You truly have no idea what you’re watching.
Xavier Game Thread
- Thread starter Joe the Panther Fan
- Start date
He has a lot of company. This thread is evidence
He did struggle today, but that's also because his teammates for the most part weren't picking up any slack. He shot 39%, his teammates combined for 39%. One of the other starters went 3-14 and another went 1-5. So yeah, sometimes he forced things, but what else was he supposed to do?
Just too much of a deficit for Pitt to overcome being down 14 at the half. They needed to be down by a few possessions to have a legit chance to win. While they never let it get completely out of hand in the second hand Pitt just never was able to go on that one long 10-2 run or something similar to that early enough in the 2nd half to make it a game.
Pitt did themselves proud for the last few minutes of the game. Xavier was laying back and just not being as aggressive, but their ball movement is excellent. We didn't have the defense to counter that ball movement. I doubt anyone would.
Good luck to the seniors wherever they may go. Looking forward to next year and hopefully an improvement on this year.
Good luck to the seniors wherever they may go. Looking forward to next year and hopefully an improvement on this year.
Agree, we don't have the season we had without Jamarius. That said, I think he just ran out of gas down the stretch. He just wasn't himself in either tournament, even tho he hit the game winner against MSU.
First year I've enjoyed basketball since Dixon left. It's going to be rough losing Burton, Sibande, Elliot, and Cummings, but I am looking forward to seeing next year's team. Hinson, the Diaz twins, and Fede give us something to look forward too.
Hopefully, next year will be even more fun than this one.
Thank you, Pitt, for a wonderful year.
Hopefully, next year will be even more fun than this one.
Thank you, Pitt, for a wonderful year.
Nah. This one really wasn't winnable.
Xavier has more length, quickness, and skill than most teams Pitt faced this year. Much like Duke, Xavier was a team that Pitt was going to struggle with just to keep it a competitive game.
In order to have a chance to hang with them, the defense really needed to be a lot better.
Agreed. I’d add that he carried this team at times this year and bailed his teammates out. So he was simply doing what he’s done all year. Just wasn’t his time that’s all. Life’s like that.
The team got looks they’ve made all year and made. We can talk about defense ball movement etc and for sure those are all factors but they could have won had they made the shots they made all year. They picked a bad time to go stone cold
We’ll agree to disagree. Pitt’s won games lie this all year. They were just stone cold
It is great to have solid players returning. That said, I am very excited about Carrington and Lowe, as well as Dior if he sticks. Need to get some experience from the portal, and we can be on our way.
"Jesus that's the point. We got out on him in the second half and it worked way better then the first half. We just were never able to make a run.
How did it work out? He missed all five shots he took in the second half, and yet we never really got back into the game. 12-1/2 minutes into the half they had extended their lead by eight points.
Yeah, we shut him down. It didn't actually help us get back in the game. Because other guys picked it up. Including their best player, who had zero points at the half but scored 14 in the second half. All we did was trade off which guy hurt us the most.
How did it work out? He missed all five shots he took in the second half, and yet we never really got back into the game. 12-1/2 minutes into the half they had extended their lead by eight points.
Yeah, we shut him down. It didn't actually help us get back in the game. Because other guys picked it up. Including their best player, who had zero points at the half but scored 14 in the second half. All we did was trade off which guy hurt us the most.
Come on man. These guys know better they played the game earlier today on Xbox
On a serous note some times you gotta pick your poison. The panthers are not a great defensive team to begin with. Sometimes you have to make The other teams lesser players beat you (because you don’t have to talent to play lock down D across the board).
There’s a coach in the NFL who’s done pretty well doing that. Today you just have to tip your hat to kunkel who had a career half.
That's the only one team that's comparable. But for an honest analysis, Miami was in control for most of that game and fell apart in the last 3 minutes.
Xavier is just a better than Pitt. It's really not that close.
You don't think Xavier changed their style of play with the lead? Pitt was athletically outclassed in all three tournament games. It just so happens that one team could hit the side of a barn and two couldn't.
No big deal. We weren't going to win the national championship. Good season.
Didn’t say Xavier wasn’t better just said if Pitt shot like they have all year they could have pulled it out.
For me, it mostly hats off to this group. They were probably at best an NIT team that made the round of 32. Pretty much extracted all they could. Plus they resurrected the ncaat or bust culture.
That's exactly it. In the first half we clearly did not want Boum to beat us. And he didn't. Someone else did. If we were good enough defensively that we could stop everyone then that would be one thing. But we aren't. If we were, we'd have been a hell of a lot higher than an 11 seed.
Like would people have been happier if instead of Kunkel scoring 15 in the first half and 0 in the second half if Boum would have scored 14 in the first half and then 0 in the second half? It's not like that would have made any difference in the end.
Honestly this wasn’t even close to the worst defensive performance of the year. I’m fact I thought it was one of their better efforts. They didn’t give up a ton of second chance shots either. Xavier is a really good offensive team and Pitt needed to shoot the ball well today to have a chance. They were stone cold for the most part. Had the shot better they could have won
We actually held Xavier to fewer points per possession than their average. But their average is one of the best in the country. So less than that was still pretty darn good.
I said yesterday we might need to score 90 to win. That was a few points higher than it turned out to be, but it was close.
Yeah this was completely winnable. And we managed to get their big guy out of the game. A few more made shots and a few more free throws and maybe we are there at the end.
But when you are defended by teams that know how to defend, that have more size and athleticism, it tends to have an impact on your shooters. Sometimes it can mess with you mentally. It just does.
Pretty much how I see it. I really enjoyed being back in the mix. Hope Capes can keep climbing.
We were done in by one really poor half. You just can’t give teams such easy shots. Leaving the three wide open is one thing, but easy layups and dunks killed them.
What can you do. The team was not built for defense. It was bound to end this way.
Made it a game for a few minutes at the end. No quit. Some interesting players hopefully returning as well.
It was a great season.
What can you do. The team was not built for defense. It was bound to end this way.
Made it a game for a few minutes at the end. No quit. Some interesting players hopefully returning as well.
It was a great season.
From about the 10 minute mark of the first half, the game never felt winnable. Pitt was never even close until X finally cooled off with about 4 minutes left and Pitt made a couple of shots. Even then they swatted us back.
Make absolutely no mistake about it, the better team won that game.
Every team can play the ifs and buts game after every loss. Pitt was outclassed by a superior opponent in this game. That’s why XU is a 3 seed and Pitt is an 11. That’s exactly what this game looked like-a 3 vs an 11.
I wasn’t impressed with Texas outside shooting. Should be an interesting game. key will be Xavier staying out of foul trouble
I’d flip a coin on that one. A lot of it will come down to how well Texas can defend XU on the perimeter IMO. XU will spread them out.
I expect Texas to shoot better from the outside. They have the advantage inside and with overall talent.
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I saw Iowa St play twice against WV and against us. Those guys would have no problem getting work with the Bricklayers Union 101.
I did. I’ve seen them play several times including in the B12 champ game . They have plenty of athletes. That doesn’t change my take at all.
And Xavier is a better team than PSU
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