First off, I think a big congratulations goes to Jeff Capel tonight, our entire coaching staff and assistants, and each player and member of this basketball team and program for the win tonight to establish early season momentum. This was a complete team effort to get the W regardless of the mistakes within the game. This was a statement win for game 1 and an exciting come from behind win over a legit ACC opponent that was a Sweet 16 team last year.
Game Ball- Ryan Murphy- I can’t say enough about his performance. Big shot after big shot was made, great poise, calm, and in complete control during the game. He held his own on defense and wasn’t a big liability on defense.
13 points, 4 rebounds 3 assists, 3-6 from 3 point range, 4-4 and clutch from the line. This team needed an offensive lift in a major way and Ryan Murphy delivered with flying colors in his first game at Pitt with a brand-new team. Hats off to Ryan and well done!
Team defense
Before the game had started I had mentioned I would be dialed in and focused the most on our team defense as I expected it to make a big jump this year. And defensively, this team completely shut down Florida State on offense in the first half and held Florida State to 39% shooting for the game. Without Devin Vessel who had a career game tonight shooting (6-7) for 14 points, the rest of Florida State’s entire team shot a paltry 31% for the game for 47 total team points. Pitt forced 14 turnovers and won the rebound battle by 5 rebounds.
This is a major turnaround so far since last year on defense and the newcomers also delivered and brought it on defense as we won the game by putting the clamps down on Florida State defensively and on the glass.
My expectation of what I wanted to see was to get our defense into the Top 25-50 in defensive efficiency at minimum this year. For the 1st game of the season, job well done, we our well on our way to achieve that.
Rebounding
Winning the rebound battle +5 against Florida State’s team of tall trees is also a statement. But Im not exactly encouraged by Hamilton and Brown getting 6 boards combined, the same number as freshmen Justin Champagnie who hauled in a big 6 boards in only 23 minutes of action in his first game.
Brown had a fair game at best. He shot the ball well and didn’t fumble the excellent entry passes by our guards like he did last year, but he stands around and watches the game a lot. And I mean a lot. Credit our help defense and team rebounding to assist him, but he needs to start attacking the glass for rebounds and stop thinking, or day dreaming, and watching the action. I personally think Brown also looked sleepy in parts of this game and almost tried to avoid contact in certain stretches on defense. Brown finished and made plays scoring the basketball from the entry passes given to him. So credit does go to him for doing so and making the baskets.
Encouraging signs
2 of our preseason team leaders, X and Trey, shot the ball (5-17 ) for 29% today. Xavier Johnson had 1 assist and Mcgowens had a whopping 6 turnovers. Unlike last year where if these 2 players didn’t win the game for us we didn’t have a chance; we just won the game today without either having a strong game. Both of them were average at best tonight.
The 2nd encouraging sign is I felt we didn’t get the breaks in this game and FSU did. Florida State hit 2 really ugly looking 3’s, Toney missed a wide open dunk, we had a number of good looking shots spin out instead of drop from a ½ inch or less on the rim. Florida State also shot (13-15) 87% from the line which will probably be close to their season high in free throw percentage. I mean we won this game without the breaks, which is a very good thing.
Justin Champagnie is going to have some big games this year. 8 points and 6 boards isn’t anything to sneeze at against Florida State. In his former career, he converts his shots at far too high of a percentage for how he shot tonight. If he can hit some 3’s, Big days are ahead for him because he will score on the inside and finish and he knows how to bust a zone defense down. I look for him to feast on teams like Syracuse this year.
Dumgoole had some nervousness. His shot was a little rushed, he didn’t have the proper arc, and was not “smooth” but he will adjust. Decent on defense game 1, didn’t make any major mistakes.
The 2019 class has already begun to make its mark and Coulibaly didn’t even get his chance yet. The class was underrated as I repeatedly said it was. The 4 newcomers only had 4 total turnovers combined. If it wasn’t for Mcgowens careless 6 turnovers tonight, the rest of the team including the freshmen actually took very good care of the basketball with a team combined 8 turnovers minus Trey.
Great win! Im really excited by this even though it was sloppy in the first half. Preseason I was hoping, not predicting, but hoping with our schedule when I looked at it and studied it we could come out of the gate 13-1 or 12-2 in our first 14 games. We just took down the 2nd hardest team and game in our first 14 games in my opinion.
Congratulations to Capel again and the entire team. Lets push the gas down to the floor and keep it going. Statement win tonight,
Go Pitt
Game Ball- Ryan Murphy- I can’t say enough about his performance. Big shot after big shot was made, great poise, calm, and in complete control during the game. He held his own on defense and wasn’t a big liability on defense.
13 points, 4 rebounds 3 assists, 3-6 from 3 point range, 4-4 and clutch from the line. This team needed an offensive lift in a major way and Ryan Murphy delivered with flying colors in his first game at Pitt with a brand-new team. Hats off to Ryan and well done!
Team defense
Before the game had started I had mentioned I would be dialed in and focused the most on our team defense as I expected it to make a big jump this year. And defensively, this team completely shut down Florida State on offense in the first half and held Florida State to 39% shooting for the game. Without Devin Vessel who had a career game tonight shooting (6-7) for 14 points, the rest of Florida State’s entire team shot a paltry 31% for the game for 47 total team points. Pitt forced 14 turnovers and won the rebound battle by 5 rebounds.
This is a major turnaround so far since last year on defense and the newcomers also delivered and brought it on defense as we won the game by putting the clamps down on Florida State defensively and on the glass.
My expectation of what I wanted to see was to get our defense into the Top 25-50 in defensive efficiency at minimum this year. For the 1st game of the season, job well done, we our well on our way to achieve that.
Rebounding
Winning the rebound battle +5 against Florida State’s team of tall trees is also a statement. But Im not exactly encouraged by Hamilton and Brown getting 6 boards combined, the same number as freshmen Justin Champagnie who hauled in a big 6 boards in only 23 minutes of action in his first game.
Brown had a fair game at best. He shot the ball well and didn’t fumble the excellent entry passes by our guards like he did last year, but he stands around and watches the game a lot. And I mean a lot. Credit our help defense and team rebounding to assist him, but he needs to start attacking the glass for rebounds and stop thinking, or day dreaming, and watching the action. I personally think Brown also looked sleepy in parts of this game and almost tried to avoid contact in certain stretches on defense. Brown finished and made plays scoring the basketball from the entry passes given to him. So credit does go to him for doing so and making the baskets.
Encouraging signs
2 of our preseason team leaders, X and Trey, shot the ball (5-17 ) for 29% today. Xavier Johnson had 1 assist and Mcgowens had a whopping 6 turnovers. Unlike last year where if these 2 players didn’t win the game for us we didn’t have a chance; we just won the game today without either having a strong game. Both of them were average at best tonight.
The 2nd encouraging sign is I felt we didn’t get the breaks in this game and FSU did. Florida State hit 2 really ugly looking 3’s, Toney missed a wide open dunk, we had a number of good looking shots spin out instead of drop from a ½ inch or less on the rim. Florida State also shot (13-15) 87% from the line which will probably be close to their season high in free throw percentage. I mean we won this game without the breaks, which is a very good thing.
Justin Champagnie is going to have some big games this year. 8 points and 6 boards isn’t anything to sneeze at against Florida State. In his former career, he converts his shots at far too high of a percentage for how he shot tonight. If he can hit some 3’s, Big days are ahead for him because he will score on the inside and finish and he knows how to bust a zone defense down. I look for him to feast on teams like Syracuse this year.
Dumgoole had some nervousness. His shot was a little rushed, he didn’t have the proper arc, and was not “smooth” but he will adjust. Decent on defense game 1, didn’t make any major mistakes.
The 2019 class has already begun to make its mark and Coulibaly didn’t even get his chance yet. The class was underrated as I repeatedly said it was. The 4 newcomers only had 4 total turnovers combined. If it wasn’t for Mcgowens careless 6 turnovers tonight, the rest of the team including the freshmen actually took very good care of the basketball with a team combined 8 turnovers minus Trey.
Great win! Im really excited by this even though it was sloppy in the first half. Preseason I was hoping, not predicting, but hoping with our schedule when I looked at it and studied it we could come out of the gate 13-1 or 12-2 in our first 14 games. We just took down the 2nd hardest team and game in our first 14 games in my opinion.
Congratulations to Capel again and the entire team. Lets push the gas down to the floor and keep it going. Statement win tonight,
Go Pitt
