The thing that annoys me most

[Harve74]

These guys don't have any counter argument when people say they are soft and lazy. wanted to use the word defense, but using that with this group of players doesn't seem appropriate.

Nobody is arguing about that point of view. Too many guys are just too soft. They will occasionally turn it on for a few minutes then lapse back into being lackadaisical or plain lethargic.
Those of us who have been around for a while can remember virtually the same thing in the Majors II era in Pitt football.

It''s gonna take a major roster turnover and culture change. And, we will get the turnover. By the end of next season, we will have only at most 5 current players returning, and that's assuming Nix and Milligan are coming back after next year. Mostly, the roster will be Wilson, Slim, Luther and new recruits.

 

[NTOP]

You and me would've been among the few in agreement then.

In 2005 and 2006.... this board was absolutely toxic with people wanting Krauser benched and couldn't wait until he was gone. The vitriol toward Krauser back then was twice as bad as it is toward James Robinson now.

I don't recall that much animosity at all. Some didn't like the X thingy, but the kid always played hard. He WAS a showboat....but I'd love to see another showboat like him on this team.

 

[Harve74]

You and me would've been among the few in agreement then.

In 2005 and 2006.... this board was absolutely toxic with people wanting Krauser benched and couldn't wait until he was gone. The vitriol toward Krauser back then was twice as bad as it is toward James Robinson now.

We have a lot of armchair coaches with 20/20 hindsight. They almost always want the OPPOSITE of whatever we have.

A seious number of the critics hated Carl because he shot too much, hated Brad because he drove to the hoop and didn't shoot treys, hated Nasir because he couldn't shoot jumpers, etc. They pined for athletic scorers and pass-first PG's.

Now everybody wants those tough guys. Well, except those very unrealistic folks who seriously expect us to recruit like KY or Duke.

Dixon got into this mess by trying to recruit more athletic and talented players. After those teams crashed and about half of the athletes quit and left town early, with Pederson's meddling, we doubled down on our mistakes, hired Slice and whiffed on 5-stars, too.

Kithcart, Manigault and Clark represent a return to tough and tough-minded guys who seem capable of over-achievng their junior summer recruiting rankings. If Dixon can't start turning things around with the new roster he will have for 2017-18, then it is time to circle the wagons and consider a coaching change. By then, the buyout would be reduced to more reasonable levels and the makeover of the football program should be far enough along to determine if football can carry the Athletic Department.

 

[Seneca_Valley]

Selective memory on your part.

I wish we had a way-back machine to bring back all the posts that hammered Krauser constantly in 2005 and 2006. It would be nice if the Rivals search went back that far.

Not at all. He took his share. maybe more than he should, but no where near as much as Robinson is taking now.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

I don't recall that much animosity at all. Some didn't like the X thingy, but the kid always played hard. He WAS a showboat....but I'd love to see another showboat like him on this team.

Plenty of angst about his reckless/flashy turnovers and lack of being fundamentally sound.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Not at all. He took his share. maybe more than he should, but no where near as much as Robinson is taking now.

True enough..
the anonimosity towards Robinson is frankly psychotic.

 

[Pav9870]

Nobody is arguing about that point of view. Too many guys are just too soft. They will occasionally turn it on for a few minutes then lapse back into being lackadaisical or plain lethargic.
Those of us who have been around for a while can remember virtually the same thing in the Majors II era in Pitt football.

It''s gonna take a major roster turnover and culture change. And, we will get the turnover. By the end of next season, we will have only at most 5 current players returning, and that's assuming Nix and Milligan are coming back after next year. Mostly, the roster will be Wilson, Slim, Luther and new recruits.

Harve, I'm afraid that your outlook on the future is accurate. My post was written in response to some posters who thought Clemson was hitting shots that were contested, which were much too infrequent to my eyes however.

 

[PittPoker]

the anonimosity towards Robinson is frankly psychotic.

It's 100% justified. He stinks.

 

[thebadby2]

Agree - Watched Young allow Jitte to come over his back - loose ball lay up - Watched Artis have the angle a loose ball and not go strong to it - breakaway layup

Seeing the same things you are plus the disorganized and hurried play once we get behind

Saw Jeter and Artis give the baseline away for uncontested layups and dunks a couple of times too-naturally with no big man help at the rim or anyone to rotate over and take a charge. Saw our 4 year starting PG set his feet for a wide open 3 only to have it clang off the back of the rim and shoot out past the free throw line to start a Clemson fast break. Very nice touch James. We have yet another shooting guard who doesn't shoot, and Jones, who would have trouble getting minutes in the MAC, plays 20 plus for us despite being a minus player at both ends. If he brings something positive to the table I don't know what it is.

Yes Pitt faithful, it's a mess. This is a far cry from the House that Ben Built out of toughness, team play, sharp passing, unselfishness and high effort. Leadership was strong.

This team is SOFT. They aren't that good offensively and they are flat out terrible at the other end.

Where do we go from here?

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

Harve is right on the mark. Dixon recruited out of his comfort zone and tried to get better athletes, but they were all soft. He has returned to his roots with next years class and I really think we'll get back to where we were in a few years. If, as Harve said, he doesn't turn it around by then, then it is time to make a change.

 

[thebadby2]

Nobody is arguing about that point of view. Too many guys are just too soft. They will occasionally turn it on for a few minutes then lapse back into being lackadaisical or plain lethargic.
Those of us who have been around for a while can remember virtually the same thing in the Majors II era in Pitt football.

It''s gonna take a major roster turnover and culture change. And, we will get the turnover. By the end of next season, we will have only at most 5 current players returning, and that's assuming Nix and Milligan are coming back after next year. Mostly, the roster will be Wilson, Slim, Luther and new recruits.

I was unfortunately around for the Majors II era. There is no question that the culture problem with that team flowed from the head coach on down, as it does anytime you see chronic lethargy, lack of effort, lack of fire, lack of toughness, etc. Hard to believe that's all it is with this bunch, because it's obvious that Jamie has the fire in his belly. Unless the team just doesn't respect him or listen to him, which would be an even more serious problem. Maybe he has a hard time connecting with his players, or at least this group of them. I don't know. We also don't have a strong leader on the floor and in the locker room, which is another real problem. That leadership has been missing since Lamar Patterson moved along.

 

[Harve74]

I was unfortunately around for the Majors II era. There is no question that the culture problem with that team flowed from the head coach on down, as it does anytime you see chronic lethargy, lack of effort, lack of fire, lack of toughness, etc. Hard to believe that's all it is with this bunch, because it's obvious that Jamie has the fire in his belly. Unless the team just doesn't respect him or listen to him, which would be an even more serious problem. Maybe he has a hard time connecting with his players, or at least this group of them. I don't know. We also don't have a strong leader on the floor and in the locker room, which is another real problem. That leadership has been missing since Lamar Patterson moved along.

I'd argue the negative energy in the Majors 2 era flowed up from the team Paul Hackett recruited and ran into the ground before Majors returned. The Killer B's unilaterally disarmed the program and Hackett went long because he wanted to be a head coach in the worst way.

Well, he WAS a head coach in the worst way. Here ahd anothef stop or two elsewhere.

Majors was an old man who was a little too fond of his libations, but Knute Rockne couldn't have won here right then

We have a problem with this roster in tat NOBODY is a tough guy. Luther is closest snd he's a suburban kid from HAMPTON. Even with his Shanahan blood, Hampton is not exactly your gritty, mean streets environment.

We just have finesse types who don't understand what is needed to play hard to win. If guys like Dixon and BK, with their intensity and fire can't reach them, all we can do is work through it and recruit a different kind of kid.

 

[thebadby2]

I'd argue the negative energy in the Majors 2 era flowed up from the team Paul Hackett recruited and ran into the ground before Majors returned. The Killer B's unilaterally disarmed the program and Hackett went long because he wanted to be a head coach in the worst way.

Well, he WAS a head coach in the worst way. Here ahd anothef stop or two elsewhere.

Majors was an old man who was a little too fond of his libations, but Knute Rockne couldn't have won here right then

We have a problem with this roster in tat NOBODY is a tough guy. Luther is closest snd he's a suburban kid from HAMPTON. Even with his Shanahan blood, Hampton is not exactly your gritty, mean streets environment.

We just have finesse types who don't understand what is needed to play hard to win. If guys like Dixon and BK, with their intensity and fire can't reach them, all we can do is work through it and recruit a different kind of kid.

Hacksaw later took his talents to USC and ran them into the ground as well.

Classic example of a very good coordinator who did not have what it takes to be the head honcho. Kinda like this guy: