St. Joe's (Indiana) Game & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** As Jamie Dixon moves into his 13th season as the Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers Basketball Team, he’s starting to show a fair amount a grey hair.

** That’s pretty understandable of course, as there’s plenty of pressure to be had as a College Hoops Coach, especially one who has had plenty of success, but still hasn’t been able to reach the highest heights.

** I’m moving into my 36th season as a dedicated Pitt Basketball fan, and as an adult about the same age as Dixon, I too am starting to show a fair amount of grey hair.

** Most of my grey is for different reasons than Dixon, of course. However, I know I grew a few more grey hairs tonight listening to a conversation walking up Cardiac Hill. A fellow fan remarked to his friend, “I saw this game a week ago and thought we were playing the St. Joe’s who is a pretty good team. But I saw the Indiana next to their name and googled them and realized they were a Div. II team. Why would we be starting with a Div. II team?,” he asked. His friend responded: “I think we started against Gonzaga, but the game was cancelled or something.” Still, why play a Div II team?,” the first fan asked again.

** Of course, I couldn’t resist the chance to ask him “Would you really want to be playing Michigan State after the flight back from Japan?” I also mentioned that this was the kickoff day for just about every team in College Basketball, and with everyone else playing, they simply needed an opponent to fill this slot.

** My answer didn’t offer him much comfort, but I suppose it made me feel a bit better. Oh well.

** But our performance against the Division II Pumas in tonight’s first half certainly didn’t make me feel much better. And at times, it looked like some of the Panthers’ execution would make a few more of Dixon’s hairs grey. Worse than that, perhaps he even wanted to pull out some of the remaining dark hairs he had left.

** Thankfully, the second half left Dixon with little to discolor his hair. Heck, I didn’t even catch him running all of his fingers through his hair, as he’s been known to do from time to time.

** At the end of this one though, I suspect that Dixon would have assess this one much the same way any of fans watching it might have. That is, there was actually very little to be overly discouraged about on either end of the court. But all the same, there wasn’t too much to be terribly enthused over either.

**I suppose holding any team to 40 points, on about 72 possessions, can’t be considered a bad thing though. Holding them to 21% shooting from the floor seems pretty good too.

** I also didn’t see too many instances of perimeter breakdowns, but St. Joe’s didn’t have too many players who were strong off the dribble.

** While the second half defense looked better, the Panthers are committing too many fouls. Some of this has to do with tight officiating, but several other times it looked to be because of poor discipline with hands. This needs to get better.

** Alonzo Nelson Ododa might actually be a pretty decent player. But he’s going to have to find a way to be effective without fouling. He’s got something like 7 fouls in 15 minutes so far.

** Offensively, this team is still trying to find its form. Other than Mike Young, we are mostly a jump shooting team. And when you are missing many of your jump shots like we were early, it doesn’t always look like good offense.

** Through a game and a half, it looks like Mike is ready for another level. He’s doing everything well, from defense, to post moves, to running the break. He looks more mature, more patient, and even a bit stronger. He could be poised for an excellent season.

** James certainly knows where to get shots in the offense, and every single one he took tonight was a good one. He’ll likely hit them at a better rate than he did today, but I’d still like to see him get into the lane more often.

** Ryan Luther and Rafel Maia are the other two parts to our three headed center. Ryan is really struggling with fronting his man on defense, and it’s a little too early to get a good feel for Rafel. But both would be better served if Alonzo could keep himself in the game a little longer.

** Damon Wilson’s minutes were indeed very promising, and it seems like he’ll be in a battle for minutes with Jonathan Milligan behind James. Knowing that Damon has been out for some time with the hammy, he could be on his way for more minutes soon. He was smooth, strong and plays with a nice controlled confidence.

** I’d have to say that neither Chris Jones, nor Sterling Smith was particularly effective at the two tonight. Sterling appears ahead of Chris defensively, although neither looks very comfortable offensively.

** I’m probably a bit biased, but I’m a big fan of Cam Johnson. To my eye, the ball seems to find him on offense, and I like his length on defense. As I believe Jamel will be getting 30 minutes or so in games that matter, I’d like it if Dixon found more time for Cam. I suppose if Cam’s play begs for it, the minutes will follow.

** Jamel will be fine. I liked how he passed today. He just needed to be a little more careful with the ball. At least the Pumas weren’t driving by him today.

** I don’t know exactly how Sheldon fits in. He’s got some great offensive gifts, and it he can find a way to bring them most nights, 8 minutes behind Mike just won’t be enough. His face up kiss off the glass in the final minute was gorgeous.

** That just about does it for everyone. As for the team, they are playing quicker offensively, which I don’t believe is just a function of the shorter shot clock. However, they aren’t pushing it on the fast break quite as much as Dixon may have advertised.

** And despite grabbing 18 offensive rebounds, it seemed to me that the Panthers left some easy second chance points on the court tonight.

** We’ll learn a little more on Friday against a fair opponent in Detroit. Just in case, I’ll bring a mini bottle of Grecian Formula.

** I suspect Dixon will have one hidden in his back pocket as well.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Hopefully your gray hairs are "styled" quite a bit better than Dixon's.

 

[pitt-girl]

I don't know - I never thought the game was in question tonight and I suspect the players felt the same. I wouldn't put much stock in anything we witnessed except maybe I was the only one who felt good about it? I like this team and I like that there seems to be different pieces of the puzzle to move around. Looking forward to Friday.

 

[Zaratoughda]

In the first half Dixon played Young 4 minutes at C to give Jeter more time at PF. In the second half he didn't need to because he just rested Young as we didn't need him in the game. Jeter ended up with 22 minutes the same as Young.

So, particularly given the unsettled situation at C, we may be seeing more of Young at C to get Jeter more time at PF. I don't think it matters how much you play Young at C as long as you don't overdo it to the point where he starts getting worn down.

Also, speaking of Jeter, he didn't do much in the first half but then came on strong in the second half. So, this is one aspect of Jeter's play that apparently has not changed from last year.

 

[Zaratoughda]

Unless Artis' play takes off like it did last year... which didn't happen until a couple of games into the ACC season (at which point it REALLY took off), I would not be surprised to see Artis and Slim split the time at SF.

In the game yesterday Artis played 24 minutes and Slim 15.

One thing is if you ask any player to start pulling more minutes than he is ready for his game starts going downhill. So, in any case best to ease Slim into regular rotation minutes.

Also, given Sterling Smith is solid but not making much of an impact, and Jones is erratic, Slim can also play SG and that could be an option down the road unless these two get it going.

 

[lunzhegu]

I liked the energy level. The depth helps sustain it. We came in waves and with speed. The starters were clearly better throughout most of the game, but by the end of the game, St Joe's had nothing left. Our bench was just taking the ball out of their hands and dominating them totally. We're big, too. We are going to overpower some teams.

 

[California Panther]

I liked the energy level. The depth helps sustain it. We came in waves and with speed. The starters were clearly better throughout most of the game, but by the end of the game, St Joe's had nothing left. Our bench was just taking the ball out of their hands and dominating them totally. We're big, too. We are going to overpower some teams.

They didn't make a FG during the last 10:34 of the game and during that 10:34 stretch, they only scored 4 points (all FT's). Pitt won that last 10:34 by a score of 22-4.

 

[Zaratoughda]

All 12 eligible scholly players (e.g. everyone except Nix who is getting RSed) played and, all of them played at least 9 minutes.

You would think Dixon might trim this down but, I don't think that is gonna happen soon. We got three players at C and three at PG and two players at the other three positions... and at C we got ANO, Luther and Maia, and what the rotation is gonna be there is TBD. Also, at PG we got Robinson, with Milligan and now Wilson spelling him and, it is also TBD as to which one of those two is gonna be the main man there.

IMO, last year Dixon did not have a full deck of cards but, that does not seem to be a problem this year.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Team just seems so much more stout w ANO at center ...

Cam John certainly is intriguing, I have felt he might be one of those under the radar recruits who surprises and helps a team reach the next level. But, he needs a lot of development, and I just cant see him playing 2g effectively defensively, he just is too lanky and not fast twitch enough to keep up w quality off guards.

 

[Delpanther]

I liked the energy level. The depth helps sustain it. We came in waves and with speed. The starters were clearly better throughout most of the game, but by the end of the game, St Joe's had nothing left. Our bench was just taking the ball out of their hands and dominating them totally. We're big, too. We are going to overpower some teams.

We're long but very lean and most of our players are jump shooters. Add to that, we don't seem to hit the offensive boards all that well. I see this as a finesse team and don't see them "overpowering" any but the weakest of opponents. I was hoping this team would be more physical but in a very limited sample I'm not seeing it..

 

[drunkinoakland]

** As Jamie Dixon moves into his 13th season as the Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers Basketball Team, he’s starting to show a fair amount a grey hair.

** That’s pretty understandable of course, as there’s plenty of pressure to be had as a College Hoops Coach, especially one who has had plenty of success, but still hasn’t been able to reach the highest heights.

** I’m moving into my 36th season as a dedicated Pitt Basketball fan, and as an adult about the same age as Dixon, I too am starting to show a fair amount of grey hair.


**I suppose holding any team to 40 points, on about 72 possessions, can’t be considered a bad thing though. Holding them to 21% shooting from the floor seems pretty good too.

** I also didn’t see too many instances of perimeter breakdowns, but St. Joe’s didn’t have too many players who were strong off the dribble.

** Damon Wilson’s minutes were indeed very promising, and it seems like he’ll be in a battle for minutes with Jonathan Milligan behind James. Knowing that Damon has been out for some time with the hammy, he could be on his way for more minutes soon. He was smooth, strong and plays with a nice controlled confidence.

** I’d have to say that neither Chris Jones, nor Sterling Smith was particularly effective at the two tonight. Sterling appears ahead of Chris defensively, although neither looks very comfortable offensively.

.

I fell asleep on the couch watching a replay on ESPN3. My mini thoughts from the mini game I watched in relation to the parts quoted above.

1. Congrats on the gray hair, by the time I'm that age I won't have any hair.
2. I thought the guards for St. Joe's were division 1 players in terms of quickness and dribbling ability, but they had no way to score off the dribble and looked outclassed in other areas. So while we shouldn't take too much away from being able to stay in front of them, I did think they were at least quick enough to simulate a D1 team (though certainly not skilled enough).
3. If Smith doesn't hit shots, I'd like to see Wilson and Milligan at the 2 assuming they can hack increased minutes on the defensive end.
4. My biggest contention with your whole post seems to be the spelling of "gray". Thanks for the dribbles they are always a pleasure.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I was debating whether to come to these boards today. Not sure you can take anything away from a game like this. One thing I will add is that it just doesn't seem, based on cues from Dixon, that Slim will be on the floor anywhere other than the 3. Unless there's a match up that is favorable defensively in which Slim can be out there at the same time as Artis...JMO.

 

[Jeffburgh]

We're long but very lean and most of our players are jump shooters. Add to that, we don't seem to hit the offensive boards all that well. I see this as a finesse team and don't see them "overpowering" any but the weakest of opponents. I was hoping this team would be more physical but in a very limited sample I'm not seeing it..

I am feeling your on this these points. l
They certainly did not overpower a DII team physically on the boards.
I can see a real marked difference when Ano is in there with Young in this regard vs any other combo. Over time, Luther might become a fairly stout player, but as of now if they are going to play big boy basketball it seems to be that they will have to have Ano and Young out there.

Agree that they also still look like a primarily jump shooting team - a few more, not threats to so speak, but options. Seem to want to get Young in space and have him drive, but still no one at the 1-2-3 spots who are creating shots.

 

[pittizit]

Artis looks like hes regressed

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The recurring question I was asking myself was "why are we playing this game?" Pitt looked dead for the first 30 minutes. There was no life, no energy, no scoring bursts. We slowly, methodically built a 20 point lead. Then in the last 10, we outscored them by another 20. The crowd was about as dwad as I've ever seen it. Probably only 400 students, actual crowd of 3000 (about 25% full). In my row and the one in front of it in the lower level, 9 of the 40 or so seats were filled and that was pretty typical in the arena.

I do understand that we were dealing with jet lag and fatigue, so no, I dont want to play MSU coming back but its not just this game. I have to sit through 7 or 8 more of these.

I just wished these conferences would get together and only schedule games against each other. Maybe play 3 cupcakes. If the P5s are only playing each other, there is no worry that a few mkre losses will hurt NCAA chances. Everyone will have a few more losses. If they want to fix this game, you have to create a way to stop this RPI/NCAAT manipulation. Coaches are so worried about creating a NCAAT formula, that they are boring the heck out of their fans for 2 months. That's why I say the P5s should mandate that 28 of the 31 games have to come against each other. If a bunch of A10 and BE teams start getting in because if it, it can be reevaluated. But these arenas, everywhere are morgues.

 

[NTOP]

The recurring question I was asking myself was "why are we playing this game?" Pitt looked dead for the first 30 minutes. There was no life, no energy, no scoring bursts. We slowly, methodically built a 20 point lead. Then in the last 10, we outscored them by another 20. The crowd was about as dwad as I've ever seen it. Probably only 400 students, actual crowd of 3000 (about 25% full). In my row and the one in front of it in the lower level, 9 of the 40 or so seats were filled and that was pretty typical in the arena.

I do understand that we were dealing with jet lag and fatigue, so no, I dont want to play MSU coming back but its not just this game. I have to sit through 7 or 8 more of these.

I just wished these conferences would get together and only schedule games against each other. Maybe play 3 cupcakes. If the P5s are only playing each other, there is no worry that a few mkre losses will hurt NCAA chances. Everyone will have a few more losses. If they want to fix this game, you have to create a way to stop this RPI/NCAAT manipulation. Coaches are so worried about creating a NCAAT formula, that they are boring the heck out of their fans for 2 months. That's why I say the P5s should mandate that 28 of the 31 games have to come against each other. If a bunch of A10 and BE teams start getting in because if it, it can be reevaluated. But these arenas, everywhere are morgues.

Nonsense....this cupcake scheduling isn't new. It gives kids from lower-level schools the chance to play in different venues. Of course, I'm not surprised you've trotted out your typical: "I want something better for my $2.00 Stubhub ticket." All about your wants. Gyms everywhere are half-empty because of too many televised/webcast games. What makes any of us entitled to see every game?? I saw the overexposure essentially kill the Big 5 in Philly. Years of sellout crowds followed by ho-hum decades.

 

[MoTownPanther]

There is some incredible wingspan on this team! This group is one of the longest and lankiest pitt teams I can remember. I can't help but wonder if they would be effective playing more zone? And by zone, I do not mean the 2014 version in which teams were able to just play volleyball at the rim with offensive rebounds.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Nonsense....this cupcake scheduling isn't new. It gives kids from lower-level schools the chance to play in different venues. Of course, I'm not surprised you've trotted out your typical: "I want something better for my $2.00 Stubhub ticket." All about your wants. Gyms everywhere are half-empty because of too many televised/webcast games. What makes any of us entitled to see every game?? I saw the overexposure essentially kill the Big 5 in Philly. Years of sellout crowds followed by ho-hum decades.

Why do I care about giving kids from lesser schools a chance to compete? I care about Pitt and only Pitt.

And do you know why tickets are $2 on Stubhub (which is what I paid yesterday for my lower level seat). Hint: it has something to do with the opponent. If Pitt played better teams, maybe I would have to buy season tickets again instead of getting them essentially for free because nobody wants to be caught dead watching these games.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

I am feeling your on this these points. l
They certainly did not overpower a DII team physically on the boards.
I can see a real marked difference when Ano is in there with Young in this regard vs any other combo. Over time, Luther might become a fairly stout player, but as of now if they are going to play big boy basketball it seems to be that they will have to have Ano and Young out there.

Agree that they also still look like a primarily jump shooting team - a few more, not threats to so speak, but options. Seem to want to get Young in space and have him drive, but still no one at the 1-2-3 spots who are creating shots.

I tend to disagree with your basic premise, because--

Much of what you perceived regarding rebounding is not a talent or effort thing. Rather, it is primarily due to the officiating under the new rules emphasis being so ticky-tacky in calling fouls for essentially minimal contact. No one can firmly box out (butt in gut) without risking a whistle. Last night's game I thought was particularly bad in the ticky-tackyness of the new officiating emphasis. I hope the officiating lightens up a little after a few weeks. The current model is so far to the opposite extreme of not allowing physical play that players are tip-toeing around afraid to exert much defensive effort at all.

In any event, despite the rebounding perception--we did out rebound St Joe 56-35 (very dominant statistically) and held our own on the glass vs Gonzaga in the half played in Okinawa (16 rebounds to Gonzaga's 14) . So, given that, I am not worried we will get beaten up on the Boards. Presumably all teams are in the same boat regarding how the officials are calling fouls.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I agree, just really hard to take anything away from this game. It was just a "run" (old skool vernacular for pick up games) for the most part.

Also being old school, I do not need analytics to interpret and explain everything, and in a game like this they are likely flawed data anyways.

But I really like Cam Johnson. He looks like a player that a UK or Mich State has. Long, lean, and can shoot. I can't wait to see more of Damon Wilson.

On that note, watching parts of this game and the 1st of the Gonzaga team, I don't know what we really have. I gave a "box of chocolates" reference after the Gonzaga team, with most of the chocolates being the type we would like. I think it still holds. What I do see is a team that is very much unlike most of the previous Pitt teams. Very, very deep and very versatile. Aside from the 5, we can have the "right size" and athletic player at every position on the floor now.

This should be a fun season. And I see too much depth and quality depth to have what sometimes seems to happen, we stagnate late (perhaps by some fatigue) where guys will have others pushing for playing time.

I just feel this year is going to be one of those early Dixon/Howland era teams that are undervalued at the beginning of the year and by the time you notice, it is mid February and Pitt is ranked and has a record of 18-2 or something like that.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

I agree, just really hard to take anything away from this game. It was just a "run" (old skool vernacular for pick up games) for the most part.

Also being old school, I do not need analytics to interpret and explain everything, and in a game like this they are likely flawed data anyways.

But I really like Cam Johnson. He looks like a player that a UK or Mich State has. Long, lean, and can shoot. I can't wait to see more of Damon Wilson.

On that note, watching parts of this game and the 1st of the Gonzaga team, I don't know what we really have. I gave a "box of chocolates" reference after the Gonzaga team, with most of the chocolates being the type we would like. I think it still holds. What I do see is a team that is very much unlike most of the previous Pitt teams. Very, very deep and very versatile. Aside from the 5, we can have the "right size" and athletic player at every position on the floor now.

This should be a fun season. And I see too much depth and quality depth to have what sometimes seems to happen, we stagnate late (perhaps by some fatigue) where guys will have others pushing for playing time.

I just feel this year is going to be one of those early Dixon/Howland era teams that are undervalued at the beginning of the year and by the time you notice, it is mid February and Pitt is ranked and has a record of 18-2 or something like that.

My feelings also regarding starting out undervalued.

Also, as I believe I stated in another thread--maybe all this depth is a function of Dixon understanding that with the new ticky-tacky foul emphasis that having plenty of quality depth will be a big advantage because other teams with less depth are more likely to have their starters in serious foul trouble late in games than Pitt will.

 

[NTOP]

Why do I care about giving kids from lesser schools a chance to compete? I care about Pitt and only Pitt.

And do you know why tickets are $2 on Stubhub (which is what I paid yesterday for my lower level seat). Hint: it has something to do with the opponent. If Pitt played better teams, maybe I would have to buy season tickets again instead of getting them essentially for free because nobody wants to be caught dead watching these games.

Well, you were there, right?? Me, too. I happen to love the college game. Spread the wealth a bit. We'll do fine, as the "casual yinzer fans" jump back on the bandwagon. I'd like us to schedule more strong OOC opponents, too, but don't obsess over it. Dixon's planning seems to have worked. Lots of empty seats at all venues are the problem. Outlaw ESPN3.....problem solved.

 

[Zaratoughda]

As far as 'Why did we play this game?", Dixon said it specifically in the post game interviews.... that they were unsure how much of an affect the jet lag would have on the team so, looking ahead to this, they scheduled this game. StJ (Ind) was totally overmatched so it just amounted to a good workout for out team but.... that is what they wanted instead of an MSU or even a Detroit.

I only got a couple of things out of it otherwise:

* Damon Wilson looked good, given his first game ever at D1 and only having had 5 or so practices total.

* ANO has a problem with fouling too much. We saw this in the Zag game and now more obvious. There have been rule changes and the refs tend to call it real tight this time of year to get the point across. But still, ANO fouled out after just 11 minutes.

* Luther can probably handle playing C, unless he comes up against someone where he has a significant height disadvantage.

Other than that, not much but, again, a good workout and it was good to see Jeter get it going and get his first career double double.

 

[Jeffburgh]

I tend to disagree with your basic premise, because--

Much of what you perceived regarding rebounding is not a talent or effort thing. Rather, it is primarily due to the officiating under the new rules emphasis being so ticky-tacky in calling fouls for essentially minimal contact. No one can firmly box out (butt in gut) without risking a whistle. Last night's game I thought was particularly bad in the ticky-tackyness of the new officiating emphasis. I hope the officiating lightens up a little after a few weeks. The current model is so far to the opposite extreme of not allowing physical play that players are tip-toeing around afraid to exert much defensive effort at all.

In any event, despite the rebounding perception--we did out rebound St Joe 56-35 (very dominant statistically) and held our own on the glass vs Gonzaga in the half played in Okinawa (16 rebounds to Gonzaga's 14) . So, given that, I am not worried we will get beaten up on the Boards. Presumably all teams are in the same boat regarding how the officials are calling fouls.

My basic premise is simply to say that I felt what Del was posting.

Not saying it definitively, not saying this is a weak team or whatever.

Just saying that I am unsure if this team will be particularly stout on the boards.

New rules ... everyone will be effected equally, and to what extent it has changed it hasn't changed THAT much.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Well, you were there, right?? Me, too. I happen to love the college game. Spread the wealth a bit. We'll do fine, as the "casual yinzer fans" jump back on the bandwagon. I'd like us to schedule more strong OOC opponents, too, but don't obsess over it. Dixon's planning seems to have worked. Lots of empty seats at all venues are the problem. Outlaw ESPN3.....problem solved.

I don't think it's espn3 or TV games that affect attendance it's a hassle to go to Oakland anytime and after working all day a lot of people need a reason to prolong their day and a D2 school won't do it. Pitt knows what they need to do to fill the Pete up ,they've chosen a different path it doesn't matter how much we complain.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

My basic premise is simply to say that I felt what Del was posting.

Not saying it definitively, not saying this is a weak team or whatever.

Just saying that I am unsure if this team will be particularly stout on the boards.

New rules ... everyone will be effected equally, and to what extent it has changed it hasn't changed THAT much.

Fair enough. I had similar feelings watching the first half vs St. Joe's. ANO getting quickly into foul trouble may have been part of that impression but it went away after watching the second half.

Given the just completed 30 hour return trip from Okinawa and the report that several players had gotten sick--plus interview remarks by Jeter on how tired his legs felt (see official site post game interview) I am disinclined to give much credence to the first half of last night's game as an evidence we will be a weak rebounding team.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Well, you were there, right?? Me, too. I happen to love the college game. Spread the wealth a bit.

I'm going to your Tea Party buddies on you.

I totally hate the fact that the only way 200 D1 teams can even exist is because major D1 schools buy wins off of them to enhance their record and resume. That practice has been going on forever but when you really think about it, its utterly ridiculous. College basketball scheduling is a joke. Its not just Pitt. Give the fans games that matter. You might lose, so what. You also might win.

 

[JS School]

I think Milligan played a minute or two with Robinson, and about the same with Wilson. I'd like to see more of him at SG to see how he does. Also, maybe a little bit of Wilson at SG. From what I have seen of Smith so far, the only adjective I can think of to describe him is "competent". He looks like he can make an open shot, not turn the ball over and play decent defense. But there may be times when more of a dynamic scorer is needed at SG, when Young and the SFs are struggling offensively.

Chris Jones seems to be struggling. I think he missed the exhibition game with an injury, so that may be part of it. He really doesn't look like a SG to me, though, and with Johnson seeming to be exclusively a SF there is not many minutes to be had at SF behind Johnson and Artis.

Luther is pretty solidly built guy for 215 lbs, but now that its been determined that he is going to play in the paint he needs to add some weight. If he could add 25 or 30 pounds of muscle in the next two off seasons he may become a very good center. Hopefully extra muscle would not affect his jump shot.

What's up with all the boring names? Smith, Jones, Wilson, Johnson, Young, Robinson.

 

[QuitCallingMeWanny]

Bottom line is Dixon scheduled this game right after the Japan trip for a reason, it was actually smart scheduling, looking any deeper into this is a waste of time.....

Look at the shooting %'s alot of it is due to tired legs...Paul Zeise even said as much....

It was a good way to shake of whatever remnants of the trip remained...

 

[Jeffburgh]

Fair enough. I had similar feelings watching the first half vs St. Joe's. ANO getting quickly into foul trouble may have been part of that impression but it went away after watching the second half.

Given the just completed 30 hour return trip from Okinawa and the report that several players had gotten sick--plus interview remarks by Jeter on how tired his legs felt (see official site post game interview) I am disinclined to give much credence to the first half of last night's game as an evidence we will be a weak rebounding team.

OK - fair enough on the point about just getting back from the Pacific ...

 

[KiwiJeff]

I was debating whether to come to these boards today. Not sure you can take anything away from a game like this. One thing I will add is that it just doesn't seem, based on cues from Dixon, that Slim will be on the floor anywhere other than the 3. Unless there's a match up that is favorable defensively in which Slim can be out there at the same time as Artis...JMO.

Maybe you can't take anything away from the result and how it translates to future results, but there are plenty of things you can take away from every game.

 

[NTOP]

I'm going to your Tea Party buddies on you.

I totally hate the fact that the only way 200 D1 teams can even exist is because major D1 schools buy wins off of them to enhance their record and resume. That practice has been going on forever but when you really think about it, its utterly ridiculous. College basketball scheduling is a joke. Its not just Pitt. Give the fans games that matter. You might lose, so what. You also might win.

A. I don't know anyone in the Tea Party.
B. Having so many teams classified as Div. 1 seems silly, but where do you draw the line. I'd bet that Alabama State is rock-bottom poor as a school, but the beat VT, coached by rockstar Buzz Williams. It's also hard to schedule so many OOC games. Most college teams lose money or barely break even....they play because their students & alums want them to. it's a source of pride. They NEED to be paid by the big programs. If you restrict scheduling, those schools lose a nice part of the college experience.
Beyond that, Pitt is only one, or at most two, higher ranked opponents from being very competitive there. I hope we do that, if only to force you into paying at least $10/ticket.

 

[Bradlib Zannamaker]

We're long but very lean and most of our players are jump shooters. Add to that, we don't seem to hit the offensive boards all that well. I see this as a finesse team and don't see them "overpowering" any but the weakest of opponents. I was hoping this team would be more physical but in a very limited sample I'm not seeing it..

I noted that when watching this game as well. Not much muscle out there. ANO, Chris Jones and JRob look physically solid but whoa, the other guys are skinny, and I don't mean "lean". They look like they haven't touched a weight in their lives. Not saying Artis and Young need to be jacked but could you imagine what guys like Lett, Chevy, Blair and even Taft would do to them on the blocks. Still, to your point, finesse is their game.

 

[pitt-girl]

I noted that when watching this game as well. Not much muscle out there. ANO, Chris Jones and JRob look physically solid but whoa, the other guys are skinny, and I don't mean "lean". They look like they haven't touched a weight in their lives. Not saying Artis and Young need to be jacked but could you imagine what guys like Lett, Chevy, Blair and even Taft would do to them on the blocks. Still, to your point, finesse is their game.

Add Jeter to your list of physically solid players.

 

[lunzhegu]

I probably should have said "overwhelm" instead of "overpower," although we look pretty long and strong to me. The idea, nonetheless, is that teams without depth or without superior conditioning are going to be in trouble against us. By the later parts of the game, St Joe's players, a prototypical group of quick athletes, not only didn't have legs, but they didn't even have arms or hands. Our guys were flying after rebounds -- not always timing things right, but really getting after them. Jeter and Young were wrecking balls. The players made their share of mistakes, but the coaches and team leaders have got these guys energized, and energy is strength. They have all been talking about the chemistry and the competitive effort in this year's team. That has been a big question all along the way, and issues of skills and fit to the side, the high level of energy was noticeable last night, and it was also noted by the announcers of the Gonzaga game. It is a solid foundation.

 

[mo cheeks]

I think we will see some of the line Mike Y, Jamal A. Sheldon J, Damon Wilson, James Rob.

 

[Scruffy the Panther]

Artis looks like hes regressed

Maybe we should give him more than one and a half games before declaring this?

 

[Delpanther]

I noted that when watching this game as well. Not much muscle out there. ANO, Chris Jones and JRob look physically solid but whoa, the other guys are skinny, and I don't mean "lean". They look like they haven't touched a weight in their lives. Not saying Artis and Young need to be jacked but could you imagine what guys like Lett, Chevy, Blair and even Taft would do to them on the blocks. Still, to your point, finesse is their game.

Yea, you would have thought that Young and Artis would have put on some muscle by this their third year in the program. We evidently don't stress the weight program like we once did. Artis definitely lost weight.

 

[Ski11585]

Maybe we should give him more than one and a half games before declaring this?

Yeah this seems rather premature.

 

[Protes]

** As Jamie Dixon moves into his 13th season as the Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers Basketball Team, he’s starting to show a fair amount a grey hair.

** That’s pretty understandable of course, as there’s plenty of pressure to be had as a College Hoops Coach, especially one who has had plenty of success, but still hasn’t been able to reach the highest heights.

** I’m moving into my 36th season as a dedicated Pitt Basketball fan, and as an adult about the same age as Dixon, I too am starting to show a fair amount of grey hair.

** Most of my grey is for different reasons than Dixon, of course. However, I know I grew a few more grey hairs tonight listening to a conversation walking up Cardiac Hill. A fellow fan remarked to his friend, “I saw this game a week ago and thought we were playing the St. Joe’s who is a pretty good team. But I saw the Indiana next to their name and googled them and realized they were a Div. II team. Why would we be starting with a Div. II team?,” he asked. His friend responded: “I think we started against Gonzaga, but the game was cancelled or something.” Still, why play a Div II team?,” the first fan asked again.

** Of course, I couldn’t resist the chance to ask him “Would you really want to be playing Michigan State after the flight back from Japan?” I also mentioned that this was the kickoff day for just about every team in College Basketball, and with everyone else playing, they simply needed an opponent to fill this slot.

** My answer didn’t offer him much comfort, but I suppose it made me feel a bit better. Oh well.

** But our performance against the Division II Pumas in tonight’s first half certainly didn’t make me feel much better. And at times, it looked like some of the Panthers’ execution would make a few more of Dixon’s hairs grey. Worse than that, perhaps he even wanted to pull out some of the remaining dark hairs he had left.

** Thankfully, the second half left Dixon with little to discolor his hair. Heck, I didn’t even catch him running all of his fingers through his hair, as he’s been known to do from time to time.

** At the end of this one though, I suspect that Dixon would have assess this one much the same way any of fans watching it might have. That is, there was actually very little to be overly discouraged about on either end of the court. But all the same, there wasn’t too much to be terribly enthused over either.

**I suppose holding any team to 40 points, on about 72 possessions, can’t be considered a bad thing though. Holding them to 21% shooting from the floor seems pretty good too.

** I also didn’t see too many instances of perimeter breakdowns, but St. Joe’s didn’t have too many players who were strong off the dribble.

** While the second half defense looked better, the Panthers are committing too many fouls. Some of this has to do with tight officiating, but several other times it looked to be because of poor discipline with hands. This needs to get better.

** Alonzo Nelson Ododa might actually be a pretty decent player. But he’s going to have to find a way to be effective without fouling. He’s got something like 7 fouls in 15 minutes so far.

** Offensively, this team is still trying to find its form. Other than Mike Young, we are mostly a jump shooting team. And when you are missing many of your jump shots like we were early, it doesn’t always look like good offense.

** Through a game and a half, it looks like Mike is ready for another level. He’s doing everything well, from defense, to post moves, to running the break. He looks more mature, more patient, and even a bit stronger. He could be poised for an excellent season.

** James certainly knows where to get shots in the offense, and every single one he took tonight was a good one. He’ll likely hit them at a better rate than he did today, but I’d still like to see him get into the lane more often.

** Ryan Luther and Rafel Maia are the other two parts to our three headed center. Ryan is really struggling with fronting his man on defense, and it’s a little too early to get a good feel for Rafel. But both would be better served if Alonzo could keep himself in the game a little longer.

** Damon Wilson’s minutes were indeed very promising, and it seems like he’ll be in a battle for minutes with Jonathan Milligan behind James. Knowing that Damon has been out for some time with the hammy, he could be on his way for more minutes soon. He was smooth, strong and plays with a nice controlled confidence.

** I’d have to say that neither Chris Jones, nor Sterling Smith was particularly effective at the two tonight. Sterling appears ahead of Chris defensively, although neither looks very comfortable offensively.

** I’m probably a bit biased, but I’m a big fan of Cam Johnson. To my eye, the ball seems to find him on offense, and I like his length on defense. As I believe Jamel will be getting 30 minutes or so in games that matter, I’d like it if Dixon found more time for Cam. I suppose if Cam’s play begs for it, the minutes will follow.

** Jamel will be fine. I liked how he passed today. He just needed to be a little more careful with the ball. At least the Pumas weren’t driving by him today.

** I don’t know exactly how Sheldon fits in. He’s got some great offensive gifts, and it he can find a way to bring them most nights, 8 minutes behind Mike just won’t be enough. His face up kiss off the glass in the final minute was gorgeous.

** That just about does it for everyone. As for the team, they are playing quicker offensively, which I don’t believe is just a function of the shorter shot clock. However, they aren’t pushing it on the fast break quite as much as Dixon may have advertised.

** And despite grabbing 18 offensive rebounds, it seemed to me that the Panthers left some easy second chance points on the court tonight.

** We’ll learn a little more on Friday against a fair opponent in Detroit. Just in case, I’ll bring a mini bottle of Grecian Formula.

** I suspect Dixon will have one hidden in his back pocket as well.

I tend to agree that it's a little hard to take too much out of a game like this against a vastly inferior opponent. That said, as I was watching this on ESPN3 I found myself getting dizzy with all the different guys we were playing. Having depth is great but when you are rotating guys in and out like this it's kinda hard to expect stellar execution. I would worry more if we looked that out of sync with our typical starting 5 out there for most of the game.