I’ve written it before, but it bears repeating. I’m a big fan of the newspaper Q&A and chats with beat writers. Not that they are that informative, so much as they are more honest about the biases and POV of the writers. What styles of play they like, players they prefer and so on. I haven’t posted on the chats and Q&A in a couple weeks.
Paul Zeise is doing some chats regarding Pitt basketball lately.
Frank_Fizzle: Paul – You have Pitt ranked No. 12 in the preseason — what do you think of the Panthers so far?
Paul Zeise: I think what I thought at the start of the year — the Panthers are a good team, they are a top 20 team, perhaps even a top 15 team but they aren’t a top 10 team. They don’t have a go-to guy on offense — and when I say go-to guy I’m talking about a wing player or a guard who can take over a game at any time – I think that they will be hurt by any team who can match their size with legitimately athletic big men because their frontcourt, especially when Young is not in the game, is not very athletic.
Coach_with_a_SAG_card: Paul, since it’s inconceivable for a team to win a championship without a go-to guy, is there any reason for Pitt to play the rest of its games since the Panthers don’t have a go-to guy? Seems like they might as well just hang it up now, right?
Paul Zeise: Um, no. I think there are plenty of reasons to play. But if you are being sarcastic, tell me all the teams who have made the Final Four in the past decade or so, other than George Mason, which was a fluke, that didn’t have at least two legitimate NBA-caliber players. Pitt is a good team, an excellent team. From what I’ve seen it is not yet an elite team. Who are the NBA prospects on this team?
I have very mixed feelings about this sort of thing. It’s the same sort of thing where no teams win in the NCAA without at least one McDonalds All-American High Schooler. It’s a trend, and a reliable one. BUt, I think that trend has been on the wane as players are more often leaving sooner for the NBA. I mean, to turn it around, how many teams with at least 2 McDonalds All-Americans have failed to even make the Final Four? How many times has the “go-to” guy failed to deliver for a team, and the rest of the team can’t pick up the slack?
Part of it is that, especially in the NCAA Tourney, is often when the “go-to” guy emerges. Or, it is a course of the season thing. For Pitt, there is still plenty of time for another “go-to” guy to emerge. And there are choices: Levance Fields, Sam Young and Mike Cook all show that potential.
I guess, my biggest problem is that it is just too simplistic a justification. “Sure they are a good team, but they don’t have a single player who can take the ball and dominate.” Last year, Florida arguably had multiple players emerge as the go-to or big game player at the right time. They had tremendous talent that gelled last year, but which player was absolutely indespenisble for them to win any given game?
Ray Fittipaldo, since he has to cover Pitt basketball full-time, treads a little softer with absolute statements.
Q: Coach Dixon better pray that Sam Young stays healthy; he is the key to their success. If he can’t rebound, this team is done. When Gray misses a layup, no one is there to rebound. Kendall can’t shoot, play defense or rebound. He looks lost on the court. Has a team ever dropped from No. 2 to out of the top 25 in a month? The inability for this team to guard athletic players will be fatal. They look out of sync. I counted at least half a dozen instances where they should have gotten a pass into Gray. Instead, they continued passing the ball and ended up with a poor shot and no chance for a rebound. Where is the leadership? The mix is not working. Two meaningful games, two opportunities to impress, two poor performances. Right now, Pitt is a No. 7 or No. 8 seed at best and is on its way to an underachieving season. A healthy Young is their only way to success. I hope they prove me wrong.
Fittipaldo: Young and Fields are going to determine how far this team goes. We all know Gray will be there on most nights. In my opinion, Young and Fields are Pitt’s next most talented players. Fields has started to take on more of a scoring role at the behest of the coaches. If he continues to progress defensively and can keep his turnovers down, he’ll be tough come March. Young can be the difference maker, though. He is such a force athletically that teams cannot account for him at the power forward position. Pitt needs him to be healthy to have a shot at a deep tournament run. If you think Pitt is a No. 8 seed that means you think this team will lose seven games in the Big East. I cannot see that. They won’t roll through the league like many expected, but I still think they are the best team in what might turn out to be a down year for the Big East. I see Pitt losing no more than five games in the league and at worst at No. 4 or 5 seed. We shall see.
The Q&A also displays a lot more negativity in the questions from the fans which, by their nature I would say forced Fittipaldo to defend the team more. It’s fascinating, and I saw and read the same sort of freaking out around here after Ohio State got smacked silly by Florida.
I can’t help but wonder if there is something of a carry over in the football mentality. The limited number of games, and any mistakes means the big dreams are over. That a bad game or any kind of loss is absolutely killer for the team, the season, the hopes and prospects.
Basktball is completely different in that way. You can have, even a few bad games and a few more losses in the season without it meaning the team is bad or a reflection of their worst performances.
At the start of the year I saw Ramon as the key player. I thought he would finally emerge as the killer 3 point shooter this team needs when the inside game, including Gray and Young, is neutralized in Big East play (and neutered by biased officiating during tournament play). Any big expectations of Fields are not realistic at this point. If he keeps his turnovers down and handles the ball well at the end of victories (and hits free throws when fouled) that’s all I expect from him. I do agree that Kendall has become next to worthless. Benji doesn’t get enough PT to make a difference, deserved or not (I happen to think undeserved, but what do I know). Cook is inconsistent so far, good in streaks but disappears for long stretches on O and awful on D. Biggs is ballast. So it’s back to Ramon … who still hasn’t become consistently frequent and deadly enough from 3.
“They don’t have a go-to guy on offense”
Uhm, yes they do–Aaron Gray.
“and when I say go-to guy I’m talking about a wing player or a guard”
oh, and that is, uhm why. The greatest teams in CBBall history are remembered for their forwards and centers: Walton, Alcinder, Ewing, Okafor. In fact, the Carmelo Anthony phenomonon is the exception. But then this guy, probably hasn’t seen but 8 games in his life, so he wouldn’t know anyway.
“I think that they will be hurt by any team who can match their size with legitimately athletic big men because their frontcourt”
There are about 4 such teams in the country.
“especially when Young is not in the game”
He’s seen 1 or two highlights of Young and thinks he’s the savior. Young may be good someday, but until he can learn to be smart with the ball, he is more of a liability than a help.
“tell me all the teams who have made the Final Four in the past decade or so, other than George Mason, which was a fluke, that didn’t have at least two legitimate NBA-caliber players”
I didn’t look at all the final fours, I just looked at the championship games, stopped when I got to 2002 Indiana. They only had 1. Now I’m not a sportswriter, but if I was, I’d either find out what a decade means, or go check my facts before making absurd statements that can be easily verified.
“Who are the NBA prospects on this team?”
Gray, and Cook will play in the NBA as might Young and Benjamin.
To me, a “go-to” guy is one that you can count on scoring to: 1) break the other team’s momentum; and 2) have the assists players look for him to pour in enough points in the late fourth quarter to draw the team within striking distance for a win, or to win the game outright. Or, conversely, be so good on defense it forces the other team to play outside of their comfort zone and shrinks the size of the opponents offensive court (Ewing, Bill Russell).
Gray’s a very good college player that will be a solid NBA player, but PITT won’t be able to ride on his shoulders and expect great success without other players really stepping up.
The only way I see this team going deep in the tourney is that they develop consistant multiple scoring threats. Gray alone will not cut it.
The one area of this team that really concerns me is that they only have 2 PGs and the one coming off of the bench (Ramon) needs to be able to play more 2 instead of 1.
I guess a good example (forgive my dating this) is how Larry Bird or Magic Johnson were in college. They were head and shoulders above their competition, had fully rounded games (O, D and court presence for assists) and could take over a game when needed, and on a continuing basis. Again, I understand Gray is not at that talent level – few players are or ever have been – but I don’t see him being able to completely control the course, and outcome, of a game.
There is a difference between a player that’s a ‘best chance’ type and a ‘go-to’ type. As Omar stated above, if points are needed they will go to Gray first because he’s probably their best chance, which is a far cry from teammates going to you because they have unshakable confidence that you’ll get it done.
If jamie Dixon can get these guys to start rebounding and checking guys off the boards they will win.
This year’s team just isnt a typical pitt team. they dont check off the board or play tough D. It just frustrates me to watch.
The only other reason we lose any game is out of conference refs… We all know they call touch fouls…
i think fields is turning into the BEST point guard as far as a distributor that doesnt turn the ball over. Young will be the X factor, and hopefully can help our poor rebounding…
Dont count Pitt out. For once we feel frustrated at the start of the year, and we have tons of time to work out the kinks and be strong at the end.
As far as a go-to scorer…well, what are the criteria? Only a guy who DOESN’T make the important shot? What about that four-point-play at the end of the OkieSt game where the second free throw is missed, Aaron kicks out to Fields..three is good…to erase a four point lead and send the game into OT. That doesn’t count because the bitchers and moaners don’t see that. Only that Pitt lost the game.
A few years ago, Pitt couldn’t hit a three so that was the big hole. Now, the rules have changed and it is a go-to scorer they need. How about this…NCAA Tourney success has more to do with a favorable draw than any go-to scorer. Using Zeise’s logic, Marquette should have won multiple titles instead of just one Final Four (with Dwayne Wade). Oh, and in the NCAA Tourney, (credit DeCourcey with this), it is about scoring points. I’ll take Pitt’s chances with the amount of scorers this year’s team has.
I should have said that they need consistant, multiple, create your shots of the dribble threats.
They need multiple people, who when the opposing D is limiting shots, other players are not making theirs, and/or the game is close, to be able to step up, create, and finish.
If several players can step up and do this, I see no reason for them not making a deep tourney run.
I think they are a good team – and with a little momentum at the end of the year could go deep in the tourneys.
