Pitt Women beat RMU

[Chescat1]

I watched most of this game between two teams
playng pretty poor basketball. We weren't all that strong
this year at they beginning of the season. Losing a few
players to injuries is rerally hurting us. Faye was thhe only
player who was effective against a very poor RMU team.
It'll be interesting to see how she does against ACC
opponents.

Bad as RMU was, we actually had more TO's (19) then they
did (12). This against a non pressing team. IMO we just
came out flat but there was little that could be considered
positive for us today. Maybe some other posters can
find something positive. I sure can't.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It is going to get really, really bad.

We spent a decent amount of time today playing Washenitz at the three and Malcolm at the four. Do that against a good team and you will get absolutely destroyed. And given who is available to play right now, they are going to have to something like that every game.

 

[Chescat1]

It is going to get really, really bad.

We spent a decent amount of time today playing Washenitz at the three and Malcolm at the four. Do that against a good team and you will get absolutely destroyed. And given who is available to play right now, they are going to have to something likeallye that every game.

I don't know what other choices Verdi has. I was really surprised to see
Rust playing as a starter earlier this year before her injury. She actually
played better than I expected, but no way she's a starting inside player
in the ACC. Taking her and Jenkins out of the line up really weakens us.
I thought Elmore would be an improvement, but so far I don't see it. These
next three games, Kansas, Auburn, and N. Iowa are going to give us an
idea of what we'll see in the ACC, and there are several ACC teams even
better than these three.

Yup.... "it's going to get really, really bad."

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I don't know what other choices Verdi has.

At this point he doesn't have any other choices.

I fear that we are going to find out when we start playing better teams that Faye isn't nearly as good as her numbers to date suggest. She'll still get her share of points, because we are obviously going to play through her a lot, and she'll get some rebounds because she's tall, but I have a bad feeling that her efficiency is going to go way down when we play teams with good bigs.

I really hope I am wrong about that, but I'm worried that that is what we are going to see.

 

[Chescat1]

At this point he doesn't have any other choices.

I fear that we are going to find out when we start playing better teams that Faye isn't nearly as good as her numbers to date suggest. She'll still get her share of points, because we are obviously going to play through her a lot, and she'll get some rebounds because she's tall, but I have a bad feeling that her efficiency is going to go way down when we play teams with good bigs.

I really hope I am wrong about that, but I'm worried that that is what we are going to see.

You're not wrong and your "fear" is justified. She's better than any big we've
had the last several years, but consider who we've had. She transferred to
Pitt and is getting more playing time. She was on a good team at Texas and
like most of our transfers, transferred down to Pitt. What I see about her is
her size, and she's not only tall, but takes up space. I also like her experience.
OTH, she's slow, and not particlarly quick. The ACC is loaded with talented
players both on the inside and outside. Those teams will focus on her and
wear her down. I still think she's gonna score and get some rebounds, but
not enough to make a difference, because we're also gonna be outplayed at
every position on the floor. I'd like to be wrong, but........

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Those teams will focus on her and
wear her down.

Robert Morris sent a double and even a triple team at her almost every time she got the ball in the post yesterday. Those players just weren't really good enough to do much about it. That is not going to be the case against a lot of the teams we play in conference (or the teams we will play this week). What I kept hoping to see, and didn't see once, was when they sent those guards to double down on her, kick the ball right out to the guard that the doubler left for a wide open three.

Not that we shoot threes all that well, but you've got to do it to try to stop them from doubling or tripling.

 

[VincePITT]

At this point he doesn't have any other choices.

I fear that we are going to find out when we start playing better teams that Faye isn't nearly as good as her numbers to date suggest. She'll still get her share of points, because we are obviously going to play through her a lot, and she'll get some rebounds because she's tall, but I have a bad feeling that her efficiency is going to go way down when we play teams with good bigs.

I really hope I am wrong about that, but I'm worried that that is what we are going to see.

I understand your point, however I see it the other way. Very few bigs can dominate a game without the other 4 players making midrange to 3 point shot to draw they defense away from the big! If you remember John Hugley wanted better outside shooters to draw other teams from collapsing down on him! I would like to see Aislin and Bella shooting 35% or better to help out!

 

[Chanceman]

Pitt did not play well. Too many turnovers. Robert Morris had a player who was as tall as Faye and gave her more trouble than I expected. Faye’s excellent free throw stroke is a bonus.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I understand your point, however I see it the other way. Very few bigs can dominate a game without the other 4 players making midrange to 3 point shot to draw they defense away from the big! If you remember John Hugley wanted better outside shooters to draw other teams from collapsing down on him! I would like to see Aislin and Bella shooting 35% or better to help out!

I agree (although the thing that John Hugley wanted most of all was another sandwich), but the post has to be willing and able to kick the ball back out to the guards when the double comes, and we did not do that even once yesterday.