Top Ten Pitt Shot Blockers since 1999-2000 season. TB has 3 of top 10.

[Duneaux Harm]

Player

G

GS

MP

FG

FGA

FG%

2P

2PA

2P%

3P

3PA

3P%

FT

FTA

FT%

ORB

DRB

TRB

AST

STL

BLK

TOV

PF

PTS

Year

1​

Steven Adams

32​

32​

23.4​

3.1​

5.5​

0.571​

3.1​

5.5​

0.571​

0​

0​

1​

2.2​

0.443​

2.8​

3.5​

6.3​

0.6​

0.7​

2​

1.1​

1.6​

7.2​

2013​

2​

Khem Birch

10​

6​

15​

1.6​

2.8​

0.571​

1.6​

2.8​

0.571​

0​

0​

1.2​

2.2​

0.545​

2.1​

2.9​

5​

0​

0.2​

1.9​

0.7​

2.1​

4.4​

2012​

3​

Terrell Brown

33​

16​

19​

2.1​

4.7​

0.436​

2​

4.3​

0.455​

0.1​

0.4​

0.231​

1.5​

2.2​

0.658​

1.7​

2.9​

4.5​

0.2​

0.2​

1.8​

1.1​

2.1​

5.7​

2019​

4​

Chris Taft

36​

24​

25.6​

4.5​

8.1​

0.559​

4.5​

8.1​

0.559​

0​

0​

1.9​

3.5​

0.544​

3.1​

4.4​

7.5​

1.3​

0.3​

1.7​

1.3​

1.4​

10.9​

2004​

5​

Chris Taft

29​

29​

26.5​

5.5​

9.4​

0.58​

5.5​

9.4​

0.58​

0​

0​

2.3​

4​

0.586​

3​

4.5​

7.5​

0.8​

0.4​

1.7​

1.6​

1.7​

13.3​

2005​

6​

Aaron Gray

36​

35​

28.2​

5.7​

10​

0.565​

5.7​

10​

0.565​

0​

0​

2.5​

4.6​

0.548​

3.3​

6.1​

9.5​

1.7​

0.4​

1.7​

1.5​

2.5​

13.9​

2007​

7​

Gary McGhee

34​

34​

24.2​

2.8​

4.4​

0.623​

2.8​

4.4​

0.623​

0​

0​

1.4​

2.4​

0.58​

2.4​

4.4​

6.8​

0.6​

0.2​

1.7​

1.3​

2.1​

6.9​

2010​

8​

Aaron Gray

33​

33​

27.9​

5.2​

9.8​

0.526​

5.2​

9.8​

0.526​

0​

0​

3.6​

5.6​

0.634​

3.7​

6.8​

11​

1.8​

0.6​

1.5​

2.7​

2.6​

13.9​

2006​

9​

Terrell Brown

31​

17​

17.3​

1.8​

4.3​

0.418​

1.7​

3.7​

0.457​

0.1​

0.6​

0.167​

0.7​

1.1​

0.629​

1.3​

2.1​

3.4​

0.5​

0.2​

1.5​

1​

2.2​

4.4​

2018​

10​

Terrell Brown

33​

12​

18​

1.9​

3.7​

0.525​

1.9​

3.6​

0.542​

0​

0.1​

0​

1​

1.6​

0.635​

1.5​

2​

3.5​

0.2​

0.3​

1.5​

0.8​

2​

4.9​

2020​

 

[thirteenNINE]

And if you go by block percentage Brown had seasons ranked 1, 3, 4, and 5.

 

[JD1976]

Player

G

GS

MP

FG

FGA

FG%

2P

2PA

2P%

3P

3PA

3P%

FT

FTA

FT%

ORB

DRB

TRB

AST

STL

BLK

TOV

PF

PTS

Year

1​

Steven Adams

32​

32​

23.4​

3.1​

5.5​

0.571​

3.1​

5.5​

0.571​

0​

0​

1​

2.2​

0.443​

2.8​

3.5​

6.3​

0.6​

0.7​

2​

1.1​

1.6​

7.2​

2013​

2​

Khem Birch

10​

6​

15​

1.6​

2.8​

0.571​

1.6​

2.8​

0.571​

0​

0​

1.2​

2.2​

0.545​

2.1​

2.9​

5​

0​

0.2​

1.9​

0.7​

2.1​

4.4​

2012​

3​

Terrell Brown

33​

16​

19​

2.1​

4.7​

0.436​

2​

4.3​

0.455​

0.1​

0.4​

0.231​

1.5​

2.2​

0.658​

1.7​

2.9​

4.5​

0.2​

0.2​

1.8​

1.1​

2.1​

5.7​

2019​

4​

Chris Taft

36​

24​

25.6​

4.5​

8.1​

0.559​

4.5​

8.1​

0.559​

0​

0​

1.9​

3.5​

0.544​

3.1​

4.4​

7.5​

1.3​

0.3​

1.7​

1.3​

1.4​

10.9​

2004​

5​

Chris Taft

29​

29​

26.5​

5.5​

9.4​

0.58​

5.5​

9.4​

0.58​

0​

0​

2.3​

4​

0.586​

3​

4.5​

7.5​

0.8​

0.4​

1.7​

1.6​

1.7​

13.3​

2005​

6​

Aaron Gray

36​

35​

28.2​

5.7​

10​

0.565​

5.7​

10​

0.565​

0​

0​

2.5​

4.6​

0.548​

3.3​

6.1​

9.5​

1.7​

0.4​

1.7​

1.5​

2.5​

13.9​

2007​

7​

Gary McGhee

34​

34​

24.2​

2.8​

4.4​

0.623​

2.8​

4.4​

0.623​

0​

0​

1.4​

2.4​

0.58​

2.4​

4.4​

6.8​

0.6​

0.2​

1.7​

1.3​

2.1​

6.9​

2010​

8​

Aaron Gray

33​

33​

27.9​

5.2​

9.8​

0.526​

5.2​

9.8​

0.526​

0​

0​

3.6​

5.6​

0.634​

3.7​

6.8​

11​

1.8​

0.6​

1.5​

2.7​

2.6​

13.9​

2006​

9​

Terrell Brown

31​

17​

17.3​

1.8​

4.3​

0.418​

1.7​

3.7​

0.457​

0.1​

0.6​

0.167​

0.7​

1.1​

0.629​

1.3​

2.1​

3.4​

0.5​

0.2​

1.5​

1​

2.2​

4.4​

2018​

10​

Terrell Brown

33​

12​

18​

1.9​

3.7​

0.525​

1.9​

3.6​

0.542​

0​

0.1​

0​

1​

1.6​

0.635​

1.5​

2​

3.5​

0.2​

0.3​

1.5​

0.8​

2​

4.9​

2020​

And yet he averaged a mere 3.5 rebounds/game during his career. Pretty remarkable for a player with his size and shot blocking ability. That said, it would have been nice to have him back as a depth player, but can’t blame him for moving on. He more than paid his dues at Pitt.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

And if you go by block percentage Brown had seasons ranked 1, 3, 4, and 5.

That's what makes him so maddening. He is no different player today, than he was when he arrived. He is not uncoordinated. While not athletic, he is not a clod either. He has good timing. He just, just.....just......was so ineffective.

 

[thirteenNINE]

That's what makes him so maddening. He is no different player today, than he was when he arrived. He is not uncoordinated. While not athletic, he is not a clod either. He has good timing. He just, just.....just......was so ineffective.

It's actually amazing how consistent his yearly stats were, every year he shot the same percentages, rebounded at the same rate, and blocked a ton of shots. He just never got better to the point where he was a consistent plus player.

The problem really was that, outside of last year which was clearly an outlier, his hands and inability to finish at the rim made him nearly useless offensively.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It's actually amazing how consistent his yearly stats were, every year he shot the same percentages, rebounded at the same rate, and blocked a ton of shots. He just never got better to the point where he was a consistent plus player.

The problem really was that, outside of last year which was clearly an outlier, his hands and inability to finish at the rim made him nearly useless offensively.

That's the maddening thing. Given where he was as a freshman, if he gets better as a sophomore, and then better as a junior, and then better as a senior, and I'm not talking about making some great leap, just getting better by a "normal" amount every year, you've got yourself a useful piece. Instead, what you saw as a freshman was what you saw as a senior. He just never got any better at all.

 

[thirteenNINE]

That's the maddening thing. Given where he was as a freshman, if he gets better as a sophomore, and then better as a junior, and then better as a senior, and I'm not talking about making some great leap, just getting better by a "normal" amount every year, you've got yourself a useful piece. Instead, what you saw as a freshman was what you saw as a senior. He just never got any better at all.

Yeah, even on a normal to shallow development curve you end up with a guy who is probably Garrison Brooks with a much better block rate on slightly fewer minutes per game. And that's a really good P6 player!

 

[Pittx9]

I really thought he was the one guy from Stallings’ class that Pitt had to keep. Even more so than Marcus Carr, because as we are witnessing a skilled big doesn’t come around every day. Like mentioned in this thread, had he gradually gotten better every season than you have the #3 shot blocker in school history possibly also being a near double-double average per game guy by his senior season.

He was definitely still worth keeping around, and again I would’ve even brought him back next season had he wanted to. But I can see why some were disappointed with him... he was a great shot blocker, he actually had decent range for a big, he had the tools to become an effective finesse big man. Unfortunately the rebounding, contested layups, positional defense, etc. never developed.

 

[FrogmoreZeke]

Blame it on Jamie Dixon. Didn't run enough sets for him or let him shoot 3s.

 

[DT_PITT]

And yet he averaged a mere 3.5 rebounds/game during his career. Pretty remarkable for a player with his size and shot blocking ability. That said, it would have been nice to have him back as a depth player, but can’t blame him for moving on. He more than paid his dues at Pitt.

Indeed.

 

[levance2]

Yeah, even on a normal to shallow development curve you end up with a guy who is probably Garrison Brooks with a much better block rate on slightly fewer minutes per game. And that's a really good P6 player!

Which of these do you think is the most likely cause:

1. Only one year of coaching from Stallings after recruitment, and not enough development attention from new staff
2. Hard limit on physical capability and potential
3. Lack of internal motivation to overcome his deficiencies

I would think the answer is some blend of all three, but I have wondered throughout his career which one bears the most blame. It always seemed to me that Capel thought he could just recruit over all of Stallings players, and likely didn't put much effort into Brown. However, as @Joe the Panther Fan said, you'd think even if the coach neglected him, TB would've had a more positive trajectory just by his own volition.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Which of these do you think is the most likely cause:

1. Only one year of coaching from Stallings after recruitment, and not enough development attention from new staff
2. Hard limit on physical capability and potential
3. Lack of internal motivation to overcome his deficiencies

I would think the answer is some blend of all three, but I have wondered throughout his career which one bears the most blame. It always seemed to me that Capel thought he could just recruit over all of Stallings players, and likely didn't put much effort into Brown. However, as @Joe the Panther Fan said, you'd think even if the coach neglected him, TB would've had a more positive trajectory just by his own volition.

I just don’t think he’s a good basketball player
He played small and weak 80% of the time in the post -
With the only skill being shot blocking - which hurt the defense way more than it ever helped

 

[levance2]

I just don’t think he’s a good basketball player
He played small and weak 80% of the time in the post -
With the only skill being shot blocking - which hurt the defense way more than it ever helped

We hear so much about how bigs are the slowest to develop, so it seems particularly strange to me that TB was able to a be a reasonably productive freshman in the ACC and then never improve at all. I'm not suggesting that he would've become POY, but I find it hard to believe that he peaked at age 19.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

We hear so much about how bigs are the slowest to develop, so it seems particularly strange to me that TB was able to a be a reasonably productive freshman in the ACC and then never improve at all. I'm not suggesting that he would've become POY, but I find it hard to believe that he peaked at age 19.

It’s not hard to believe
His legs and base were weak and he wasn’t skilled enough to play from outside the post

 

[4Mark_Marty]

Which of these do you think is the most likely cause:

1. Only one year of coaching from Stallings after recruitment, and not enough development attention from new staff
2. Hard limit on physical capability and potential
3. Lack of internal motivation to overcome his deficiencies

I would think the answer is some blend of all three, but I have wondered throughout his career which one bears the most blame. It always seemed to me that Capel thought he could just recruit over all of Stallings players, and likely didn't put much effort into Brown. However, as @Joe the Panther Fan said, you'd think even if the coach neglected him, TB would've had a more positive trajectory just by his own volition.

Doesn’t process quickly.

 

[Upg bobcat]

I think this thread tells me that being a good shot blocker, in and of itself, is not a very valuable skill in today's game, especially with teams relying more and more on 3 point shooting. Yeah it's a skill, but doesn't translate in contributing much to helping Pitt win basketball games.

 

[FrogmoreZeke]

Good point. And it would be interesting to know how many of those blocked shots actually resulted in a change of possession for us. Often times the shot blocker is actually out of position then to rebound or defend if the ball ends up in the hands of an opposing player. I would much rather have a team that shots free throws better than blocks shots.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

That's the maddening thing. Given where he was as a freshman, if he gets better as a sophomore, and then better as a junior, and then better as a senior, and I'm not talking about making some great leap, just getting better by a "normal" amount every year, you've got yourself a useful piece. Instead, what you saw as a freshman was what you saw as a senior. He just never got any better at all.

I really thought by his junior, senior year, he'd be an average ACC 5. For a FR, he wasnt terrible but he didn't improve at all.