Saturday Pitt Basketball Poll 5/23/20!!

[PittPoker]

You know I was going to ask if you guys feel Pitt will win the ACC(pre tournament) in the next 5 years but that seems like a tall task. Sure I think we all are optimistic that Capel will get Pitt to great heights and I would love to see the standings at the end of a season with Pitt on top.

But honestly from where we have been lately, hell a top 3 finish would be awesome. And I think if Capel's recruiting continues to shine, I think it's gonna happen. You hope for improvement every season and I think within 5 years Pitt will finish top 3 in conference. Hopefully sooner rather than later lol.

But then again, the ACC is a tough conference and it definitely won't be easy. Maybe I'm being too optimistic who knows. Curious to see what the fans think.

 

[Millerton]

I voted yes. Wishful thinking

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

I voted yes. Wishful thinking

The same--wishful thinking. IMHO, if it happens it will be in years 3, 4 or 5 out and it will be squeaking in at number 3.

Doubt it can happen within the next two unless we land an NBA ready post and NBA ready point.

 

[DT_PITT]

You know I was going to ask if you guys feel Pitt will win the ACC(pre tournament) in the next 5 years but that seems like a tall task. Sure I think we all are optimistic that Capel will get Pitt to great heights and I would love to see the standings at the end of a season with Pitt on top.

But honestly from where we have been lately, hell a top 3 finish would be awesome. And I think if Capel's recruiting continues to shine, I think it's gonna happen. You hope for improvement every season and I think within 5 years Pitt will finish top 3 in conference. Hopefully sooner rather than later lol.

But then again, the ACC is a tough conference and it definitely won't be easy. Maybe I'm being too optimistic who knows. Curious to see what the fans think.

If you had said top 5 I might have said yes. For now we have to be more concerned with not finishing in the bottom three.

But we are on the rise.

 

[Ronnyp91]

If you had said top 5 I might have said yes. For now we have to be more concerned with not finishing in the bottom three.

But we are on the rise.

My thought was the same. I was thinking even top 5 in 3 years (switching the #s) I would vote yes on. But getting into a top 3 with Duke,UVA,UNC,FSU&Louisville being perennially good is a serious challenge.

 

[PittPoker]

If you had said top 5 I might have said yes. For now we have to be more concerned with not finishing in the bottom three.

But we are on the rise.

That's why I gave it 5 years. Sure it's a challenge but if recruiting continues to get better, 5 years to do so I am optimistic.

 

[DT_PITT]

That's why I gave it 5 years. Sure it's a challenge but if recruiting continues to get better, 5 years to do so I am optimistic.

Top 3 in the ACC is tough. That’s basically a top 10 team. But this year’s recruiting class is a good step. HCJC needs two more of them or better.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

If you had said top 5 I might have said yes. For now we have to be more concerned with not finishing in the bottom three.

But we are on the rise.

I said, no! Top 3 pretty hard. Could happen, but it will be tough.

 

[PittPoker]

I said, no! Top 3 pretty hard. Could happen, but it will be tough.

So think about this if what you believe is true, 5 more seasons would be Capel's 7th year here with us. If in 7 damn seasons we can't at least once make top 3 in the ACC then imo it's time for another coach. I'm sorry but we saw Pitt at its peak once Howland and Dixon arrived. 7 seasons under Capel and not a top 3 ACC finish would be terrible and unacceptable.

 

[Pittisit4me]

So think about this if what you believe is true, 5 more seasons would be Capel's 7th year here with us. If in 7 damn seasons we can't at least once make top 3 in the ACC then imo it's time for another coach. I'm sorry but we saw Pitt at its peak once Howland and Dixon arrived. 7 seasons under Capel and not a top 3 ACC finish would be terrible and unacceptable.

I respectfully disagree. If we are hovering around the 4th to 7th then we are going to be an NCAA tournament team each year. Considering where this program has been before Capel arrived, I could accept that. That said, I voted yes. Like most, wishful thinking. However, if Coach Capel continues to stack some good classes, top 3 may not seem so outlandish.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

So think about this if what you believe is true, 5 more seasons would be Capel's 7th year here with us. If in 7 damn seasons we can't at least once make top 3 in the ACC then imo it's time for another coach. I'm sorry but we saw Pitt at its peak once Howland and Dixon arrived. 7 seasons under Capel and not a top 3 ACC finish would be terrible and unacceptable.

Lol this is a terrible and arrogant take that gave us Kevin Stallings. I am probably Capel’s biggest critic but if we are in the top 7-8 consistently and making the tournament we absolutely CANNOT fire him. Make a push to the top every few years just please put us in a spot to get lucky in the tournament again. At some point we have to change our luck.

 

[PittPoker]

Lol this is a terrible and arrogant take that gave us Kevin Stallings. I am probably Capel’s biggest critic but if we are in the top 7-8 consistently and making the tournament we absolutely CANNOT fire him. Make a push to the top every few years just please put us in a spot to get lucky in the tournament again. At some point we have to change our luck.

Terrible and arrogant? What are you smoking dude? If it's been 7 years and we haven't even finished in the top 3 to me that's a concern. 7 years with 1 guy and recruiting should be solid. That is unacceptable. Obviously if we are 4th and 5th most seasons and locking up NCAA tournament appearances that's different. But if we finish like 10th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 8th, etc... that's not where I want my program to be after 7 seasons. And for me, even top 7th and 8th sucks. We need to be at least top 5 after 7 damn years and hopefully better. Why would you be happy with consistently finishing top 7th or 8th? Pitt can get back to it's Big East era of play, if you want to settle for avg or slightly above avg that's on you. We can be excellent, I am certain of it.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Terrible and arrogant? What are you smoking dude? If it's been 7 years and we haven't even finished in the top 3 to me that's a concern. 7 years with 1 guy and recruiting should be solid. That is unacceptable. Obviously if we are 4th and 5th most seasons and locking up NCAA tournament appearances that's different. But if we finish like 10th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 8th, etc... that's not where I want my program to be after 7 seasons. And for me, even top 7th and 8th sucks. We need to be at least top 5 after 7 damn years and hopefully better. Why would you be happy with consistently finishing top 7th or 8th? Pitt can get back to it's Big East era of play, if you want to settle for avg or slightly above avg that's on you. We can be excellent, I am certain of it.

Lol. And that kind of thinking got rid of the best coach in Pitt history for 4 straight last place finishes. A terrible and arrogant take.

 

[PittPoker]

Lol. And that kind of thinking got rid of the best coach in Pitt history for 4 straight last place finishes. A terrible and arrogant take.

I'm sorry I don't have perfect takes like you. I'll try harder to emulate the best poster on the board.

 

[Ski11585]

I'm sorry I don't have perfect takes like you. I'll try harder to emulate the best poster on the board.

I mean, to be fair it is a terrible and arrogant take. If Capel’s is finishing top 8 and making the tournament regularly it would be absolutely ludicrous to push him out simply for not finishing top 3. No good coach would ever set foot on campus with those sorts of unrealistic expectations.

 

[PittPoker]

I mean, to be fair it is a terrible and arrogant take. If Capel’s is finishing top 8 and making the tournament regularly it would be absolutely ludicrous to push him out simply for not finishing top 3. No good coach would ever set foot on campus with those sorts of unrealistic expectations.

Boy there's a shocker, you agreeing with another poster criticizing me. Yup never saw that one coming.

 

[Ski11585]

Boy there's a shocker, you agreeing with another poster criticizing me. Yup never saw that one coming.

Alternately, I could just find your argument problematic independent of who you are and what @BballinsiderfromPitt posted. You are setting up unrealistic expectations. Not wanting to fire Capel if he doesn’t finish in the top 3 isn’t settling for mediocrity.

ETA: People are going to disagree with you. Don’t throw a hissy fit just because I think your hot take is a bad one.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Alternately, I could just find your argument problematic independent of who you are and what @BballinsiderfromPitt posted. You are setting up unrealistic expectations. Not wanting to fire Capel if he doesn’t finish in the top 3 isn’t settling for mediocrity.

ETA: People are going to disagree with you. Don’t throw a hissy fit just because I think your hot take is a bad one.

How can we look at Pitt athletics history, basketball and football, and demand top 3 finishes or they’re gone? Top 3 in the ACC means nothing. We need to make the tournament and be in a position to play our best basketball in March for once.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Alternately, I could just find your argument problematic independent of who you are and what @BballinsiderfromPitt posted. You are setting up unrealistic expectations. Not wanting to fire Capel if he doesn’t finish in the top 3 isn’t settling for mediocrity.

ETA: People are going to disagree with you. Don’t throw a hissy fit just because I think your hot take is a bad one.

It’s what he does. And he’ll get mad at me now too. He had a tantrum at me and said I always bash him or something close a day or two after agreeing with him on something and also actually complimenting him on the polls. He only sees/feels the negative or disagreeable comments.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

I really wish people would learn from their mistakes. Pitt fans should realize what Howland and Dixon achieved was the greatest stretch of basketball in Pitt’s history. If Capel is able to get close to that, then he will have been successful during his tenure.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

I really wish people would learn from their mistakes. Pitt fans should realize what Howland and Dixon achieved was the greatest stretch of basketball in Pitt’s history. If Capel is able to get close to that, then he will have been successful during his tenure.

This was what I was trying to say but I have too much contempt in my heart

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Top 3 in the ACC is tough. That’s basically a top 10 team. But this year’s recruiting class is a good step. HCJC needs two more of them or better.

First let’s see how good these guys coming in are , if they’re as solid a class as I think and JC backs it up with a similar class next yr then they’re simply a Blair - like impact player away .


I also believe fan expectations don’t coincide with administrations . They’d ( admin ) love to be a top dog in both bb and Fb , but they’re not willing to go all in . Bb has a far greater chance under JC than Fb does under PN .

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

First let’s see how good these guys coming in are , if they’re as solid a class as I think and JC backs it up with a similar class next yr then they’re simply a Blair - like impact player away .

Ahh just a consensus first team all American and NBA draft pick away. No biggie

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Ahh just a consensus first team all American and NBA draft pick away. No biggie

You can’t be a big dog without having a big dog .

Blair wasn’t a lottery pick he was the 37th pick .

If JC can’t ever recruit a player like Blair Pitt will never be a top bb program in the ACC .

 

[PittPoker]

You can’t be a big dog without having a big dog .

Blair wasn’t a lottery pick he was the 37th pick .

If JC can’t ever recruit a player like Blair Pitt will never be a top bb program in the ACC .

It's amazing to me how many people on here when it comes to Pitt football think every year is the BIG season, NY6 bowl, 10+ wins. And we haven't done crap in football in nearly 4 decades.

But in basketball, where we had a stretch of over 10 years of top 10 teams, elite 8, sweet 16's, conference championships? People want to believe Pitt can't or won't be able to get back there and are okay with top 8 finishes in the conference.

The irony of this is palpable.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

It's amazing to me how many people on here when it comes to Pitt football think every year is the BIG season, NY6 bowl, 10+ wins. And we haven't done crap in football in nearly 4 decades.

But in basketball, where we had a stretch of over 10 years of top 10 teams, elite 8, sweet 16's, conference championships? People want to believe Pitt can't or won't be able to get back there and are okay with top 8 finishes in the conference.

The irony of this is palpable.

Well Pitt had a pretty good stretch of football just prior to that 40 years. Wasn’t quite a decade but football had more success than basketball. It’s easier to turn hoops around but with a few recruits but it’s probably not as easy as you think it is to get where you want to get to. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions as the saying goes but I would bet you’re in the minority with a blanket statement about the top 3. I’d bet there are many other scenarios that would be acceptable to most.

 

[Ski11585]

It's amazing to me how many people on here when it comes to Pitt football think every year is the BIG season, NY6 bowl, 10+ wins. And we haven't done crap in football in nearly 4 decades.

But in basketball, where we had a stretch of over 10 years of top 10 teams, elite 8, sweet 16's, conference championships? People want to believe Pitt can't or won't be able to get back there and are okay with top 8 finishes in the conference.

The irony of this is palpable.

I don't think anyone in this thread has said Pitt can't or won't get back to the level of success they had under Dixon. You're creating a strawman there. What many of us are saying is that the ACC is really tough. And it's really hard to finish in the top 3. And making a top 3 finish the benchmark for whether or not we keep Capel is foolish, particularly since the goal is to get back into the NCAAs.

If Capel is getting Pitt into the tournament regularly I'm not going to be overly fussed with whether or not we're top 3 in the conference. Especially if that translates to tourney wins.

 

[PittPoker]

I don't think anyone in this thread has said Pitt can't or won't get back to the level of success they had under Dixon. You're creating a strawman there. What many of us are saying is that the ACC is really tough. And it's really hard to finish in the top 3. And making a top 3 finish the benchmark for whether or not we keep Capel is foolish, particularly since the goal is to get back into the NCAAs.

If Capel is getting Pitt into the tournament regularly I'm not going to be overly fussed with whether or not we're top 3 in the conference. Especially if that translates to tourney wins.

If Capel is getting the recruits as we all hope and to a degree expect, yeah after 7 damn seasons not finishing at least once in the top 3 would be very disappointing. But like I also wrote, if Pitt starts finishing like 4th, 6th, 5th, 5th, etc... then obv that is different and much more acceptable then 9th, 7th, 8th, 8th. It just is.

I have much more optimism and belief that our basketball program can get back to where we were under Howland and Dixon than I do in regards to our football program. Narduzzi is going on year 6 and I see a middling avg program taking no steps forward.

 

[Ski11585]

If Capel is getting the recruits as we all hope and to a degree expect, yeah after 7 damn seasons not finishing at least once in the top 3 would be very disappointing. But like I also wrote, if Pitt starts finishing like 4th, 6th, 5th, 5th, etc... then obv that is different and much more acceptable then 9th, 7th, 8th, 8th. It just is.

I have much more optimism and belief that our basketball program can get back to where we were under Howland and Dixon than I do in regards to our football program. Narduzzi is going on year 6 and I see a middling avg program taking no steps forward.

It just seems like an arbitrary metric. Like... are you going to be disappointed if Capel never finishes higher than 5th but gets a couple sweet 16s and an elite eight? I certainly wouldn't be. That's the sort of unrealistic expectations that landed Pitt in this spot in the first place.

 

[PittPoker]

It just seems like an arbitrary metric. Like... are you going to be disappointed if Capel never finishes higher than 5th but gets a couple sweet 16s and an elite eight? I certainly wouldn't be. That's the sort of unrealistic expectations that landed Pitt in this spot in the first place.

My feelings are not set in stone. Obv if we are making elite 8's and sweet 16's and have finished no higher than 5th I would still be happy. But I just feel like I have seen Pitt ranked #1 in the nation, top of the conference, etc... Capel after 7 seasons should be able to get us there(top 3 I mean) at least once.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

It's amazing to me how many people on here when it comes to Pitt football think every year is the BIG season, NY6 bowl, 10+ wins. And we haven't done crap in football in nearly 4 decades.

But in basketball, where we had a stretch of over 10 years of top 10 teams, elite 8, sweet 16's, conference championships? People want to believe Pitt can't or won't be able to get back there and are okay with top 8 finishes in the conference.

The irony of this is palpable.

I think the biggest obstacle for a similar run is in keeping JC . If he proves he can win big at Pitt he will be on everyone’s radar .

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

I think the biggest obstacle for a similar run is in keeping JC . If he proves he can win big at Pitt he will be on everyone’s radar .

Lol he’s not gonna leave for anywhere other than Duke and if duke wants him when K retires we would’ve had a nice run and would have no shot of keeping him

 

[DT_PITT]

Lol he’s not gonna leave for anywhere other than Duke and if duke wants him when K retires we would’ve had a nice run and would have no shot of keeping him

I also think this is basically true.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Lol he’s not gonna leave for anywhere other than Duke and if duke wants him when K retires we would’ve had a nice run and would have no shot of keeping him

Money talks and at some schools money isn’t the issue it is at Pitt .

I’m not predicting he leaves , but if he turns Pitts program into a top ACC team Pitt better ante up or someone else will .

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Money talks and at some schools money isn’t the issue it is at Pitt .

I’m not predicting he leaves , but if he turns Pitts program into a top ACC team Pitt better ante up or someone else will .

When has money been the issue in us keeping a basketball coach? Ben went home. Jamie turned down several “better jobs” and got pay raises and at one point was a top 15 paid coach. We have more money than ever and are sinking a ton into the basketball program. I just think you’re way off on this one.

If he wasn’t interested or they weren’t interested in Wake Forest, where his dad was an assistant for many years and he even graced a media guide cover, where would he go besides Duke? He’s not a good enough coach for the NBA. He’s not getting Kansas, Carolina and I doubt he wants UCLA. Texas if they fire Shaka? Not gonna hire another minority: Shaka ruined that.

there’s no logical landing spot for him to leave Pitt if he’s successful other than Duke. And I’m assuming that’s his goal. Do however many years at Pitt then take over for K. I could see him leaving prematurely for a VCU type if he struggled to beat the posse.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

When has money been the issue in us keeping a basketball coach? Ben went home. Jamie turned down several “better jobs” and got pay raises and at one point was a top 15 paid coach. We have more money than ever and are sinking a ton into the basketball program. I just think you’re way off on this one.

If he wasn’t interested or they weren’t interested in Wake Forest, where his dad was an assistant for many years and he even graced a media guide cover, where would he go besides Duke? He’s not a good enough coach for the NBA. He’s not getting Kansas, Carolina and I doubt he wants UCLA. Texas if they fire Shaka? Not gonna hire another minority: Shaka ruined that.

there’s no logical landing spot for him to leave Pitt if he’s successful other than Duke. And I’m assuming that’s his goal. Do however many years at Pitt then take over for K. I could see him leaving prematurely for a VCU type if he struggled to beat the posse.

Thinking that Barnes with the approval of the chancellor and friends didn’t force JD out in part due to his salary and long term contract would be a mistake .

The renegotiating during JDs rein was done with a sold out Pete and at least our AD at the time was smart enough to know he’d never replace JD with an upgrade .

The school self reported itself to save a few bucks on KS contract . Who in the world of big time sports does that ?

The Bb program ( and university ) are handsomely paid for its ACC affiliation , but the income from attendance, parking , concessions and donations are way down .

Right now JC has done nothing to be grossly overpaid by anyone .

Of course he’d go to Duke in a heartbeat , but if he excels at Pitt and someone comes along and offers to double his salary he’s gone . He has no ties binding him to Pitt or Pgh to hold him there .

I think there’s a far greater chance that he far exceeds expectations than fails and runs away .