** 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.
