt going for awhile but I don't think Brey has Jamie's number. I don't believe JD has a losing record vs Brey even.

It's relative ...

 

[DT_PITT]

Jamie basically always sits Mike and/or Jamel when they get their 2nd foul in the first half . I assume someone simply made a mistake in not taking him out. Jamie HAS actually reinserted Mike once or twice in the last minute or possession despite having 2 fouls, when he really wanted a last score before half.

Right, one would like it would be automatic for Duxon to take him out for the defensive trip after the offensive foul.

For what it's worth, they did play zone the following defensive trip. But I would have to think that it had to be Dixon or someone thinking Mike only had one foul. Because of Sheldon, it didn't come back to bite us.

 

[Scruffy the Panther]

I believe Dixon is now 9-6 against Brey.

I think Dixon won the first 5 contests, Brey won six of the next seven (including 5 straight), and Dixon has won the last three.

How many of those wins is "the burn" responsible for? Three? That's when I really started to hate Notre Dame basketball.