WVU Game & Other Dribbles ...

[DT_PITT]

** From time to time, Lair posters will participate in threads attempting to name the best three point shooters in Pitt Hoops history.

** Jason Matthews is almost always the choice for the top spot, and many of the usual suspects such as Ron Ramon, Rod Brookin, Sean Miller, Ashton Gibbs and Jason Maile typically enter the conversation. And there’s always a few long timers who contest that folks such as Larry Harris or Clyde Vaughan would be near the top had they played with a three point line.

** But it may be time that a new name tops the aforementioned list.

** At the very least, a new name will be at the top of the Panther record book for most threes in a game. And it’s hard to think that same name won’t end this year with the record for most threes for a season.

** It’s just not the number of three point shots that Blake Hinson is able to make that I find most remarkable. It’s the number of three point shots he can find his way to take in a game that might be more impressive.

** He’s needing less and less space to get his shot, while he’s finding more ways to get to it.

** And many of those are just deep well guarded tough shots. Shots you can’t believe he’s even taking. But almost as a rule, these same shots are going in at rate inching up to 50% for the season.

** Most the night tonight I was just shaking my head. Shaking my head much the same way I do when I watch folks such as Steph Curry or Damian Lillard in the NBA. The way Blake is playing, it sure looks to he’ll be getting a job playing against folks such as those two next year.

** So congrats to you Blake Hinson for an incredible and memorable night. You were something special for sure!

** But let’s also remember that while Blake grabbed the headline, many others stepped up to turn this trip an hour or so to the south into a rout!

** I’ll start with Will Jeffress. We may have just watched that best possible game ever played by a Pitt Panther Hooper who only scored 1 point. He just defended so well by staying in front of his man. He drew charges. He helped. He switched. He stole the ball. And of course, he rebounded the ball exceptionally well. Blake’s the easy choice for the game’s number one star, but Will gets my number two.

** There are several gentlemen who could be the #3 star, but I’ll go a different direction. I’ll give the #3 star to the whole Pitt Bench. The same group who marked nary a point a few days ago chalked up 25 this night. This is cheating because it gives Will another share of a star, but Guillermo, Jorge and Jaland all made major contributions.

** It’s also worth mentioning that in just about every game they play together, the Twins are good for at least one perfect give and go, or pick and roll, or some other similar play that demonstrates a connection that only a pair of brothers born at the same time can make.

** I’m not sure I want to go overboard giving too much credit to Coach Capel, but I do want to note a couple positive moves that made a difference. First, there was a quick hook for Fede and Austin, which enabled the bench to get involved more early and more often.

** Next, Jeff went with a whole different lineup for much of the first half that placed Blake more or less as the two guard. And why not?

** Third, I do want to note the success of the let-the-three-fly game plan. It was the right plan for this night and it was crystal clear Capel wanted just about everyone to shoot from deep whenever they got a look.

** Having said this, I have concerns this isn’t a great plan all the time. First and foremost, it’s a great plan when shooting at a 42% clip. But had the Panthers shot the three at a 32% clip, that would have been 12 less points and a different ballgame.

** I’m also worried that we simply don’t draw many fouls, let alone get many points in the paint. We will need to grind to win some game this year.

** Most notably, Bub has to start getting to the foul line.

** Drawing fouls and point in the paint will certainly matter more when playing a team that has any ability to shoot the three, as the Mountie’s certainly do not.

** There were also still too many defensive lapses and manhandled defensive trips in the paint which almost kept this game too close for too long.

** But eventually, even the threat of Blake shooting the three loosened up driving lanes and our lead ballooned from single digits to twenty.

** And the only drama left was to learn was if Blake would get his record.

** But was it really drama? You just knew this was the kind of night when he would. After all, he’s likely now who most of us will call the greatest three point shooter in Pitt Hoops history.

 

[PittMan 72]

@DT_PITT not having Ish available for all but a few minutes in the first half due to a very quick tech and then a second foul made a big difference in the first half.

Had mentioned in another post earlier that the three dribble drive baskets that Pitt scored early in the second half were very important and hepled to swingi the game towards the Panthers. Two of them by Ish and the third by Guillermo.

If Pitt can have that kind of balance and attack inside and out they can be very difficult to defend.

Clearly, there are some other issues that need to be fixed. FF being at the top of the list. Then getting Austin somehow more involved offensively. After that some more consistent play from the twins and Lowe. Jaland was a very nice asset tonight. He has a LOT of game.

But this team does have potential. They need to figure some things out and get more consistent play from more guys. Will Jeffress can be an important glue guy. Tough. Aggressive. Intense. Just need to figure some things out. But think it can happen.

 

[Sam Young 23]

Great post DT. Don't forget Gibbs as a Pitt great 3 pt shooter.

 

[DT_PITT]

Great post DT. Don't forget Gibbs as a Pitt great 3 pt shooter.

I was just tossing names to make the point and wasn't trying to be perfect, but I will edit him back in there as he deserves it.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

Eff the hoopies!!!

 

[Fredact]

GDG going 6 of 7 may prove to be the biggest long term positive if this game. If teams actually believe he can score from outside, that has the potential for opening things up quite a bit.

 

[wbrpanther]

** From time to time, Lair posters will participate in threads attempting to name the best three point shooters in Pitt Hoops history.

** Jason Matthews is almost always the choice for the top spot, and many of the usual suspects such as Ron Ramon, Rod Brookin, Sean Miller and Jason Maile typically enter the conversation. And there’s always a few long timers who contest that folks such as Larry Harris or Clyde Vaughan would be near the top had they played with a three point line.

** But it may be time that a new name should top the aforementioned list.

** At the very least, a new name will be at the top of the Panther record book for most threes in a game. And it’s hard to think that same name won’t end this year with the record for most threes for a season.

** It’s just not the number of three point shots that Blake Hinson is able to make that I find most remarkable. It’s the number of three point shots he can find his way to take in a game that might be more impressive.

** He’s needing less and less space to get his shot, while he’s finding more ways to get to it.

** And many of those are just deep well guarded tough shots. Shots you can’t believe he’s even taking. But as a rule, these same shots are going in at rate inching up to 50% for the season.

** Most the night tonight I was just shaking my head. Shaking my head much the same way I do when I watch folks such as Steph Curry or Damian Lillard in the NBA. The way Blake is playing, it sure looks to he’ll be getting a job playing against folks such as those two next year.

** So congrats to you Blake Hinson for an incredible and memorable night. You were something special for sure!

** But let’s also remember that while Blake grabbed the headline, many others stepped up to turn this trip an hour or so to the south into a rout!

** I’ll start with Will Jeffress. We may have just watched that best possible game ever played by a Pitt Panther Hooper who only scored 1 point. He just defended so well by staying in front of his man. He drew charges. He helped. He switched. He stole the ball. And of course, he rebounded the ball exceptionally well. Blake’s the easy choice for the game’s number one star, but Will gets my number two.

** There are several gentlemen who could be the #3 star, but I’ll go a different direction. I’ll give the #3 star to the whole Pitt Bench. The same group who marked nary a point a few days ago chalked up 25 this night. This is cheating because it gives Will another share of a star, but Guillermo, Jorge and Jaland all made major contributions.

** It’s also worth mentioning that in just about every game they play together, the Twins are good for at least one perfect give and go, or pick and roll, or some other similar play that demonstrate a connection that only a pair of brothers born at the same time can make.

** I’m not sure I want to go overboard giving too much credit to Coach Capel, but I do want to note a couple positive moves that made a difference. First, there was a quick hook for Fede and Austin, which enabled the bench to get involved more early and more often.

** Next, Jeff went with a whole different lineup for much of the first half that placed Blake more or less as the two guard. And why not?

** Third, I do want to note the success of the let the three fly game plan. It was the right plan for this night and it was crystal clear Capel wanted just about everyone to shoot from deep whenever they got a look.

** Having said this, I have concerns this isn’t a great plan all the time. First and foremost, it’s a great plan when shooting at a 42% clip. But had the Panthers shot the three at the 32% clip, that would have been 12 less points and a different ballgame.

** I’m also worried that we simply don’t draw many fouls, let alone get many points in the paint. We will need to grind to win some game this year.

** Most notably, Bub has to start getting to the foul line.

** Drawing fouls and point in the paint will certainly matter more when playing a team that has any ability to shoot the three, as the Mountie’s certainly do not.

** There were also still too many defensive lapses and manhandled defensive trips in the paint which almost kept this game too close for too long.

** But eventually, even the threat of Blake shooting the three loosened up driving lanes and our lead ballooned from single digits to twenty.

** And the only drama left was to learn if Blake would get his record.

** But was it really drama? You just knew this was the kind of night when he would. After all, he’s likely now who most of us will call the greatest three point shooter in Pitt Hoops history.

Not scoring in the paint can pose a real problem for this team. For much of the game tonite we were forced to settle for the outside shot. Blake hitting like he did kept us in it but we didn’t start getting separation til we scored 3 times in a row on drives to the hoop down the right side at around the 13 minute mark. We need to start dropping it inside more often. It would make things much easier.

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

** From time to time, Lair posters will participate in threads attempting to name the best three point shooters in Pitt Hoops history.

** Jason Matthews is almost always the choice for the top spot, and many of the usual suspects such as Ron Ramon, Rod Brookin, Sean Miller and Jason Maile typically enter the conversation. And there’s always a few long timers who contest that folks such as Larry Harris or Clyde Vaughan would be near the top had they played with a three point line.

** But it may be time that a new name should top the aforementioned list.

** At the very least, a new name will be at the top of the Panther record book for most threes in a game. And it’s hard to think that same name won’t end this year with the record for most threes for a season.

** It’s just not the number of three point shots that Blake Hinson is able to make that I find most remarkable. It’s the number of three point shots he can find his way to take in a game that might be more impressive.

** He’s needing less and less space to get his shot, while he’s finding more ways to get to it.

** And many of those are just deep well guarded tough shots. Shots you can’t believe he’s even taking. But as a rule, these same shots are going in at rate inching up to 50% for the season.

** Most the night tonight I was just shaking my head. Shaking my head much the same way I do when I watch folks such as Steph Curry or Damian Lillard in the NBA. The way Blake is playing, it sure looks to he’ll be getting a job playing against folks such as those two next year.

** So congrats to you Blake Hinson for an incredible and memorable night. You were something special for sure!

** But let’s also remember that while Blake grabbed the headline, many others stepped up to turn this trip an hour or so to the south into a rout!

** I’ll start with Will Jeffress. We may have just watched that best possible game ever played by a Pitt Panther Hooper who only scored 1 point. He just defended so well by staying in front of his man. He drew charges. He helped. He switched. He stole the ball. And of course, he rebounded the ball exceptionally well. Blake’s the easy choice for the game’s number one star, but Will gets my number two.

** There are several gentlemen who could be the #3 star, but I’ll go a different direction. I’ll give the #3 star to the whole Pitt Bench. The same group who marked nary a point a few days ago chalked up 25 this night. This is cheating because it gives Will another share of a star, but Guillermo, Jorge and Jaland all made major contributions.

** It’s also worth mentioning that in just about every game they play together, the Twins are good for at least one perfect give and go, or pick and roll, or some other similar play that demonstrate a connection that only a pair of brothers born at the same time can make.

** I’m not sure I want to go overboard giving too much credit to Coach Capel, but I do want to note a couple positive moves that made a difference. First, there was a quick hook for Fede and Austin, which enabled the bench to get involved more early and more often.

** Next, Jeff went with a whole different lineup for much of the first half that placed Blake more or less as the two guard. And why not?

** Third, I do want to note the success of the let the three fly game plan. It was the right plan for this night and it was crystal clear Capel wanted just about everyone to shoot from deep whenever they got a look.

** Having said this, I have concerns this isn’t a great plan all the time. First and foremost, it’s a great plan when shooting at a 42% clip. But had the Panthers shot the three at the 32% clip, that would have been 12 less points and a different ballgame.

** I’m also worried that we simply don’t draw many fouls, let alone get many points in the paint. We will need to grind to win some game this year.

** Most notably, Bub has to start getting to the foul line.

** Drawing fouls and point in the paint will certainly matter more when playing a team that has any ability to shoot the three, as the Mountie’s certainly do not.

** There were also still too many defensive lapses and manhandled defensive trips in the paint which almost kept this game too close for too long.

** But eventually, even the threat of Blake shooting the three loosened up driving lanes and our lead ballooned from single digits to twenty.

** And the only drama left was to learn if Blake would get his record.

** But was it really drama? You just knew this was the kind of night when he would. After all, he’s likely now who most of us will call the greatest three point shooter in Pitt Hoops history.

-Will’s D was outstanding and while Blake won us the game, Will was the one who made it a laugher. Once he took Slazinski out of the game, WVU could not match our scoring.

-Jaland is going to become a very important player as the season goes on. He runs the offense and probes the defense better than Bub at this time.

-Bub is a really nice player, but makes he nuts at times. Too many times, he is one on one and settles for a long jumper. I want to see him drive to finish or hit the little 8 footer in the lane much more than he has so far.

-The twins definitely seem to play much better when both are on the floor at the same time.

-Again, we finished the half terribly. I wasn’t too concerned because I knew that we had Ish coming back in the 2nd half. Ish gives us more of the floor balance we need.

-I really thought Austin would be able to guard Slazinski, but he did not do a very good job at all. Slazinski is not a great athlete, but knows his own game very well and uses his body and tempo very well. Will took all of that away from him and rebounded too. If Austin is not scoring, this is a better option.

-Before the year started, I said that Blake would score around 20 ppg and had a shot at ACC POY. Much of that will depend upon how well we finish in the conference. Either way, he should be first team all ACC at worst.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

** From time to time, Lair posters will participate in threads attempting to name the best three point shooters in Pitt Hoops history.

** Jason Matthews is almost always the choice for the top spot, and many of the usual suspects such as Ron Ramon, Rod Brookin, Sean Miller, Ashton Gibbs and Jason Maile typically enter the conversation. And there’s always a few long timers who contest that folks such as Larry Harris or Clyde Vaughan would be near the top had they played with a three point line.

** But it may be time that a new name should top the aforementioned list.

** At the very least, a new name will be at the top of the Panther record book for most threes in a game. And it’s hard to think that same name won’t end this year with the record for most threes for a season.

** It’s just not the number of three point shots that Blake Hinson is able to make that I find most remarkable. It’s the number of three point shots he can find his way to take in a game that might be more impressive.

** He’s needing less and less space to get his shot, while he’s finding more ways to get to it.

** And many of those are just deep well guarded tough shots. Shots you can’t believe he’s even taking. But as a rule, these same shots are going in at rate inching up to 50% for the season.

** Most the night tonight I was just shaking my head. Shaking my head much the same way I do when I watch folks such as Steph Curry or Damian Lillard in the NBA. The way Blake is playing, it sure looks to he’ll be getting a job playing against folks such as those two next year.

** So congrats to you Blake Hinson for an incredible and memorable night. You were something special for sure!

** But let’s also remember that while Blake grabbed the headline, many others stepped up to turn this trip an hour or so to the south into a rout!

** I’ll start with Will Jeffress. We may have just watched that best possible game ever played by a Pitt Panther Hooper who only scored 1 point. He just defended so well by staying in front of his man. He drew charges. He helped. He switched. He stole the ball. And of course, he rebounded the ball exceptionally well. Blake’s the easy choice for the game’s number one star, but Will gets my number two.

** There are several gentlemen who could be the #3 star, but I’ll go a different direction. I’ll give the #3 star to the whole Pitt Bench. The same group who marked nary a point a few days ago chalked up 25 this night. This is cheating because it gives Will another share of a star, but Guillermo, Jorge and Jaland all made major contributions.

** It’s also worth mentioning that in just about every game they play together, the Twins are good for at least one perfect give and go, or pick and roll, or some other similar play that demonstrate a connection that only a pair of brothers born at the same time can make.

** I’m not sure I want to go overboard giving too much credit to Coach Capel, but I do want to note a couple positive moves that made a difference. First, there was a quick hook for Fede and Austin, which enabled the bench to get involved more early and more often.

** Next, Jeff went with a whole different lineup for much of the first half that placed Blake more or less as the two guard. And why not?

** Third, I do want to note the success of the let the three fly game plan. It was the right plan for this night and it was crystal clear Capel wanted just about everyone to shoot from deep whenever they got a look.

** Having said this, I have concerns this isn’t a great plan all the time. First and foremost, it’s a great plan when shooting at a 42% clip. But had the Panthers shot the three at the 32% clip, that would have been 12 less points and a different ballgame.

** I’m also worried that we simply don’t draw many fouls, let alone get many points in the paint. We will need to grind to win some game this year.

** Most notably, Bub has to start getting to the foul line.

** Drawing fouls and point in the paint will certainly matter more when playing a team that has any ability to shoot the three, as the Mountie’s certainly do not.

** There were also still too many defensive lapses and manhandled defensive trips in the paint which almost kept this game too close for too long.

** But eventually, even the threat of Blake shooting the three loosened up driving lanes and our lead ballooned from single digits to twenty.

** And the only drama left was to learn if Blake would get his record.

** But was it really drama? You just knew this was the kind of night when he would. After all, he’s likely now who most of us will call the greatest three point shooter in Pitt Hoops history.

- Hinson is taking and making Steph Curry/Jimmer Fredette type 3s.

- I was worried we were too reliant on 3s vs a team we had a talent advantage over but it was a special night from deep

- Good point about getting to the line. Bub is a little too finesse. You see that with the amount of fadeaways he takes. You look at a guy like Judah Mintz and that guy is always in attack mode, trying to get to the rim and draws a lot of fouls in the process. Would like to see him drive the lane more.

- Cant believe its been nearly 12 years since we beat them. January 23, 2012. I couldn't even think what game that was and didnt remember so I looked it up. It was the first year of Dixon 2 when Woodall got hurt and we went 5-13 in the Big East. I think we started 0-7 but then won like 4 in a row with Woodall back and we all thought we could get to the tournament at 9-9. But then we ended up losing a bad midweek game vs SHU or USF and went in another tailspin.

- Survive and Advance. A loss in this one would have made making the NCAAT nearly impossible. We avoided a really bad loss and hopefully built some confidence and learned some new things about some players to take with us going forward. Its going to be an uphill battle to put together an NCAAT resume but there is still a path.

 

[Black Panther]

Great post DT. Don't forget Gibbs as a Pitt great 3 pt shooter.

He came up big when we needed it as well.

 

[PittPoker]

** From time to time, Lair posters will participate in threads attempting to name the best three point shooters in Pitt Hoops history.

** Jason Matthews is almost always the choice for the top spot, and many of the usual suspects such as Ron Ramon, Rod Brookin, Sean Miller, Ashton Gibbs and Jason Maile typically enter the conversation. And there’s always a few long timers who contest that folks such as Larry Harris or Clyde Vaughan would be near the top had they played with a three point line.

** But it may be time that a new name should top the aforementioned list.

** At the very least, a new name will be at the top of the Panther record book for most threes in a game. And it’s hard to think that same name won’t end this year with the record for most threes for a season.

** It’s just not the number of three point shots that Blake Hinson is able to make that I find most remarkable. It’s the number of three point shots he can find his way to take in a game that might be more impressive.

** He’s needing less and less space to get his shot, while he’s finding more ways to get to it.

** And many of those are just deep well guarded tough shots. Shots you can’t believe he’s even taking. But as a rule, these same shots are going in at rate inching up to 50% for the season.

** Most the night tonight I was just shaking my head. Shaking my head much the same way I do when I watch folks such as Steph Curry or Damian Lillard in the NBA. The way Blake is playing, it sure looks to he’ll be getting a job playing against folks such as those two next year.

** So congrats to you Blake Hinson for an incredible and memorable night. You were something special for sure!

** But let’s also remember that while Blake grabbed the headline, many others stepped up to turn this trip an hour or so to the south into a rout!

** I’ll start with Will Jeffress. We may have just watched that best possible game ever played by a Pitt Panther Hooper who only scored 1 point. He just defended so well by staying in front of his man. He drew charges. He helped. He switched. He stole the ball. And of course, he rebounded the ball exceptionally well. Blake’s the easy choice for the game’s number one star, but Will gets my number two.

** There are several gentlemen who could be the #3 star, but I’ll go a different direction. I’ll give the #3 star to the whole Pitt Bench. The same group who marked nary a point a few days ago chalked up 25 this night. This is cheating because it gives Will another share of a star, but Guillermo, Jorge and Jaland all made major contributions.

** It’s also worth mentioning that in just about every game they play together, the Twins are good for at least one perfect give and go, or pick and roll, or some other similar play that demonstrate a connection that only a pair of brothers born at the same time can make.

** I’m not sure I want to go overboard giving too much credit to Coach Capel, but I do want to note a couple positive moves that made a difference. First, there was a quick hook for Fede and Austin, which enabled the bench to get involved more early and more often.

** Next, Jeff went with a whole different lineup for much of the first half that placed Blake more or less as the two guard. And why not?

** Third, I do want to note the success of the let the three fly game plan. It was the right plan for this night and it was crystal clear Capel wanted just about everyone to shoot from deep whenever they got a look.

** Having said this, I have concerns this isn’t a great plan all the time. First and foremost, it’s a great plan when shooting at a 42% clip. But had the Panthers shot the three at the 32% clip, that would have been 12 less points and a different ballgame.

** I’m also worried that we simply don’t draw many fouls, let alone get many points in the paint. We will need to grind to win some game this year.

** Most notably, Bub has to start getting to the foul line.

** Drawing fouls and point in the paint will certainly matter more when playing a team that has any ability to shoot the three, as the Mountie’s certainly do not.

** There were also still too many defensive lapses and manhandled defensive trips in the paint which almost kept this game too close for too long.

** But eventually, even the threat of Blake shooting the three loosened up driving lanes and our lead ballooned from single digits to twenty.

** And the only drama left was to learn if Blake would get his record.

** But was it really drama? You just knew this was the kind of night when he would. After all, he’s likely now who most of us will call the greatest three point shooter in Pitt Hoops history.

Good stuff DT. I agree wholeheartedly about the let it fly gameplan. As you wrote, when you're shooting 42% from deep it looks wonderful. But there will be plenty of games they won't come close to that. And that's where the sudden regression of Fede is gonna hurt. I asked you in the gamethread if you think GDG should perhaps start a few games in place of Fede but you didn't answer. I'm curious to know what you think.

I think GDG excited all of us in last year's tournament games of the potential he has, but it's been pretty inconsistent with him thus far. However compared to Fede he's been much much better.

I'm glad Pitt won, it was much needed but I think this current version of a useless Fede will come back to bite us more often than not. Not sure if he's hurt or what the heck is wrong. But he's pretty much unplayable at this point.

 

[4upmc]

** From time to time, Lair posters will participate in threads attempting to name the best three point shooters in Pitt Hoops history.

** Jason Matthews is almost always the choice for the top spot, and many of the usual suspects such as Ron Ramon, Rod Brookin, Sean Miller, Ashton Gibbs and Jason Maile typically enter the conversation. And there’s always a few long timers who contest that folks such as Larry Harris or Clyde Vaughan would be near the top had they played with a three point line.

** But it may be time that a new name should top the aforementioned list.

** At the very least, a new name will be at the top of the Panther record book for most threes in a game. And it’s hard to think that same name won’t end this year with the record for most threes for a season.

** It’s just not the number of three point shots that Blake Hinson is able to make that I find most remarkable. It’s the number of three point shots he can find his way to take in a game that might be more impressive.

** He’s needing less and less space to get his shot, while he’s finding more ways to get to it.

** And many of those are just deep well guarded tough shots. Shots you can’t believe he’s even taking. But as a rule, these same shots are going in at rate inching up to 50% for the season.

** Most the night tonight I was just shaking my head. Shaking my head much the same way I do when I watch folks such as Steph Curry or Damian Lillard in the NBA. The way Blake is playing, it sure looks to he’ll be getting a job playing against folks such as those two next year.

** So congrats to you Blake Hinson for an incredible and memorable night. You were something special for sure!

Amazingly shooting display from Blake! Pulling up from anywhere with a hand in his face, didn’t matter as he was on fire.

Have to put him as 2nd best 3 point Pitt shooter I have saw. But not even the guy I have ahead of him had the crazy range or at least would attempt from the deep range Blake does (maybe because Evans would go crazy). Have to have Jason Matthews as the top Pitt 3 point shooter. 45.7 % for his career. 44.2 was his worst year and one year he hit an insane 48.2. But Blake caught fire this game like he was Curry. What a performance. Glad to get back on track with a win.

 

[PittPoker]

Again this kind of offense is not gonna work against good teams most of the time.

 

[PittMBA]

** From time to time, Lair posters will participate in threads attempting to name the best three point shooters in Pitt Hoops history.

** Jason Matthews is almost always the choice for the top spot, and many of the usual suspects such as Ron Ramon, Rod Brookin, Sean Miller, Ashton Gibbs and Jason Maile typically enter the conversation. And there’s always a few long timers who contest that folks such as Larry Harris or Clyde Vaughan would be near the top had they played with a three point line.

** But it may be time that a new name should top the aforementioned list.

** At the very least, a new name will be at the top of the Panther record book for most threes in a game. And it’s hard to think that same name won’t end this year with the record for most threes for a season.

** It’s just not the number of three point shots that Blake Hinson is able to make that I find most remarkable. It’s the number of three point shots he can find his way to take in a game that might be more impressive.

** He’s needing less and less space to get his shot, while he’s finding more ways to get to it.

** And many of those are just deep well guarded tough shots. Shots you can’t believe he’s even taking. But as a rule, these same shots are going in at rate inching up to 50% for the season.

** Most the night tonight I was just shaking my head. Shaking my head much the same way I do when I watch folks such as Steph Curry or Damian Lillard in the NBA. The way Blake is playing, it sure looks to he’ll be getting a job playing against folks such as those two next year.

** So congrats to you Blake Hinson for an incredible and memorable night. You were something special for sure!

** But let’s also remember that while Blake grabbed the headline, many others stepped up to turn this trip an hour or so to the south into a rout!

** I’ll start with Will Jeffress. We may have just watched that best possible game ever played by a Pitt Panther Hooper who only scored 1 point. He just defended so well by staying in front of his man. He drew charges. He helped. He switched. He stole the ball. And of course, he rebounded the ball exceptionally well. Blake’s the easy choice for the game’s number one star, but Will gets my number two.

** There are several gentlemen who could be the #3 star, but I’ll go a different direction. I’ll give the #3 star to the whole Pitt Bench. The same group who marked nary a point a few days ago chalked up 25 this night. This is cheating because it gives Will another share of a star, but Guillermo, Jorge and Jaland all made major contributions.

** It’s also worth mentioning that in just about every game they play together, the Twins are good for at least one perfect give and go, or pick and roll, or some other similar play that demonstrate a connection that only a pair of brothers born at the same time can make.

** I’m not sure I want to go overboard giving too much credit to Coach Capel, but I do want to note a couple positive moves that made a difference. First, there was a quick hook for Fede and Austin, which enabled the bench to get involved more early and more often.

** Next, Jeff went with a whole different lineup for much of the first half that placed Blake more or less as the two guard. And why not?

** Third, I do want to note the success of the let the three fly game plan. It was the right plan for this night and it was crystal clear Capel wanted just about everyone to shoot from deep whenever they got a look.

** Having said this, I have concerns this isn’t a great plan all the time. First and foremost, it’s a great plan when shooting at a 42% clip. But had the Panthers shot the three at the 32% clip, that would have been 12 less points and a different ballgame.

** I’m also worried that we simply don’t draw many fouls, let alone get many points in the paint. We will need to grind to win some game this year.

** Most notably, Bub has to start getting to the foul line.

** Drawing fouls and point in the paint will certainly matter more when playing a team that has any ability to shoot the three, as the Mountie’s certainly do not.

** There were also still too many defensive lapses and manhandled defensive trips in the paint which almost kept this game too close for too long.

** But eventually, even the threat of Blake shooting the three loosened up driving lanes and our lead ballooned from single digits to twenty.

** And the only drama left was to learn if Blake would get his record.

** But was it really drama? You just knew this was the kind of night when he would. After all, he’s likely now who most of us will call the greatest three point shooter in Pitt Hoops history.

In my minds eye - Jason Maile’s unconscious game against Villanova stands out as the craziest ‘ heat check ‘ shooting performance in my memory- Jason was hitting from the parking lot , near 1/2 court , and everywhere in between.

Blake does this almost nightly. It’s just a treat to watch.

And - why there is ever an offensive possession where Blake doesn’t at least touch the ball is malpractice. Watching anyone else hoists up a quick shot other than a fast break layup without at least making the defense scramble to defend Blake is maddening. Maybe Bub gets a green light - but everyone else needs to look for Blake first .

Tactically, my favorite stretch was where PItt had Blake in the corner - cleared 3 to the other side of the court and had like 3 dribble drives for layups w no help as they absolutely could not leave Blake . He puts so much pressure on the D - to say the least . Honestly- he should take at least 20 shots every night - and have him defend the opponent’s weakest offensive player — save his legs on D ..

 

[PittMBA]

Again this kind of offense is not gonna work against good teams most of the time.

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I mean - that’s a stupid analysis . They weren’t just ‘ tossing the ball around wildly ‘ and hoisting wild 3s. They ran sets to get Blake the ball, used Blake to open up to floor , and moved the ball pretty well — we just 6 TOs.

And - any shot by Blake is a good shot -

 

[BreakingPitt]

Only having a handful of guys that can score is better than none I suppose.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Couple things:
1) the let it fly game plan may not be conducive to winning an ACC title or a NCAA title, but it’s A) fun
B) can win enough to get into the ncaa tourney
C) win a few games in the tournament
D) be fun enough to recruit better players in the future
2) much has been made of Fede’s regression/lack of rebounding. He was even worse rebounding last year. And he just has worse players around him than last year so his horrid offensive isn’t masked.
3) kudos to Will on a great game. This team’s ceiling relies on him. And the rest of the bench. Austin and Fede struggling on both ends is too much to overcome
4) someone said that Slazinski really knew his game and body well. Must’ve had a good trainer and HS coach. Kind of dude you hate if he’s in the other team but love if he’s on your side

 

[DruidTM]

Yeah can people just enjoy for a moment the game Hinson and Co had???

Jesus

Everyone’s more concerned with playing the “I told ya so knowitall “ game …

 

[Pitt2006]

Couple things:
1) the let it fly game plan may not be conducive to winning an ACC title or a NCAA title, but it’s A) fun
B) can win enough to get into the ncaa tourney
C) win a few games in the tournament
D) be fun enough to recruit better players in the future
2) much has been made of Fede’s regression/lack of rebounding. He was even worse rebounding last year. And he just has worse players around him than last year so his horrid offensive isn’t masked.
3) kudos to Will on a great game. This team’s ceiling relies on him. And the rest of the bench. Austin and Fede struggling on both ends is too much to overcome
4) someone said that Slazinski really knew his game and body well. Must’ve had a good trainer and HS coach. Kind of dude you hate if he’s in the other team but love if he’s on your side

So with respect will. One missed shot, 1/2 FT and still 100 ORTG? So likely due to rebounding, and other aspects?

 

[str61166]

This was a much needed win, not just for this season, but to finally beat WVU again. This program was at a low point when this series got renewed, and even last year’s team was still meshing and got blown out (despite having gotten further than WVU did in the end). I grew up watching Pitt *usually* have their number, so it was great to see this again. Let them spout off their excuses, Huggins, depth, lack of players, blah blah blah. Pitt hired Stallings.

Now hopefully Pitt can take care of business and jump back into ACC play at 9-3. I do worry that Purdue Fort Wayne could be tough.

 

[bobfree]

Again this kind of offense is not gonna work against good teams most of the time.

View embedded media

That isn't true though. Out of every timeout we got the shot we wanted %90 of the time.

He lets them play and they will get better as the season goes on just like last year for it.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

The two things that separates Blake from all those other great Panther marksman is that Blake has more range and he puts up contested threes and drains them . I’ve seen all those guys play , but excluding Blake , Billy Knight was the smoothest shooter wearing a Panther uniform I ever saw . None of those guys made long range shots ( since some played in the era were there were no 3pointers ) with the ease of Blake . His performance last night was nothing short of awesome .He will be on a NBA roster next season .

I’ve said this for awhile that Wil can be a valuable asset to this team without scoring much and he proved that last night . I’d like to see him get a few more points , 5 or 6 would be more than enough .

I also loved seeing the twins out there together , there’s a multiplier effect when that occurs . Plus that were putting up 3’s ! Seven footers shooting 3’s adds a dimension we’ve never had at Pitt .

I had no problem with Bub last night , he regained his shooting form . He doesn’t finish his shots at the rim like Ish , he likes to pull up and hit mid range jumpers . As much as teams are trying to bully him he should be at the line more . Whatever weaknesses he has in his game will disappear as he gains experience, why because that’s just how talented he is !

Jaland is getting more comfortable and better every game .

This team isn’t going to beat you with its inside dominance, so let if fly !

 

[pittbb80]

Couple things:
1) the let it fly game plan may not be conducive to winning an ACC title or a NCAA title, but it’s A) fun
B) can win enough to get into the ncaa tourney
C) win a few games in the tournament
D) be fun enough to recruit better players in the future
2) much has been made of Fede’s regression/lack of rebounding. He was even worse rebounding last year. And he just has worse players around him than last year so his horrid offensive isn’t masked.
3) kudos to Will on a great game. This team’s ceiling relies on him. And the rest of the bench. Austin and Fede struggling on both ends is too much to overcome
4) someone said that Slazinski really knew his game and body well. Must’ve had a good trainer and HS coach. Kind of dude you hate if he’s in the other team but love if he’s on your side

I think D is huge

It never ceases to amaze me that a kid as physically gifted as will just can’t hit the ocean. If he was even an average shooter hed make this team significantly better You would think with a year off he’d have done nothing but work on his shot and at least become semi competent

 

[PittPharm2002]

That isn't true though. Out of every timeout we got the shot we wanted %90 of the time.

He lets them play and they will get better as the season goes on just like last year for it.

Yeah ,it was motion and passing create the mismatches and seperation

Was it Dixon’s motion ? We clearly were running some iso , then running some 2 man (or 3 with GDG) games to get the shot we wanted

Fede couldn’t even set picks tonight - he’s clearly struggling
We are gonna need more from him defensively

Jeffress is an absolute pleasure to watch ball . His hustle and defense are inspiring to his teammates

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Couple things:
1) the let it fly game plan may not be conducive to winning an ACC title or a NCAA title, but it’s A) fun
B) can win enough to get into the ncaa tourney
C) win a few games in the tournament
D) be fun enough to recruit better players in the future
2) much has been made of Fede’s regression/lack of rebounding. He was even worse rebounding last year. And he just has worse players around him than last year so his horrid offensive isn’t masked.
3) kudos to Will on a great game. This team’s ceiling relies on him. And the rest of the bench. Austin and Fede struggling on both ends is too much to overcome
4) someone said that Slazinski really knew his game and body well. Must’ve had a good trainer and HS coach. Kind of dude you hate if he’s in the other team but love if he’s on your side

Slazinski was the one guy who worried me going in. How effing good was Iona last year with Clayton and Slazinski? I mean I knew Edwards was good but I am never really worried about a big. But man did we make those Iona guys look good. Jeffress is going to have to play more but he's going to have to find a way to score 4-6 points. I thought he could get some hustle points like cutting middle and hitting a 10 footer, floaters, put backs but he isnt doing any of that.

 

[NCanton Panther]

Not scoring in the paint can pose a real problem for this team. For much of the game tonite we were forced to settle for the outside shot. Blake hitting like he did kept us in it but we didn’t start getting separation til we scored 3 times in a row on drives to the hoop down the right side at around the 13 minute mark. We need to start dropping it inside more often. It would make things much easier.

This doesn’t seem accurate to me wbr. Rather than ‘forced’ I think we very comfortably settled for the outside shot and particularly looked for the 3-ptr. All worked out good and was fun last night with shots dropping as they were.

But for me, I guess I didn’t come out of that game feeling as optimistic as most going forward. I think 3-ptrs falling at that rate is more the exception than the rule. Aside from the stretch in the 2nd half where the lane opened up for some successful drives to the basket, we scored nothing in the paint. We seem to be very comfortable settling for outside jump shots and that doesn’t seem to be a good recipe for sustained success.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

2) much has been made of Fede’s regression/lack of rebounding. He was even worse rebounding last year. And he just has worse players around him than last year so his horrid offensive isn’t masked.

I get what you are saying about his offense but he was a really good post defender last year. Flip and Basille torched him from the outside but big guys dont play perimeter D all that good. Capel was even hyping Fede for DPOY. So he has gone from that to Terrell Brown and maybe worse. What was were his rebounding performances last year? I swear they were better.

I do think GDG has to play more whether he starts or not. Neither rebound or defend well but he can score.

 

[cdheller76]

I think our best offense is with 5 men out of the lane. The modern game has made the low post center a dinosaur anyway. With 5 out the driving lanes open for Ish and others. Unfortunately, Fede isn’t suited well to play that way. On the other hand, the twins are. You can play 5 out with one guy who isn’t much of a scoring threat, but not with 2. I really liked the combination of the twins and Will on the court together.

 

[cdheller76]

The three point shot has changed the game. Spread the court and drive the ball.

 

[NCanton Panther]

In my minds eye - Jason Maile’s unconscious game against Villanova stands out as the craziest ‘ heat check ‘ shooting performance in my memory- Jason was hitting from the parking lot , near 1/2 court , and everywhere in between.

Blake does this almost nightly. It’s just a treat to watch.

And - why there is ever an offensive possession where Blake doesn’t at least touch the ball is malpractice. Watching anyone else hoists up a quick shot other than a fast break layup without at least making the defense scramble to defend Blake is maddening. Maybe Bub gets a green light - but everyone else needs to look for Blake first .

Tactically, my favorite stretch was where PItt had Blake in the corner - cleared 3 to the other side of the court and had like 3 dribble drives for layups w no help as they absolutely could not leave Blake . He puts so much pressure on the D - to say the least . Honestly- he should take at least 20 shots every night - and have him defend the opponent’s weakest offensive player — save his legs on D ..

I guess my memory is somewhat good/ somewhat bad. When they said Blake was 1 away from the Pitt record after hitting his 8th 3-ptr, first thing that came to my mind was that Jason Maile game, thinking ‘didn’t he have more than 9 3-ptrsin that game?’

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Slazinski was the one guy who worried me going in. How effing good was Iona last year with Clayton and Slazinski? I mean I knew Edwards was good but I am never really worried about a big. But man did we make those Iona guys look good. Jeffress is going to have to play more but he's going to have to find a way to score 4-6 points. I thought he could get some hustle points like cutting middle and hitting a 10 footer, floaters, put backs but he isnt doing any of that.

Q missed most of last season at Iona with a broken foot, Mr I know college basketball…

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Q missed most of last season at Iona with a broken foot, Mr I know college basketball…

I didn't watch one MAAC game last year. I actually used to like watching the MAAC Championship on that Monday night from Albany. Was sort of a tradition. Used to always be Siena, Iona, Manhattan back in the day. And they would have the Big Monday crew of McDonough, Bilas, and Raft do it before driving down to MSG for the BET. Then the MAAC stupidly moved it to the weekend I think and it got lost with all the other games. Always thought there needed to be more championships on that Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before the big tournaments start.

 

[mo cheeks]

I think D is huge

It never ceases to amaze me that a kid as physically gifted as will just can’t hit the ocean. If he was even an average shooter hed make this team significantly better You would think with a year off he’d have done nothing but work on his shot and at least become semi competent

I think his form has improved a lot as well as his confidence. He will hit a few this year and maybe be much better next year.

 

[wbrpanther]

This doesn’t seem accurate to me wbr. Rather than ‘forced’ I think we very comfortably settled for the outside shot and particularly looked for the 3-ptr. All worked out good and was fun last night with shots dropping as they were.

But for me, I guess I didn’t come out of that game feeling as optimistic as most going forward. I think 3-ptrs falling at that rate is more the exception than the rule. Aside from the stretch in the 2nd half where the lane opened up for some successful drives to the basket, we scored nothing in the paint. We seem to be very comfortable settling for outside jump shots and that doesn’t seem to be a good recipe for sustained success.

That’s kind of what I said. Shots won’t always be falling like that. We need some inside post up type scoring and our bigs don’t seem to have the ability.

 

[meadvillecoach]

There is a possibility of some lineup changes coming. The 5 man situation is going to be addressed and maybe if we can get some scoring there the wing spot might be changed. Will is a better defender, rebounder, and passer than Austin.It will be interesting to watch if these positions change

 

[greekpanther]

Great post DT. Don't forget Gibbs as a Pitt great 3 pt shooter.

He said he has the record

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Lowe coming to life really helps.
Twins coming to life helps.
Austin/Jeffres probably leave alone as a 3 or layup asking too much.
Fede is the issue. Way less of a factor than first half of last year. Hardly see him challenge or even jump?
Of course none of it matters if they don’t shoot over 40 with Jeffball.
Still mind boggling how literally an entire state can hate one school so much.

 

[Chescat]

Slazinski was the one guy who worried me going in. How effing good was Iona last year with Clayton and Slazinski? I mean I knew Edwards was good but I am never really worried about a big. But man did we make those Iona guys look good. Jeffress is going to have to play more but he's going to have to find a way to score 4-6 points. I thought he could get some hustle points like cutting middle and hitting a 10 footer, floaters, put backs but he isnt doing any of that.

I saw Iona in person last year. They were good
considering the conference they were in. Of course
they had Pitino coaching them. I don't remember
Clayton going off like he did against us, but he was
clearly a player. They had a 6'10" forward who went
off for 24 and he was their best. He transferred to
New Mexico U. He's averaging 8 ppg, and 7 rpg. and
he's a starter. Slazinski didn't play when I saw them.

So to answer your quetion they were good, 27 wins,
and conference champs. Don't forget it's the MAAC.
Again, Pitino coaching. He did bring in a few players.
They'll be back to normal soon, now that Pitino has
left for St. John's.


J

 

[NCanton Panther]

That’s kind of what I said. Shots won’t always be falling like that. We need some inside post up type scoring and our bigs don’t seem to have the ability.

Yeah, I agree with the rest of your post. But saying we were forced to take outside shots stuck out to me. Not just yesterday but pretty much our play all year long suggests that we prefer to take outside shots and definitely scheme and look for the 3-ptr. There isn’t a whole lot of being forced by the defense involved in how our offense runs.

But maybe it’s a good thing. Whenever we drive or try to get it into the paint, it often results in a TO. Factor in the pure math of how many more 2’s you need to make to equal 3’s and we’re probably ahead in the long run……except against good teams.

 

[wbrpanther]

Yeah, I agree with the rest of your post. But saying we were forced to take outside shots stuck out to me. Not just yesterday but pretty much our play all year long suggests that we prefer to take outside shots and definitely scheme and look for the 3-ptr. There isn’t a whole lot of being forced by the defense involved in how our offense runs.

But maybe it’s a good thing. Whenever we drive or try to get it into the paint, it often results in a TO. Factor in the pure math of how many more 2’s you need to make to equal 3’s and we’re probably ahead in the long run……except against good teams.

Forced was a poor choice of words. Chose would have been better.