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TJ. McConnell is really good

Re: Carl is still a great dude ...

Sorry Dt, you said you didn't like him not that he was a terrible guy. Being mobile I sometimes lose clarity for the sake of shorter phrases. My bad.


Don't wanna argue, cheers!
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Re: Carl is still a great dude ...


Oh ... don't take this as an argument in the least.

This is the same conversation we'd be having if we were sitting at a bar watching these games together. This is especially true for posters who respect each other's opinions and who have had the pleasure of meeting personally.
 
I'm glad to see T.J. have this success, but its extremely unlikely he will ever appear in an NBA game. As he obviously won't be drafted he will have to go the free agent route and most likely will be attempting to pursue a career overseas.

I know on this board there have been numerous comparisons to TJ and James Robinson, and I think the comparison is a fair one. After all TJ is playing with a group of whom almost every single player in the rotation will get drafted while Robinson is playing alongside no NBA players. What I've seen the last 2 years tells me that TJ is probably the better player, but not by a lot. I firmly believe that James Robinson would had had great success if he had been the one to transfer to Arizona.
 
If Duquesne tried to block the transfer, then we should have said the series is over permanently and Bobby Mo will be the new local rival for good. Who is Duquesne to throw their weight around? Jeez.
 
Big Fella gave me a wave and a thumbs up at a recent NBA game

I was sitting a few feet from the end of the Washington bench, where, unfortunately, Big Fella typically sits.'', at a recent bulls/wizards game.


he looked at me and I yelled "lets go Pitt" , with a smile. he smiled back and waved.

He seems like a really good guy. the players on the wizards certainly appear to like him.


He seemed to be having a lot of fun in warm ups, kidding around with all the players and jacking up a few threes.


He needs to find a team that believes in him. he is too good of a player to be sitting on the bench. he is being paid well to do it though.
 
Re: Big Fella gave me a wave and a thumbs up at a recent NBA game

While clearly not as close to the players as DT, I have spoken several times with Carl, Fella and even Levance, mostly at the ProAm. Carl is gregarious. He'll stay and talk as long as you want.

Fella is a good guy too.

Levance is more than a bit moody. He can be a nice guy or quite surly.

Ron Ramon can be absolutely hilarious. He could have a career as a stand-up comedian. Gil Brown is funny, too.

I've gotten to meet several of the McConnell/Serio clan. Obviously they are competitive, but they are good people. The descriptions of TJ's personality unfortunately seem VERY accurate. And at Greentree he had an entourage of buddies who were pretty similar.

Ashton Gibbs deserves great credit for tolerating TJ at Greentree without punching him. TJ simply grabbed hold of Gibbs' jersey every time they played and the zebras eventually quit calling it. The fans were joking about TJ water-skiing behind Ashton. Woodall threw the ball at McConnell when TJ held him so the refs finally stopped it.

TJ has continued to improve. Because of that, I wouldn't count him out as to possibly making an NBA roster.
 
Re: Big Fella gave me a wave and a thumbs up at a recent NBA game

I would be very surprised if TJ made an NBA roster. He is just not big enough or athletic enough.

If you are 6'2 or under, you need to be a great athlete and preferably a great shooter and great passer.



steve nash has to be a TJ idol, but TJ is just not that shooter or as nifty on the passes.

having said that, I hope I am wrong and he latches onto a team as the "agitator", the player all opposing players hate.
 
Mo, you bring up a good point about Blair.
Whenever I have seen him on the floor (and that is rare this year), positive outcomes typically happen.
I know Washington gave him the best contract he has ever had, but his playing time is less than ever.

I would like to also see him get traded to a team that actually plays him on a consistent basis.
 
And yes DT, there were many of the "Jamie Guardians" saying those things...

the quotes were "TJ McConnell wouldn't be one of the ten best players on Pitts roster" and "there is no chance TJ could ever beat out Tra or James." I know for a fact those things were said. Jamie missed big-time on TJ, that much cannot be argued.
 
Re: And yes DT, there were many of the "Jamie Guardians" saying those things...

Can't be a miss when he wouldn't be released to us.
Seriously, tj's dad flat said that in the papers.
 
Originally posted by DT_PITT:

Once TJ said to me: "I don't know why I'm talking to you" and walked away.
Its probably what all the other players you are talking to are thinking anyway. LOL. Just kidding.

Were there other non Pitt kids who chatted freely with you? If you are there wearing Pitt gear I would think a lot of kids on other teams wouldn't be that interested either.
 
TJ is same player that he was a Duquense (e.g., not a "winner"). Average point guard who appears to play better than he is (I agree with comments that JRob would look like a very good point guard with Arizona roster). Those of you who think TJ has a shot at NBA--LOL! Not even close.
 
Either you do not understand basketball of did not watch the last game, but TJ was outstanding. He will not play in the NBA, but he is an excellent college basketball player.
 
The recruiting miss was out of high school...

Jamie didn't recruit him because he didn't think he could play defense or rebound. Big mistake.
 
Re: The recruiting miss was out of high school...


Originally posted by jcpitt:
Jamie didn't recruit him because he didn't think he could play defense or rebound. Big mistake.
So if Pitt today recruited and offered a 5'7 sophomore from a local school, what would you say?
 
He was 6 ft tall his senior season in high school....

Nice try. He would have decomitted from Duquesne in a second if Pitt would have offered him.
 
Re: He was 6 ft tall his senior season in high school....


Originally posted by jcpitt:
Nice try. He would have decomitted from Duquesne in a second if Pitt would have offered him.
If he was such an obvious stud, why didn't ANY other power 5 team offer him, or for that matter, even a higher level A-10 team?
 
I'll answer the question since obviously you won't.

This board, including you very likely, would have LOST IT'S MIND if Pitt would have signed TJ out of HS.

Must be really nice to have the power of hindsight in this case.
 
Oh stop it, you guys have every excuse in the book for Jamie...

most of us don't care if/when Jamie takes a recruiting flyer on a local kid. Not many complained when he offered Cam Johnson last spring when no other P5 schools had. I'd much rather see him miss on a local kid rather than bringing in low upside players like Dwight Miller, JJ Richardson, Isaiah Epps, Malcom Gilbert, John Johnson, Ty Haughton. These players barely had any power 5 interest but for some reason Pitt offered these lightly recruited kids. At least Jamie had a huge recruiting advantage over those other power 5 schools in regards to TJ, it was a ten minute drive to watch him practice or play just about every day for 3 years. So then you have to question his ability to evaluate talent when it's right in front of him as we'll as his inability to close in kids living rooms. Sorry, too much evidence to support a serious downward trend in our program.
 
There absolutely are....

non Pitt players who talk to people all the time. Even DT and I! For instance the reason that I posted the other day that if someone can't root for Lucky Jones they are unAmerican is because Jones seems like a genuinely nice guy who would always talk to you. He certainly hasn't been the only one.
 
Re: He was 6 ft tall his senior season in high school....


Originally posted by UPitt129:

Originally posted by jcpitt:
Nice try. He would have decomitted from Duquesne in a second if Pitt would have offered him.
If he was such an obvious stud, why didn't ANY other power 5 team offer him, or for that matter, even a higher level A-10 team?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
We have the correct answer.
 
This is simply not true jcpitt ...

It's clear that you do like Dixon very much, but you don't need to make stuff up to make your case.
 
As Joe mentioned ...

... Lucky was always great. Derrick Colter was really great this past year.

Duquesne's Eric Evans is a guy who came with a real chip on his shoulder, but was later someone who was really great.

The YSU guys were all pretty good too.
 
jcpitt ...


"Not many complained when he offered Cam Johnson last spring when no other P5 schools had."

Really?

Earlier in this thread, you said that there were those who said TJ couldn't play at Pitt. I am 100% certain that no one said that when they saw him play at Arizona.

TJ has become a much better player in his five years in college. There are many things you can get on Jamie about. But if you wish to appear objective, TJ isn't one of them.
 
Re: Oh stop it, you guys have every excuse in the book for Jamie...

Originally posted by jcpitt:
most of us don't care if/when Jamie takes a recruiting flyer on a local kid. Not many complained when he offered Cam Johnson last spring when no other P5 schools had. I'd much rather see him miss on a local kid rather than bringing in low upside players like Dwight Miller, JJ Richardson, Isaiah Epps, Malcom Gilbert, John Johnson, Ty Haughton. These players barely had any power 5 interest but for some reason Pitt offered these lightly recruited kids. At least Jamie had a huge recruiting advantage over those other power 5 schools in regards to TJ, it was a ten minute drive to watch him practice or play just about every day for 3 years. So then you have to question his ability to evaluate talent when it's right in front of him as we'll as his inability to close in kids living rooms. Sorry, too much evidence to support a serious downward trend in our program.
I have seen a lot of people scream about Luther being on the roster.

And your list of low upside players is ridiculous. Seriously pretty awful, and just another example of hindsight. For the most part, all those players were 3 star players.

Offers for these players with "little interest"

Miller: ASU, Houston, Marquette, ST. John's, Miami, KSU
Richardson: Wichita St, Colorado St, Minnesota, Oklahoma St
Epps: Maryland, St Joseph, Rutgers, Seton Hall
Gilbert: Clemson, Ohio State, Virginia, Va Tech, Wake
Johnson: Nova, Notre Dame, GA Tech, Va Tech, PSU, St Joe's
Haughton: Tennessee, Texas Tech, Memphis, Wichita State

I mean, at least do some research. I know those aren't all power 5 programs, but there are some really good upper echelon mid major programs on there as well.
 
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