So I ask, how many conference games do we win? Without checking any odds sites or predictions from any others, I am setting my over/under at 5.5. I personally will take the over, and believe we can win 6 or 7. I am curious to hear what many of you think, because this team can get better, but has the severely limited inside game. That said, we could have won two or three last year and didn't get any. I think this team has far better personnel and its coaching is light years better. That is why I feel we can surprise and I think 6 or 7 wins is possible. What do you all think?
Well the conference season is fastly approaching...
- Thread starter 88Pitt88
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Well. Today's Sagarin ratings predict one win (by about 3 pts) and 4 tossups (less than 1/2 pt one way or the other) plus one loss by only 1 point. So that would look like a max of 5-6 wins but with a max of 3 wins the most likely outcome.
I’d set the over under at 4.5, as I’m thinking 4 or 5.
The biggest problem I see for our Panthers is that it’s tough to see a win in their first 8 ACC games. Maybe one can hope for a win against L-Ville at home.
But even saying they go 1-7 to start, going 5-5 the rest of the way seems tough.
We will see. We do have some players this year for sure. I wouldn’t be shocked to see 6, 7 or 8 wins.
But for now, I’m just at 4 or 5.
I love what the future has in store for Pitt Basketball under Jeff Capel. And if he is successful in signing 2 or 3 ACC-level frontcourt scorers/defenders in the 2019 class, the turnaround of the Panthers' program will be well on the way.
HCJC hit a home run with the 3 freshmen in the 2018 class, and he has them playing an attacking style of basketball that will be attractive to big men who like to get out and run the court.
But that is in the future and the reality is that this year's team is so overmatched on the frontcourt. Then factor in the lack of experienced depth and the amount of freshmen mistakes that are almost unavoidable, and it will be very difficult to win games in conference play this season.
Anything above 3 wins would surprise me...
HCJC hit a home run with the 3 freshmen in the 2018 class, and he has them playing an attacking style of basketball that will be attractive to big men who like to get out and run the court.
But that is in the future and the reality is that this year's team is so overmatched on the frontcourt. Then factor in the lack of experienced depth and the amount of freshmen mistakes that are almost unavoidable, and it will be very difficult to win games in conference play this season.
Anything above 3 wins would surprise me...
No, there waa just a big conference win prediction thread a few weeks back. I think optimism has been tampered by a little bit of realism in recent weeks with losses and injuries/transfers. I think we might win five conference games.
The Niagara and West Vieginia losses tamped down optimism certainly. The loss of N'Dir for 4-6 weeks, also. I doubt the transfers of Ilgomah and Stevenson had much effect--or shouldn't have if it did as they weren't going to contribute anything anyway.
Pitt will need some good outside shooting nights because the game plan against the Panthers will be to shut down driving lanes and defend the paint. Drivers and rebounders will have to deal with length even against bottom ACC teams.
TWO WINS.
(My brain says 2 wins, yet My heart says 5.)
TWO WINS.
(My brain says 2 wins, yet My heart says 5.)
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Agree that will be the defensive approach. So Pitt will need to defend hard and defensive rebound and force live ball turnovers. Try to make the game scrambly. Get out in transition and score as much as possible before defenses get set up and make them play in the half court.
Then when they have to play in the half court, get to the rim and/or get to the FT line. Relying on making a lot of jump shots in the half court is likely not going to be a recipe for success for Pitt in the ACC.
