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Predict Final Spots on Roster

I have no idea, but two Grad Transfer possibilities came into mind today: Ehab Amin and Trey Porter. Porter, especially, would be a potentially very big piece. Both players are committed to Nevada, but Nevada is likely 2 scholarships over the limit when the 3 guys who entered the draft, return to school. With new top 40 recruit Jordan Brown, both of the Martin brothers, Caroline, and two other 2018 F recruits (plus Hall and Drew at G), it may be very tough to find minutes for Amin and Porter. I'm sure there is a couple of dead weight guys at the bottom of the roster or 1 of the other 2018 recruits might not be eligible, but it could also become a situation where those transfers see the Martin brothers and Caroline returning with Brown coming in and decide they don't want to risk being pinched out of the rotation.

Either Amin or Porter would be great lands, but Porter could be a tremendous help at shoring us up in the front court.

It is not at all likely, but it just came to mind today when seeing Brown picked Nevada. Musselman looks like he is going to have a top 10 team if he has that whole group.
 
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Right now id predict

PG: McGowens
SG: Ellison
SF: JWF
PF: Stevenson
C: Brown

I think N'Dir gets a starting spot over McGowens if we land him. I also hope we land another big to push for the PF spot. I am really bullish on Ellison and think we could be surprisingly good (still not that good) with N'Dir on board.

Edit: I see that you were looking for roster spots, not a starting 5. In that case, I have not clue, though I do hope we land N'Dir.
 
N' Dir would be nice, and I'm hoping he signs. What We need more than
anything are two Bigs for 2018. I have no idea who they might be, but I'd like two
who are grad transfers for two reasons:.
1, We have no inside presence except for Browne, who needs more time to develop. Iggy is a non factor, except for practice purposes. Stephenson is
really too small to be an inside factor. I do like Stephenson and believe he
has a role

2. The grad transfers will help for 2018. The good thing is they don't have to be
elite players, they just need to fill a one year role and then Capel can
concentrate on the available 2019 Bigs. He can even go after at least
three legitimate Bigs for 2019 since our guard slots are in good shape.
 
N' Dir would be nice, and I'm hoping he signs. What We need more than
anything are two Bigs for 2018. I have no idea who they might be, but I'd like two
who are grad transfers for two reasons:.
1, We have no inside presence except for Browne, who needs more time to develop. Iggy is a non factor, except for practice purposes. Stephenson is
really too small to be an inside factor. I do like Stephenson and believe he
has a role

2. The grad transfers will help for 2018. The good thing is they don't have to be
elite players, they just need to fill a one year role and then Capel can
concentrate on the available 2019 Bigs. He can even go after at least
three legitimate Bigs for 2019 since our guard slots are in good shape.
Malik Hines from UMass might help
 
I'm not giving up on Peace yet. My hope is that perhaps he can give us the impact Brown did last year... serviceable big who does good things sometimes. Maybe unlikely but it's our biggest chance for another impact big this year. The prerequisite to this is that Brown takes a big step forward.
 
I'm not optimistic that any 5th year transfer big can provide any more help than Kene.

Whether there is or not is another issue. We have no bodies inside.
So better then Kene (who isn't even committed) isn't the issue.
We need bodies inside. Brown backed up by Iggy is pretty scary
for any coach trying to put a team together. Stephenson is going
to be good but he's not a Big.
As far as Kene is concerned, you and I have a decidedly different
viewpoint of his abilities. George?...even worse.
 
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I'm not giving up on Peace yet. My hope is that perhaps he can give us the impact Brown did last year... serviceable big who does good things sometimes. Maybe unlikely but it's our biggest chance for another impact big this year. The prerequisite to this is that Brown takes a big step forward.

I can't see any possibility with Iggy. On the other hand, I hope you're right.
 
Malik Hines from UMass might help

I agree.
If he's available he's a definite step up from the Iggy's, George's and Kene's
of the Bball world. Is he an example of what will be the future of Pitt Bigs?
Of course not. Would he help for one year (2018)? Absolutely.
 
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I see some upside with Peace. Forget what game it was last year but he chased a guy down and pinned the layup against the glass. We've literally never had a guy do that before.

All he needs to do is be good at a few things like screen setting, hedging, and altering shots. He has the athleticism, just not the bball IQ yet.
 
At what point do they tell Kene to take a hike? I'm past my point already. Was past with Ellison too. If classes end and you still aren't committed then bye. Glad Ellison is back. But Kene might be the worst player to ever start a game at Pitt.
 
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At what point do they tell Kene to take a hike? I'm past my point already. Was past with Ellison too. If classes end and you still aren't committed then bye. Glad Ellison is back. But Kene might be the worst player to ever start a game at Pitt.

You ask a good question. "At what point?"....no way we could know, because we
don't know what conversations Capel has had with these payers. Did he leave the
door open without a closing date? Did he give them ultimatums?
None of this has been made public.
My sense is, he was lenient and gave them all the opportunity to return. That's
just a guess based on what I've seen from Capal so far.
With that said, I tend to agree with you that at some point...."take a hike."

As far as your comment on Kene...he seems like a good guy and team mate,
but I agree with your assessment of him.
 
I see some upside with Peace. Forget what game it was last year but he chased a guy down and pinned the layup against the glass. We've literally never had a guy do that before.

All he needs to do is be good at a few things like screen setting, hedging, and altering shots. He has the athleticism, just not the bball IQ yet.

Its what I'm hoping for. Just need a solid 10 a night for next year... not asking for much. The physical tools are there.
 
Whether there is or not is another issue. We have no bodies inside.
So better then Kene (who isn't even committed) isn't the issue.
We need bodies inside. Brown backed up by Iggy is pretty scary
for any coach trying to put a team together. Stephenson is going
to be good but he's not a Big.
As far as Kene is concerned, you and I have a decidedly different
viewpoint of his abilities. George?...even worse.

Not decidedly different I suspect. I'm not high on Kene at all, but he had a few moments last year and I don't know if we will get anyone better for 8 minutes a game.

I regret to say that I don't think Samson nor Peace provide any value at all on an ACC roster.

At this point, I'd play Brown as much as he can handle (30+ minutes) at the five, and Shamiel the same at the four. Kene plays a few minutes at the five to back up Terrell, and JWF spells Shamiel.

I'd love for there to be better options than this but I'm just not optimistic that they actually exist.
 
I agree.
If he's available he's a definite step up from the Iggy's, George's and Kene's
of the Bball world. Is he an example of what will be the future of Pitt Bigs?
Of course not. Would he help for one year (2018)? Absolutely.

I'll agree as far as the Iggy's or the George's. But maybe not even the Kene's.
 
N' Dir would be nice, and I'm hoping he signs. What We need more than
anything are two Bigs for 2018. I have no idea who they might be, but I'd like two
who are grad transfers for two reasons:.
1, We have no inside presence except for Browne, who needs more time to develop. Iggy is a non factor, except for practice purposes. Stephenson is
really too small to be an inside factor. I do like Stephenson and believe he
has a role

2. The grad transfers will help for 2018. The good thing is they don't have to be
elite players, they just need to fill a one year role and then Capel can
concentrate on the available 2019 Bigs. He can even go after at least
three legitimate Bigs for 2019 since our guard slots are in good shape.
Pitts best rebounders in the last 30/40 yrs are Blair ,Lane , Shorter and Sam Clancy and none of those guys were bigger than 6’6 .
 
Pitts best rebounders in the last 30/40 yrs are Blair ,Lane , Shorter and Sam Clancy and none of those guys were bigger than 6’6 .[/QUOTE

Very true, and I saw all of them in their first year. Stephenson's first year
was nowhere near what those others were. Mentioning Blair and Stephenson
in the same sentence is almost blasphemy lol. Just my opinion.
 
Not decidedly different I suspect. I'm not high on Kene at all, but he had a few moments last year and I don't know if we will get anyone better for 8 minutes a game.

I regret to say that I don't think Samson nor Peace provide any value at all on an ACC roster.

At this point, I'd play Brown as much as he can handle (30+ minutes) at the five, and Shamiel the same at the four. Kene plays a few minutes at the five to back up Terrell, and JWF spells Shamiel.

I'd love for there to be better options than this but I'm just not optimistic that they actually exist.

Given what we have at the moment (and that doesn't include Kene). I want to see
Browne getting muiutes too.....but 30+ minutes?? A big or two like the guy Gary
mentioned from UMass would let Browne continue to develop.
Shamiel as a starter?....not if we get another grad transfer....once again Shamiel
like Browne should continue to develop. He has to learn that at his height and with his game, he cannot just bull his way to the hoop, as he did so often last year with the net result being turnover after turnover. It doesn't work at the ACC level.
As far as Frame, I can't see him backing up Shamiel....he should be on the floor
either on the wing, splitting time with maybe Ellison, and occasionally if needed,
inside. Frame is older, far more experienced, seems to be a leader, and is
capable of scoring. I see him starting with McGowans, and Ellison.... if Ellison is at guard.
We get some grad transfer help on the inside along with Browne and Stephenson,
and THEN we have something that looks like a REAL team IMO.
 
Some in the media have said they expect Kene back, but I heard the opposite. I honestly don’t see him ever helping us so onward and upward.
 
Some in the media have said they expect Kene back, but I heard the opposite. I honestly don’t see him ever helping us so onward and upward.

"onward and" downward would be more like it IMO. If he leaves, I hope he finds
a place more suitable to his talents. If he stays and we get some grad transfer
Bigs he sits. If he stays and we get no inside help, he'll plays inside as a backup.
If that happens we're in big trouble.
 
Simply pointing out that size isn’t the determining thing in rebounding . Plus who knows how the kid can rebound Pitt never tried to attack the boards last yr !
 
Simply pointing out that size isn’t the determining thing in rebounding . Plus who knows how the kid can rebound Pitt never tried to attack the boards last yr !


LOL.....Yeah, attacking the boards wasn't our strong point.. We would shoot, and everyone would race back downcourt.
By the way, I agree about size not being the sole determining factor in rebounding.
Charles Barkley is a perfect example. I hope you're right about Stephenson being
in the same category of Blair and the others, but I'll have to see it to believe it. Those
guys were dominant on the boards. Stephenson??....well ok, let's see what he does
with a new coach.
 
Pitts best rebounders in the last 30/40 yrs are Blair ,Lane , Shorter and Sam Clancy and none of those guys were bigger than 6’6 .
Agree. Shamiel needs coached into believing his role as a banger is required. Throw in Troutman to your list who was a shade taller if that.
 
"onward and" downward would be more like it IMO. If he leaves, I hope he finds
a place more suitable to his talents. If he stays and we get some grad transfer
Bigs he sits. If he stays and we get no inside help, he'll plays inside as a backup.
If that happens we're in big trouble.

Yea that’s what I meant, onward and upward for Pitt.
 
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Given what we have at the moment (and that doesn't include Kene). I want to see
Browne getting muiutes too.....but 30+ minutes?? A big or two like the guy Gary
mentioned from UMass would let Browne continue to develop.
Shamiel as a starter?....not if we get another grad transfer....once again Shamiel
like Browne should continue to develop. He has to learn that at his height and with his game, he cannot just bull his way to the hoop, as he did so often last year with the net result being turnover after turnover. It doesn't work at the ACC level.
As far as Frame, I can't see him backing up Shamiel....he should be on the floor
either on the wing, splitting time with maybe Ellison, and occasionally if needed,
inside. Frame is older, far more experienced, seems to be a leader, and is
capable of scoring. I see him starting with McGowans, and Ellison.... if Ellison is at guard.
We get some grad transfer help on the inside along with Browne and Stephenson,
and THEN we have something that looks like a REAL team IMO.

I thought Brown would be a finesse only big. About half way through the season, he began to show some post moves.

Later, once or twice, he actually backed his man in and then dunked over him (and I know he had 3 or 4 similar moves blocked.) He was a freshman playing in the ACC. How many Pitt freshmen have you seen back anyone in, then dunk over them?

I think Brown will convert more of that as he gets stronger. I think his post moves continue to improve and he starts to consistently hit mid range jumpers, maybe even some threes.

He will also continue to block shots.

I do wish he was quicker, smarter and more fluid on defense.

I think Stevenson can be an above average starter. He was another freshman in the ACC.

We absolutely need an experienced and physical big. I will be disappointed if we don't land one. He does not need to be a great player, just a big body to defend, box out and rebound - Play maybe 20 minutes - Hell, Duquesne found someone very late last year - A Coppin State grad transfer that no one even knew was on the team until school started.

I said Capel would bring in a good PG, PG backup and a decent big.

There is still time and he has already delivered on 2 of the 3.
 
LOL.....Yeah, attacking the boards wasn't our strong point.. We would shoot, and everyone would race back downcourt.
By the way, I agree about size not being the sole determining factor in rebounding.
Charles Barkley is a perfect example. I hope you're right about Stephenson being
in the same category of Blair and the others, but I'll have to see it to believe it. Those
guys were dominant on the boards. Stephenson??....well ok, let's see what he does
with a new coach.
Haven’t seen anything that would make me think he’s in the league of those players , but he doesn’t need to be to still be a really good player .
He had some moments as a raw freshman on a team full of inexperienced players .
 
I'm not optimistic that any 5th year transfer big can provide any more help than Kene.
I'm shocked you don't think Hines would be a better option than Kene.

Again, I certainly don't think it will happen, but if we landed N'Dir, Hines, and Porter, I think we could be an NIT team.

PG: N'Dir (Johnson)
SG: Ellison/McGowens (Davis)
SF: JWF/Ellison
PF: Brown (Stevenson)
C: Porter (Hines, Peace)

Even just one solid grad big would go a long way to making us a decent team next year.
 
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I have no idea, but two Grad Transfer possibilities came into mind today: Ehab Amin and Trey Porter. Porter, especially, would be a potentially very big piece. Both players are committed to Nevada, but Nevada is likely 2 scholarships over the limit when the 3 guys who entered the draft, return to school. With new top 40 recruit Jordan Brown, both of the Martin brothers, Caroline, and two other 2018 F recruits (plus Hall and Drew at G), it may be very tough to find minutes for Amin and Porter. I'm sure there is a couple of dead weight guys at the bottom of the roster or 1 of the other 2018 recruits might not be eligible, but it could also become a situation where those transfers see the Martin brothers and Caroline returning with Brown coming in and decide they don't want to risk being pinched out of the rotation.

Either Amin or Porter would be great lands, but Porter could be a tremendous help at shoring us up in the front court.

It is not at all likely, but it just came to mind today when seeing Brown picked Nevada. Musselman looks like he is going to have a top 10 team if he has that whole group.

There is a hilarious video on Twitter of Musselman sitting there drinking coffee when he is notified of Brown’s commitment. He jumps up and starts screaming like a lunatic and running around the house. Good stuff.
 
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Agree. Shamiel needs coached into believing his role as a banger is required. Throw in Troutman to your list who was a shade taller if that.
Chevy is 6-5.
He told me that himself.
 
I can't imagine that happening. Or working, for that matter.
I agree it is more likely we play smaller, but that's a reason I think we are ok if we can get at least 1 other decent post. We can play small with Brown and a transfer like Hines/Porter and Peace as the emergency body, with JWF, Ellison, McGowens and Stevenson (more PF, obviously, but clearly the least talented) splitting the W minutes. We would be thin, but it is doable.
 
Neither D'Juan Blair nor Ontario Lett were tall either. Width and length can potentially be as important as height in a post player especially at the college level.

Lett was 6-4 1/2 -- Blair 6-5 1/2. Both had really long arms, and more importantly, big butts.
 
I'm shocked you don't think Hines would be a better option than Kene.

Again, I certainly don't think it will happen, but if we landed N'Dir, Hines, and Porter, I think we could be an NIT team.

PG: N'Dir (Johnson)
SG: Ellison/McGowens (Davis)
SF: JWF/Ellison
PF: Brown (Stevenson)
C: Porter (Hines, Peace)

Even just one solid grad big would go a long way to making us a decent team next year.

I'll take that back. I was confusing Hines with someone else. But do keep in mind that while I don't think Kene is good at all, I do think he's a little bit better than some may be giving him credit for being. And I'm hopeful that he stays in the post and doesn't jack up threes.

But I also don't think Hines is really that good. He'd help a little but not much more than Kene.

One of the BIG problems with my projection above is playing Brown 30-32 minutes. That just isn't going to work as someone mentioned. Maybe he'd play 22-24 even if he improves.

Maybe a trio of Brown, Hines and Kene would work, at least better than last year. I believe Peace is far below Kene, even.

Still I really don't think there's much of a shot at Hines, and just about no shot at all at Porter.
 
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Given what we have at the moment (and that doesn't include Kene). I want to see
Browne getting muiutes too.....but 30+ minutes?? A big or two like the guy Gary
mentioned from UMass would let Browne continue to develop.
Shamiel as a starter?....not if we get another grad transfer....once again Shamiel
like Browne should continue to develop. He has to learn that at his height and with his game, he cannot just bull his way to the hoop, as he did so often last year with the net result being turnover after turnover. It doesn't work at the ACC level.
As far as Frame, I can't see him backing up Shamiel....he should be on the floor
either on the wing, splitting time with maybe Ellison, and occasionally if needed,
inside. Frame is older, far more experienced, seems to be a leader, and is
capable of scoring. I see him starting with McGowans, and Ellison.... if Ellison is at guard.
We get some grad transfer help on the inside along with Browne and Stephenson,
and THEN we have something that looks like a REAL team IMO.

You are right. 30 minutes for Brown is far, far too hopeful. But I think the likehood of HInes or Porter is very, very slim, and the pickens after those two is even slimmer.

I do think we will see JWF at the four for at least some minutes. It happened on several occasions last year.

But I'm looking forward to seeing what HCJC can come up with. He's done pretty well thus far. Maybe there's a JUCO that could take a few post minutes capably.
 
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I'm not optimistic that any 5th year transfer big can provide any more help than Kene.
Not sure if the staff is interested but I think Tory Miller-Stewart would. Is a 6-9 245 lb Grad Transfer forward from Colorado who was a solid contributor off the bench for them and would no doubt start for Pitt over the current group. Missed most of last season with a broken foot so it would be like picking up a bigger, stronger and more athletic version of Ryan Luther. http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3134895/tory-miller-stewart
 
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I agree it is more likely we play smaller, but that's a reason I think we are ok if we can get at least 1 other decent post.


The reason why it won't work is that Brown barely had the skills to be a usable center at this level last season, and his game is in no way, shape or form compatible with what most teams want out of their PF in 2018. The only way that playing Brown at the 4 might work is in some sort of double low post offense, and who plays like that in college basketball these days? What reason is there to believe that Brown would be better at the 4 than Chukwuka was?

Brown needs to play center, where he has a chance to be a good player. You simply cannot play him away from the basket and expect it's going to work.
 
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