Pitt Pre Season...Magazine and ACCN

[Chescat]

Statistically I know that my metrics are going to be much higher on Jeffress and Hugley then most eye test rankers because of their recruiting rankings and that Burton and Gueye (even if he's an offensive blackhole) are going to show pretty well for depth pieces. 7th is definitely well beyond the most pie in the sky predictions but the middle of the ACC has a lot of weaknesses so while 11/12 is the safer projections I expect to see simulations where we finish 6/7/8 when I get around to running things.

I certainly know how statistics
are used in the Bball world.
Too me the big questions
about this team are areas
that cannot be statistically
measured.
1. How well will the new players
blend with the pieces that
are already here?
2. How well will Capel be able to
get these new players to adapt
to his system?
3. How well will these transfers
make the upward move to the
ACC level?

Not trying to start a debate, but
I'm interested in how your
"metrics" will answer the above
questions.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

I would add--as a follow-on to #3--another question is whether one or more of the newcomers will turn out to be significantly better than initially expected (like Champagnie and Odukale did)?

 

[Chescat]

I would add--as a follow-on to #3--another question is whether one or more of the newcomers will turn out to be significantly better than initially expected (like Champagnie and Odukale did)?

That's a good question. Both
examples you gave used
freshmen. This yr. the only
freshman is Santos, and I'm
not sure he can do what
Champ and Odukale did in
their first year as frosh.

As far as the others, they're
transfers. We have a pretty
good idea of what they're like
on the college level. None of
them were world beaters at
a lower level. I can't imagine
a Champ/Odukale type of
improvement out of them.
They're now in the ACC. I
just hope they add to our
rotation and help make
the team better than how
we finished last season.

 

[BigZeke]

Hopefully this team plays bully ball with its strong guards and Pitt can go 17-15 just to have a winning season.

Oh how far we have fallen. Hoping for a .500 season in year 4 of the Capel era. SMH

 

[Fsgolfdr]

I feel the best way to approach Pitt bb this season is to just simply wait and see . There’s simply too many unknowns to be overly optimistic or pessimistic .

It could be an incredibly surprising season if last yrs freshman come through or it could be a harsh dose of reality if they don‘t .

Same can be said with the newcomers !

I do think what this yr will tell us is though , that the growth of the second yr guys combined with what the entire recruiting class will be next yr will define how successful the JC era will be .

 

[DT_PITT]

That's a good question. Both
examples you gave used
freshmen. This yr. the only
freshman is Santos, and I'm
not sure he can do what
Champ and Odukale did in
their first year as frosh.

As far as the others, they're
transfers. We have a pretty
good idea of what they're like
on the college level. None of
them were world beaters at
a lower level. I can't imagine
a Champ/Odukale type of
improvement out of them.
They're now in the ACC. I
just hope they add to our
rotation and help make
the team better than how
we finished last season.

I basically agree with your take on the newcomers (including the transfers). Even though there are many new pieces, I believe the bulk of whatever success we will have will be built on the guys we already know at least a little but about -- Femi, Nike, Horton, William and Big John.

 

[gary2]

I think our players have the makings of an old Big East Pitt team.

I don’t know if we have a coach who will coach to that.

 

[UPitthoops]

7th would be an amazing
accomplishment. 11th would
even be better than most
prognosticators at this
point are predicting.

I give you and DT Pitt credit
for the those predictions.
As for me, I gotta see both
Pitt and other ACC teams
in real game time. I feel
like I know about what we're
bringing back. I'm clueless
about the new players and
if and how they'll jell with
their team mates, and with
Capel's system.

Of course this is true with
most of the other ACC teams.
They all have transfers and
they have some of the same
issues as Pitt.

Do we know if Capel even has a system?

 

[Chescat]

I believe the bulk of whatever success we will have will be built on the guys we already know at least a little but about -- Femi, Nike, Horton, William and Big John.

Those five could easily be
the starting 5. Of course
that would call for a a big
leap forward by Jeffers.
Even if it isn't the starting
5, it's a group I feel we will
see on the floor together.
The guards don't have X
obviously, but IMO it is a
better group especially
with transfer Burton.

Champ leaving creates a
huge gap. Jeffers? Committee?
I lean towards committee with,
Jeffers, Payton, and one of the
guards (Sibande?) filling that
role.

 

[DT_PITT]

Those five could easily be
the starting 5. Of course
that would call for a a big
leap forward by Jeffers.
Even if it isn't the starting
5, it's a group I feel we will
see on the floor together.
The guards don't have X
obviously, but IMO it is a
better group especially
with transfer Burton.

Champ leaving creates a
huge gap. Jeffers? Committee?
I lean towards committee with,
Jeffers, Payton, and one of the
guards (Sibande?) filling that
role.

Not sure they are the starting five, and I think the four may indeed by committee. Hopefully Payton can take a chunk of the minutes at the four, our maybe Noah is ready to take a bit of a leap.