** Leave No Doubt!
** Tonight there was none.
** A few Pitt fans such as myself have been taking our first looks a little cautiously with doubt trying to locate the team we think we can be. But tonight, we finally got a pretty good look at that greater group in this contest against the Hated Hoopies.
** In all ways, shapes and forms, this was a first class *ss kicking against a Big 12 team.
** Sure, if you wish, comment on the incompetence of this particular P-5 opponent. Such assertions would seem to be in order. Yes … WVU was bad.
** But Missouri was last year too. And this similar test was never a contest.
** And it wasn’t as if the Panthers were firing on all offensive cylinders.
** We didn’t blister the nets from three, and the guy who is perhaps our lead gun looks to be mired in a bit of a shooting slump.
** But we rebounded, offered legitimate defense throughout, and played the kind of offensive basketball which appears to be perfectly according to Coach Capel’s game plan.
** I came into this game thinking Tucker DeViries might be the kind of player who would sink 20 or so, even in defeat. Instead, with the attention the Panthers placed upon him, he looked much more like a Missouri Valley player instead of a Big 12 player.
** In fact, when Tucker notched his 5th foul late, we noted that he garnered more fouls than points until we realized that the points updates on the Pitt scoreboard are notoriously slow. Still, 6 points and 5 fouls is still pretty fun.
** It was especially fun because Tucker seems like a perfect kind of player to hate.
** Do you know what else was fun? Dunn was fun.
** I recall an interview with Coach Capel not long ago offering the suggestion that Damian wasn’t quite used right offensively at Houston. Do you think maybe Coach knows what he’s doing?
** Damian was wonderfully efficient, scoring from deep, midrange and down low.
** Just like Jamarius Burton, one has to feel pretty good about him backing down any opponent to score in the paint.
** But let me get to the player who deserves credit this day more than any other – Mr. Guillermo Diaz.
** It’s probably fair to state this was his best overall game as a Panther. Last time out, I lamented his taking 11 shots which seemed like a few too many. But tonight, his shot selection and offensive decisions were nearly perfect, save one ill fated drive into the paint.
** But he was wiry and tough in the paint, and finally garnered his first double-double as a Panther. If this is the level at which he can play most games this year, this is a tremendous sign for his team.
** Still, between Ish, Jaland and Damian, these three took 62% of the Panther shots tonight. This feels like the right equation.
** Truth be told, it was difficult to find any fault in the Panther equation tonight. Cam and Ish were splendid, and Zach looks to be settling into a perfect role.
** The only shortcoming in the math might be the number of minutes being offered by the bench.
** It seems like Jeff is bringing along Bebah slowly, which seems like the better decision at this time. But I suspect there will be a game, for one reason or another, that we’ll need to count on him to be on the floor for 20 minutes or so. Time will tell if he’s up to the task.
** And of course, Capel also looks to be bringing Amsal along slowly too. Tonight he tantalized us with his three ball, but also a high school level turnover.
** But this does indeed feel like nitpicking this night. Our Panthers were wonderful and did everything they needed to do to rightfully ramp up expectations to date.
** Our team has one more cupcake until we truly get to stack ourselves against better doubt.
** A week from today, we get to travel a couple hours south of the Hoopies to face the Tigers from Louisiana. Win that one, and we should face a team who just scored 103 points against the #8 team in the country.
** But that’s getting too far ahead of myself. But I guess that’s what happens when you put a beatdown on an opponent like we did against the Hoopies tonight.
** It’s great when doubt turns to hope, if not even hype.
** And once again, I’m pretty hyped about our Panthers.
** Tonight there was none.
** A few Pitt fans such as myself have been taking our first looks a little cautiously with doubt trying to locate the team we think we can be. But tonight, we finally got a pretty good look at that greater group in this contest against the Hated Hoopies.
** In all ways, shapes and forms, this was a first class *ss kicking against a Big 12 team.
** Sure, if you wish, comment on the incompetence of this particular P-5 opponent. Such assertions would seem to be in order. Yes … WVU was bad.
** But Missouri was last year too. And this similar test was never a contest.
** And it wasn’t as if the Panthers were firing on all offensive cylinders.
** We didn’t blister the nets from three, and the guy who is perhaps our lead gun looks to be mired in a bit of a shooting slump.
** But we rebounded, offered legitimate defense throughout, and played the kind of offensive basketball which appears to be perfectly according to Coach Capel’s game plan.
** I came into this game thinking Tucker DeViries might be the kind of player who would sink 20 or so, even in defeat. Instead, with the attention the Panthers placed upon him, he looked much more like a Missouri Valley player instead of a Big 12 player.
** In fact, when Tucker notched his 5th foul late, we noted that he garnered more fouls than points until we realized that the points updates on the Pitt scoreboard are notoriously slow. Still, 6 points and 5 fouls is still pretty fun.
** It was especially fun because Tucker seems like a perfect kind of player to hate.
** Do you know what else was fun? Dunn was fun.
** I recall an interview with Coach Capel not long ago offering the suggestion that Damian wasn’t quite used right offensively at Houston. Do you think maybe Coach knows what he’s doing?
** Damian was wonderfully efficient, scoring from deep, midrange and down low.
** Just like Jamarius Burton, one has to feel pretty good about him backing down any opponent to score in the paint.
** But let me get to the player who deserves credit this day more than any other – Mr. Guillermo Diaz.
** It’s probably fair to state this was his best overall game as a Panther. Last time out, I lamented his taking 11 shots which seemed like a few too many. But tonight, his shot selection and offensive decisions were nearly perfect, save one ill fated drive into the paint.
** But he was wiry and tough in the paint, and finally garnered his first double-double as a Panther. If this is the level at which he can play most games this year, this is a tremendous sign for his team.
** Still, between Ish, Jaland and Damian, these three took 62% of the Panther shots tonight. This feels like the right equation.
** Truth be told, it was difficult to find any fault in the Panther equation tonight. Cam and Ish were splendid, and Zach looks to be settling into a perfect role.
** The only shortcoming in the math might be the number of minutes being offered by the bench.
** It seems like Jeff is bringing along Bebah slowly, which seems like the better decision at this time. But I suspect there will be a game, for one reason or another, that we’ll need to count on him to be on the floor for 20 minutes or so. Time will tell if he’s up to the task.
** And of course, Capel also looks to be bringing Amsal along slowly too. Tonight he tantalized us with his three ball, but also a high school level turnover.
** But this does indeed feel like nitpicking this night. Our Panthers were wonderful and did everything they needed to do to rightfully ramp up expectations to date.
** Our team has one more cupcake until we truly get to stack ourselves against better doubt.
** A week from today, we get to travel a couple hours south of the Hoopies to face the Tigers from Louisiana. Win that one, and we should face a team who just scored 103 points against the #8 team in the country.
** But that’s getting too far ahead of myself. But I guess that’s what happens when you put a beatdown on an opponent like we did against the Hoopies tonight.
** It’s great when doubt turns to hope, if not even hype.
** And once again, I’m pretty hyped about our Panthers.
