UNC Game & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** It was a simple plan.

** I had an obligation this evening that prevented me from watching the first half in real time. But I wasn’t too worried about it. I figured I could rewatch the Panthers fall to a 10 point halftime deficit, and then hopefully watch a decent enough second half.

** So of course when I got in my car, the halftime reporter said: “the Panthers played their best first half of the season!” Damn!

** What worried me the most though was that I figured since I missed a great first half, I’d watch the Panthers suffer to a second half meltdown.

** Our men had other ideas.

** Nothing this season has gone to plan it would seem.

** Nike and Ithiel screwed up early plans. And for many stretches, it didn’t look like the Panther had a plan at all.

** Personally, I was never sure at any stretch this season if Capel should be retained beyond this year or not. My refrain was always let the season play out and the picture will become clear. I won’t lie. I expected the picture to become clear with a similar February finish as our last three campaigns.

** Not in any way did I see a three game winning streak at this point to create a whole new picture. Quite a pretty picture in fact.

** Let’s make no mistake about it. This was a very impressive win. We know this isn’t a great Carolina team. But they aren’t bad like two years ago. And it was in their gym. And they really needed the win.

** And while Carolina has flaws, they still have plenty of talent.

** Let’s be real too. Despite how we as fans may have become a little nervous in the final three minutes, this one was really never in doubt at all. We didn’t respond particularly well to UNC’s desperation. But we made enough plays.

** When we really made the plays was in the second half after Big John banked in the three with the foul. After that, we had some special execution to get Ithiel two more threes, and a nice Noah flush. That’s when you knew this one was going to be a win.

** Heck, even Will got a big bucket!

** What we must all know now is the recent Pitt tweet about the players believing in their coach just wasn’t BS. Something is going on here.

** We should also know that our starting five with Ithiel in the fold is now pretty legit. Not great, but legit.

** Obviously, we also know that after that five, we’ve haven’t got much. But one thing at a time, I ask!

** The simple plan needs to continue. Capel and company need to keep this going on Saturday. This program still needs to continue building any success it can. Four ACC wins in a row would be a nice marker for sure.

** After that, it’s still a pretty simple plan. Our Coach needs to go out and get himself a couple more players. After all, it's looking more like he's going to need them next year.

** Congrats to our Panthers on their best win of the year! HTP!

 

[Drew1208]

** It was a simple plan.

** I had an obligation this evening that prevented me from watching the first half in real time. But I wasn’t too worried about it. I figured I could rewatch the Panthers fall to a 10 point halftime deficit, and then hopefully watch a decent enough second half.

** So of course when I got in my car, the halftime reporter said: “the Panthers played their best first half of the season!” Damn!

** What worried me the most though was that I figured since I missed a great first half, I’d watch the Panthers suffer to a second half meltdown.

** Our men had other ideas.

** Nothing this season has gone to plan it would seem.

** Nike and Ithiel screwed up early plans. And for many stretches, it didn’t look like the Panther had a plan at all.

** Personally, I was never sure at any stretch this season if Capel should be retained beyond this year or not. My refrain was always let the season play out and the picture will become clear. I won’t lie. I expected the picture to become clear with a similar February finish as our last three campaigns.

** Not in any way did I see a three game winning streak at this point to create a whole new picture. Quite a pretty picture in fact.

** Let’s make no mistake about it. This was a very impressive win. We know this isn’t a great Carolina team. But they aren’t bad like two years ago. And it was in their gym. And they really needed the win.

** And while Carolina has flaws, they still have plenty of talent.

** Let’s be real too. Despite how we as fans may have become a little nervous in the final three minutes, this one was really never in doubt at all. We didn’t respond particularly well to UNC’s desperation. But we made enough plays.

** When we really made the plays was in the second half after Big John banked in the three with the foul. After that, we had some special execution to get Ithiel two more threes, and a nice Noah flush. That’s when you knew this one was going to be a win.

** Heck, even Will got a big bucket!

** What we must all know now is the recent Pitt tweet about the players believing in their coach just wasn’t BS. Something is going on here.

** We should also know that our starting five with Ithiel in the fold is now pretty legit. Not great, but legit.

** Obviously, we also know that after that five, we’ve haven’t got much. But one thing at a time, I ask!

** The simple plan needs to continue. Capel and company need to keep this going on Saturday. This program still needs to continue building any success it can. Four ACC wins in a row would be a nice marker for sure.

** After that, it’s still a pretty simple plan. Our Coach needs to go out and get himself a couple more players. After all, it's looking more like he's going to need them next year.

** Congrats to our Panthers on their best win of the year! HTP!

Drew's Dunks

As I sat alone in a Houston Texas hospital during the game, I pondered the distraction and satisfaction I can receive watching Pitt Bball.

I went to reddit and found a stream of the game. Totally shocked and pleased the Panthers and this board (I love most of you), as it keeps me distracted from everyday serious problems.

Time flew by and i didn't feel alone. I was just happy for modern technology so i could watch my Panthers and relishing in the joy it brings all of us.

Well i think Capel kept his job. Now his number 1 job is to keep the good players and go get more. His retention rate is his failure.

Thank you to everyone here and keeping me entertained with the insanity that is a mediocre to bad basketball program's message board. But just like most humans we all want the same thing.

And thank you DT. These are always a pleasure I look forward to.

 

[gary2]

** It was a simple plan.

** I had an obligation this evening that prevented me from watching the first half in real time. But I wasn’t too worried about it. I figured I could rewatch the Panthers fall to a 10 point halftime deficit, and then hopefully watch a decent enough second half.

** So of course when I got in my car, the halftime reporter said: “the Panthers played their best first half of the season!” Damn!

** What worried me the most though was that I figured since I missed a great first half, I’d watch the Panthers suffer to a second half meltdown.

** Our men had other ideas.

** Nothing this season has gone to plan it would seem.

** Nike and Ithiel screwed up early plans. And for many stretches, it didn’t look like the Panther had a plan at all.

** Personally, I was never sure at any stretch this season if Capel should be retained beyond this year or not. My refrain was always let the season play out and the picture will become clear. I won’t lie. I expected the picture to become clear with a similar February finish as our last three campaigns.

** Not in any way did I see a three game winning streak at this point to create a whole new picture. Quite a pretty picture in fact.

** Let’s make no mistake about it. This was a very impressive win. We know this isn’t a great Carolina team. But they aren’t bad like two years ago. And it was in their gym. And they really needed the win.

** And while Carolina has flaws, they still have plenty of talent.

** Let’s be real too. Despite how we as fans may have become a little nervous in the final three minutes, this one was really never in doubt at all. We didn’t respond particularly well to UNC’s desperation. But we made enough plays.

** When we really made the plays was in the second half after Big John banked in the three with the foul. After that, we had some special execution to get Ithiel two more threes, and a nice Noah flush. That’s when you knew this one was going to be a win.

** Heck, even Will got a big bucket!

** What we must all know now is the recent Pitt tweet about the players believing in their coach just wasn’t BS. Something is going on here.

** We should also know that our starting five with Ithiel in the fold is now pretty legit. Not great, but legit.

** Obviously, we also know that after that five, we’ve haven’t got much. But one thing at a time, I ask!

** The simple plan needs to continue. Capel and company need to keep this going on Saturday. This program still needs to continue building any success it can. Four ACC wins in a row would be a nice marker for sure.

** After that, it’s still a pretty simple plan. Our Coach needs to go out and get himself a couple more players. After all, it's looking more like he's going to need them next year.

** Congrats to our Panthers on their best win of the year! HTP!

To be devils advocate: He has demonstrated that he has learned his lesson. He now understands what he did wrong in handling team discipline and developing team play and team chemistry.

He has demonstrated he can bring in talent and this season demonstrates he has learned lessons regarding molding, controlling and retaining.

He has adapted and is coaching more this season. (Maybe with the help of Kyle Cieplicki, who may be assuming a greater role in the future)

I wouldn’t bet on any of this, but could see some doing so,

 

[pittjas]

Drew's Dunks

As I sat alone in a Houston Texas hospital during the game, I pondered the distraction and satisfaction I can receive watching Pitt Bball.

I went to reddit and found a stream of the game. Totally shocked and pleased the Panthers and this board (I love most of you), as it keeps me distracted from everyday serious problems.

Time flew by and i didn't feel alone. I was just happy for modern technology so i could watch my Panthers and relishing in the joy it brings all of us.

Well i think Capel kept his job. Now his number 1 job is to keep the good players and go get more. His retention rate is his failure.

Thank you to everyone here and keeping me entertained with the insanity that is a mediocre to bad basketball program's message board. But just like most humans we all want the same thing.

And thank you DT. These are always a pleasure I look forward to.

Really appreciate the perspective of this post. Best wishes with your health. H2P

 

[DT_PITT]

Drew's Dunks

As I sat alone in a Houston Texas hospital during the game, I pondered the distraction and satisfaction I can receive watching Pitt Bball.

I went to reddit and found a stream of the game. Totally shocked and pleased the Panthers and this board (I love most of you), as it keeps me distracted from everyday serious problems.

Time flew by and i didn't feel alone. I was just happy for modern technology so i could watch my Panthers and relishing in the joy it brings all of us.

Well i think Capel kept his job. Now his number 1 job is to keep the good players and go get more. His retention rate is his failure.

Thank you to everyone here and keeping me entertained with the insanity that is a mediocre to bad basketball program's message board. But just like most humans we all want the same thing.

And thank you DT. These are always a pleasure I look forward to.

Hope all is well!

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

Drew's Dunks

As I sat alone in a Houston Texas hospital during the game, I pondered the distraction and satisfaction I can receive watching Pitt Bball.

I went to reddit and found a stream of the game. Totally shocked and pleased the Panthers and this board (I love most of you), as it keeps me distracted from everyday serious problems.

Time flew by and i didn't feel alone. I was just happy for modern technology so i could watch my Panthers and relishing in the joy it brings all of us.

Well i think Capel kept his job. Now his number 1 job is to keep the good players and go get more. His retention rate is his failure.

Thank you to everyone here and keeping me entertained with the insanity that is a mediocre to bad basketball program's message board. But just like most humans we all want the same thing.

And thank you DT. These are always a pleasure I look forward to.

Drew, hope you feel better soon!

 

[4upmc]

Speedy recovery to Drew.

 

[Drew1208]

I'm all good everyone its all exploration. It ain't about me...... I just wanted to thank you guys.

What a game. Does this game actually help us maybe land a Batchelor? Or will Capel be stuck with a rose in his hand?

 

[PittMan 72]

** It was a simple plan.

** I had an obligation this evening that prevented me from watching the first half in real time. But I wasn’t too worried about it. I figured I could rewatch the Panthers fall to a 10 point halftime deficit, and then hopefully watch a decent enough second half.

** So of course when I got in my car, the halftime reporter said: “the Panthers played their best first half of the season!” Damn!

** What worried me the most though was that I figured since I missed a great first half, I’d watch the Panthers suffer to a second half meltdown.

** Our men had other ideas.

** Nothing this season has gone to plan it would seem.

** Nike and Ithiel screwed up early plans. And for many stretches, it didn’t look like the Panther had a plan at all.

** Personally, I was never sure at any stretch this season if Capel should be retained beyond this year or not. My refrain was always let the season play out and the picture will become clear. I won’t lie. I expected the picture to become clear with a similar February finish as our last three campaigns.

** Not in any way did I see a three game winning streak at this point to create a whole new picture. Quite a pretty picture in fact.

** Let’s make no mistake about it. This was a very impressive win. We know this isn’t a great Carolina team. But they aren’t bad like two years ago. And it was in their gym. And they really needed the win.

** And while Carolina has flaws, they still have plenty of talent.

** Let’s be real too. Despite how we as fans may have become a little nervous in the final three minutes, this one was really never in doubt at all. We didn’t respond particularly well to UNC’s desperation. But we made enough plays.

** When we really made the plays was in the second half after Big John banked in the three with the foul. After that, we had some special execution to get Ithiel two more threes, and a nice Noah flush. That’s when you knew this one was going to be a win.

** Heck, even Will got a big bucket!

** What we must all know now is the recent Pitt tweet about the players believing in their coach just wasn’t BS. Something is going on here.

** We should also know that our starting five with Ithiel in the fold is now pretty legit. Not great, but legit.

** Obviously, we also know that after that five, we’ve haven’t got much. But one thing at a time, I ask!

** The simple plan needs to continue. Capel and company need to keep this going on Saturday. This program still needs to continue building any success it can. Four ACC wins in a row would be a nice marker for sure.

** After that, it’s still a pretty simple plan. Our Coach needs to go out and get himself a couple more players. After all, it's looking more like he's going to need them next year.

** Congrats to our Panthers on their best win of the year! HTP!

Pitt’s 1H defense was stellar. Excellent. Best job of keeping guys in front of them and challenging that they’ve done all year. Aggressive. Energetic. Outstanding rotations.

Then, they were able to back that up by getting good shots and making the open looks. They made plays in the 2H to ward off the ‘Heels. But the 1H was some really good basketball played by Pitt. All told, a very nice road win. Good to see the team play with resolve.

 

[Pittisit4me]

Just want to recognize what Horton means to this team. Some have said his presence would not make a difference. They were wrong. He has been huge in this 3 game win streak. With him, our starting five is solid. Even his defense has been good enough, and that for me, was most concerning. Kudos to Capel as well. He has this team working hard and showing improvement. I hope it continues. Tonight really takes some pressure off of both he and Heather.

 

[Drew1208]

Just want to recognize what Horton means to this team. Some have said his presence would not make a difference. They were wrong. He has been huge in this 3 game win streak. With him, our starting five is solid. Even his defense has been good enough, and that for me, was most concerning. Kudos to Capel as well. He has this team working hard and showing improvement. I hope it continues. Tonight really takes some pressure off of both he and Heather.

I couldn't watch very closely but he seemed good on defense today

 

[New York Panther]

Three other things impressed me: 1.) All five starters in double figures; 2.) 18 of 20 free throws; 3.) Femi outplayed Davis 10 points, nine assists to 3 points, 2 assists.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

It was a wonderful performance by these guys playing together so well and very enjoyable to watch.

Nevertheless, keeping things in perspective, the win was also just one of those freaky games where one team plays at their ceiling aided by some luck (Hugley's 4-point play one example) and the other more talented team plays at or close to their floor.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

It was a wonderful performance by these guys playing together so well and very enjoyable to watch.

Nevertheless, keeping things in perspective, the win was also just one of those freaky games where one team plays at their ceiling aided by some luck (Hugley's 4-point play one example) and the other more talented team plays at or close to their floor.

It had to kill UNC fans to watch horton go 5 for 5 from 3

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Lost in the commotion of Hugley’s late game heroics, Horton’s hot shooting and Mo being Mo is that Femi had his best game (imo) as a Panther. Points weren’t there as much, but 9
Assists, ran the team, found open guys, facilitated to John/Horton at the right times and played pretty damn good defense too. Kept his composure and made some timely FT’s as well.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Lost in the commotion of Hugley’s late game heroics, Horton’s hot shooting and Mo being Mo is that Femi had his best game (imo) as a Panther. Points weren’t there as much, but 9
Assists, ran the team, found open guys, facilitated to John/Horton at the right times and played pretty damn good defense too. Kept his composure and made some timely FT’s as well.

I didn’t see the entire game so take this fwiw. But what I did see it seemed his dribbling actually led to something (cpl drives to the rack) as opposed to what is was previously - mostly aimless.

 

[cdheller76]

I agree that this was Femi's best all around game, against top flight players too. He made the right passes, didn't turn the ball over, defended like crazy and made free throws down the stretch. Way to go kid!!

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Having a guy that can bury three’s on a consistent basis not only effects the other teams defensive schemes it’s contagious watching one of your teammates shoot like that .

Injuries happen to every team , and Horton’s off court issues aren’t unique to Pitt , but what a shame both weren’t available all yr .

Hopefully this win puts to rest the questions around JC job security . Now he has a little ammo to recruit with .

Don’t follow UNC , but RJ Davis didn’t impress last night , but he is good enough to start at UNC .

Everyone expected Pitt to get hammered then Pitt came out and put it to UNC and withered a furious comeback…college bb can be fun to watch even Pitt bb .

 

[wbrpanther]

Pitt’s 1H defense was stellar. Excellent. Best job of keeping guys in front of them and challenging that they’ve done all year. Aggressive. Energetic. Outstanding rotations.

Then, they were able to back that up by getting good shots and making the open looks. They made plays in the 2H to ward off the ‘Heels. But the 1H was some really good basketball played by Pitt. All told, a very nice road win. Good to see the team play with resolve.

Key to staving off the Heels was adjusting to the full court press that had them on their heels early in the second half. Good coaching job by Capel. Great effort by all last night.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Having a guy that can bury three’s on a consistent basis not only effects the other teams defensive schemes it’s contagious watching one of your teammates shoot like that .

Injuries happen to every team , and Horton’s off court issues aren’t unique to Pitt , but what a shame both weren’t available all yr .

Hopefully this win puts to rest the questions around JC job security . Now he has a little ammo to recruit with .

Don’t follow UNC , but RJ Davis didn’t impress last night , but he is good enough to start at UNC .

Everyone expected Pitt to get hammered then Pitt came out and put it to UNC and withered a furious comeback…college bb can be fun watch even Pitt bb .

RJ Davis averages 13.5, 3.7, 3.5 and shoots 41 percent from 3. Hes good enough to start everywhere except like 4 schools.

That said, he was shut down and outplayed by Femi last night.

 

[wbrpanther]

Just want to recognize what Horton means to this team. Some have said his presence would not make a difference. They were wrong. He has been huge in this 3 game win streak. With him, our starting five is solid. Even his defense has been good enough, and that for me, was most concerning. Kudos to Capel as well. He has this team working hard and showing improvement. I hope it continues. Tonight really takes some pressure off of both he and Heather.

Remember that stretch early in the season when we lost 4 games at the buzzer. I am confident we win all 4 with Horton. Do the math. Where would we be with those 4 wins?

 

[Fsgolfdr]

RJ Davis averages 13.5, 3.7, 3.5 and shoots 41 percent from 3. Hes good enough to start everywhere except like 4 schools.

That said, he was shut down and outplayed by Femi last night.

I saw his numbers and as I said he’s good enough to start at UNC , but he didn’t look very good yesterday . Everyone is entitled to bad games ( even guys wearing Pitt uniforms ) !

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

I saw his numbers and as I said he’s good enough to start at UNC , but he didn’t look very good yesterday . Everyone is entitled to bad games ( even guys wearing Pitt uniforms ) !

correct, and his bad game was mostly due to Femi. I was giving both players credit

 

[PittPharm2002]

Lost in the commotion of Hugley’s late game heroics, Horton’s hot shooting and Mo being Mo is that Femi had his best game (imo) as a Panther. Points weren’t there as much, but 9
Assists, ran the team, found open guys, facilitated to John/Horton at the right times and played pretty damn good defense too. Kept his composure and made some timely FT’s as well.

He made pretty darned good decisions and made winning and patience plays to get Hugley layups to ensure a victory

 

[pierre93]

I'm all good everyone its all exploration. It ain't about me...... I just wanted to thank you guys.

What a game. Does this game actually help us maybe land a Batchelor? Or will Capel be stuck with a rose in his hand?

Get well soon and God Bless You bro. H2P!

 

[rockypanther]

I didn’t see the entire game so take this fwiw. But what I did see it seemed his dribbling actually led to something (cpl drives to the rack) as opposed to what is was previously - mostly aimless.

This is what I saw. He was able to dribble and drive past his defenders.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I am serious, that was the most "Pitt like" performance by this basketball program since Dixon pre Young/Artis days.

Outside of the first few minutes, and a bit of a stretch in the 2nd half, they executed on offense so well, they played good defense, rebounded well. And here's the important thing that we used to argue as "unimportant", but making your free throws in a game like that is crucial.

That was so fun to watch. Like I said on the pay board, I seemingly held my breath the last 15 minutes, but hey that is why we watch sports, right? For the excitement and unknown.

 

[lunzhegu]

Watching Coach Davis' press conference on YouTube, I was somewhat surprised at how ungracious he was. Instead, he was visibly shell-shocked at how thoroughly we destroyed them. He got to the microphone and could barely speak. He gave not a word of credit to Pitt and talked on and on about his disappointment with how poorly his team played. The single description he gave of Pitt was about how physically we play. Sweet, huh?

 

[JS School]

I couldn't watch very closely but he seemed good on defense today

He's shooting well, but I think the rest of Horton's game has been at least adequate. He's no longer the liability in other areas some people make him out to be. It seems he was working hard during his suspension.

He also seems to be playing with a lot more confidence than he did last year. Maybe the street cred you get from hitting a cop gives you a little more swagger. I wouldn't recommend that as a method of improving mental toughness, however.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Watching Coach Davis' press conference on YouTube, I was somewhat surprised at how ungracious he was. Instead, he was visibly shell-shocked at how thoroughly we destroyed them. He got to the microphone and could barely speak. He gave not a word of credit to Pitt and talked on and on about his disappointment with how poorly his team played. The single description he gave of Pitt was about how physically we play. Sweet, huh?

What do you want him to say? Pitt is a better team and program than us? It’s an embarrassing loss for UNC and is certainly a data point they will use in evaluating him after year 3. He has many more of those he won’t make it to year 3. I wouldn’t read too much into coach speak.

Another point would be that I’m sure he can’t stand Jeff Capel being from Duke and all. So it has to sting even more.

 

[JS School]

Watching Coach Davis' press conference on YouTube, I was somewhat surprised at how ungracious he was. Instead, he was visibly shell-shocked at how thoroughly we destroyed them. He got to the microphone and could barely speak. He gave not a word of credit to Pitt and talked on and on about his disappointment with how poorly his team played. The single description he gave of Pitt was about how physically we play. Sweet, huh?

That's great. I love when a team of 4 and 5 stars get beat then wonder how the heck that happened.

 

[NCanton Panther]

** It was a simple plan.

** I had an obligation this evening that prevented me from watching the first half in real time. But I wasn’t too worried about it. I figured I could rewatch the Panthers fall to a 10 point halftime deficit, and then hopefully watch a decent enough second half.

** So of course when I got in my car, the halftime reporter said: “the Panthers played their best first half of the season!” Damn!

** What worried me the most though was that I figured since I missed a great first half, I’d watch the Panthers suffer to a second half meltdown.

** Our men had other ideas.

** Nothing this season has gone to plan it would seem.

** Nike and Ithiel screwed up early plans. And for many stretches, it didn’t look like the Panther had a plan at all.

** Personally, I was never sure at any stretch this season if Capel should be retained beyond this year or not. My refrain was always let the season play out and the picture will become clear. I won’t lie. I expected the picture to become clear with a similar February finish as our last three campaigns.

** Not in any way did I see a three game winning streak at this point to create a whole new picture. Quite a pretty picture in fact.

** Let’s make no mistake about it. This was a very impressive win. We know this isn’t a great Carolina team. But they aren’t bad like two years ago. And it was in their gym. And they really needed the win.

** And while Carolina has flaws, they still have plenty of talent.

** Let’s be real too. Despite how we as fans may have become a little nervous in the final three minutes, this one was really never in doubt at all. We didn’t respond particularly well to UNC’s desperation. But we made enough plays.

** When we really made the plays was in the second half after Big John banked in the three with the foul. After that, we had some special execution to get Ithiel two more threes, and a nice Noah flush. That’s when you knew this one was going to be a win.

** Heck, even Will got a big bucket!

** What we must all know now is the recent Pitt tweet about the players believing in their coach just wasn’t BS. Something is going on here.

** We should also know that our starting five with Ithiel in the fold is now pretty legit. Not great, but legit.

** Obviously, we also know that after that five, we’ve haven’t got much. But one thing at a time, I ask!

** The simple plan needs to continue. Capel and company need to keep this going on Saturday. This program still needs to continue building any success it can. Four ACC wins in a row would be a nice marker for sure.

** After that, it’s still a pretty simple plan. Our Coach needs to go out and get himself a couple more players. After all, it's looking more like he's going to need them next year.

** Congrats to our Panthers on their best win of the year! HTP!

I haven’t read through the rest of this thread to know if it’s been discussed but I wouldn’t say this was never in doubt. I think when UNC cut it to 6 and then Menck intercepted the long inbounds attempt to Horton, it could have seriously been in doubt at that point. Good thing Love fumbled the pass off his leg and OB or who knows what would have happened.

Credit to the guys all game and particularly down the stretch, making their FTs and a couple clutch plays getting it down low to Hughley for big late conversions.

 

[JS School]

I agree that this was Femi's best all around game, against top flight players too. He made the right passes, didn't turn the ball over, defended like crazy and made free throws down the stretch. Way to go kid!!

I've seen guys improve their FT shooting over their careers, but Femi seems to have improved quite a bit over the course of the season. It's nice to have opponents purposely foul a guy down the stretch because they think he's a 60 % shooter when he's currently more like a 75%.

I thought he defended equally well against both bigger and smaller guys.

 

[Chescat]

I agree that this was Femi's best all around game, against top flight players too. He made the right passes, didn't turn the ball over, defended like crazy and made free throws down the stretch. Way to go kid!!

Ye, he played well, and
it was one of his better
games, BUT.....7 TO's is a
bad #, especially for a
lead guard. Of course 9
assists is very good, but
you can bet Capel will
address 7 TO's.

Not trying to be a Negative
Nellie, because he did so
very well in other areas.
50% from the field, 2-3 on
his 3's, and 100 % from
the line, an area he was
struggling from earlier
this season.

 

[DT_PITT]

I haven’t read through the rest of this thread to know if it’s been discussed but I wouldn’t say this was never in doubt. I think when UNC cut it to 6 and then Menck intercepted the long inbounds attempt to Horton, it could have seriously been in doubt at that point. Good thing Love fumbled the pass off his leg and OB or who knows what would have happened.

Credit to the guys all game and particularly down the stretch, making their FTs and a couple clutch plays getting it down low to Hughley for big late conversions.

Fair enough ... but once we got to 70, I told my son it was over.

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

I haven’t read through the rest of this thread to know if it’s been discussed but I wouldn’t say this was never in doubt. I think when UNC cut it to 6 and then Menck intercepted the long inbounds attempt to Horton, it could have seriously been in doubt at that point.

I have to say that I was getting a little nervous when UNC cut it to a 6-point game there. And yeah, if they had kept possession and scored again when they stole that long in-bounds pass those last 90 seconds could have gone in a bad direction. Pitt did answer immediately and put the lead back to 9, but for those few chaotic moments when UNC intercepted the pass, I had scary, scary thoughts going through my head.

 

[Ski11585]

I am serious, that was the most "Pitt like" performance by this basketball program since Dixon pre Young/Artis days.

Outside of the first few minutes, and a bit of a stretch in the 2nd half, they executed on offense so well, they played good defense, rebounded well. And here's the important thing that we used to argue as "unimportant", but making your free throws in a game like that is crucial.

That was so fun to watch. Like I said on the pay board, I seemingly held my breath the last 15 minutes, but hey that is why we watch sports, right? For the excitement and unknown.

Don't get me wrong, I had an absolute blast this football season. But you're spot on about how fun lat night was. And it reminded me of how much I love a good, high stakes basketball game. Nothing beats it.

 

[NCanton Panther]

I've seen guys improve their FT shooting over their careers, but Femi seems to have improved quite a bit over the course of the season. It's nice to have opponents purposely foul a guy down the stretch because they think he's a 60 % shooter when he's currently more like a 75%.

I thought he defended equally well against both bigger and smaller guys.

Seems like when Femi concentrates/focuses on his FT attempts he’s a lot better. Back when his % was a good bit lower, he wasn’t taking much time to shoot once he got the ball at the line.

Now he takes a good bit of time. I think one of the announcers even mentioned it when he sunk a couple down the stretch, commented that he easily takes his full allotted 10 seconds at the line before shooting.

 

[PittPharm2002]

Watching Coach Davis' press conference on YouTube, I was somewhat surprised at how ungracious he was. Instead, he was visibly shell-shocked at how thoroughly we destroyed them. He got to the microphone and could barely speak. He gave not a word of credit to Pitt and talked on and on about his disappointment with how poorly his team played. The single description he gave of Pitt was about how physically we play. Sweet, huh?

He knows his target audience
Unc fans are the whiniest group ever

 

[PittMan 72]

Ye, he played well, and
it was one of his better
games, BUT.....7 TO's is a
bad #, especially for a
lead guard. Of course 9
assists is very good, but
you can bet Capel will
address 7 TO's.

Not trying to be a Negative
Nellie, because he did so
very well in other areas.
50% from the field, 2-3 on
his 3's, and 100 % from
the line, an area he was
struggling from earlier
this season.

Agree and the observation about the 7 TO’s is certainly reasonable. Cutting down turnovers is an area that a team’s primary ball handler has to excel at. Imagine it’s a continual point of emphasis on the part of Femi and the coaches. The other players on the floor have to help him, too. Better player movement to get open and ball movement on all their part is needed.