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January 30, 2007

These Are Heady Times

Filed under: Basketball,Numbers — Chas @ 10:14 am

Do I and all the other fans want more? You bet. Does every loss fill my mouth with ashes and doubts? Of course. Let’s take a moment though to enjoy some of this.
Last night was an important win for Pitt over Villanova. (more about the actual game in a later post) They are on a 9 day layoff, without having to dwell on a loss or missed opportunities.
In an 8-day, 4 game stretch with road and home alternating games, Pitt was 3-1

Pitt is now 4-0 in the Big East on the road and 8-1 overall, and in sole possession of 1st place. Whether the conference is down or not (and it is), that is still a great start. Pitt started the 03-04 season 8-1 in conference, to match the best ever start.

Pitt has already won 20 games this season — the first time a Pitt coach has ever won 20 games in 4 straight years.

The sixth straight year Pitt has won 20 or more game — an ongoing record. The first time, in this era that Pitt has done it with a solid non-con.
Pitt has spent the entire season ranked in the top-10.

We are watching a team that prefers to control and slow down the pace, but is capable of playing just fine at a faster pace. Able to make adjustments.





This team is very fun to watch. Other than at Wisconsin (people fail to remember that this game was on the Saturday after finals as well), we have been in every single game only dropping two in three overtimes. Who cares if the big east is down? It was up last year and didn’t get any teams in the final four. Conference strength is only meaningful for the bubble teams. The teams at the top of the conference don’t have to worry about it. We are still in the hunt for a number 1 seed and are almost assured a top-3 seed. Pitt has a superb chance to move past the sweet 16.

Fans who can’t appreciate a team that shares the ball as well as Pitt just don’t know basketball. These guys excel at passing the ball and none of them are selfish. 80% of the time we get a great shot. Players will pass up good shots to get a teamate a great shot. It is a delight to watch them play.

Comment by Omar 01.30.07 @ 11:18 am

You still have to ask yourself, why does this team at times look complacent, confused, and lackadasical.

The first half of last night’s game was reminiscent of numerous games this year. How can the person with the ball take it into 2-3 defenders and for the most part turn it over? That is not smart ball. I can see Cook trying too hard because he is playing in his home town but does it take to the second half to correct his error in ball handling judgement?

When they play like they did in the first half last night, the miscues/bad ball protection seem to end up being contagious. A contagion that effects their whole game offensively and at times defensively as well.

I just hope they work this bug out of them. I want them to get to the Elite 8 and beyond but said contagion will come back to bite them if they don’t get it fixed.

Comment by Kenny 01.30.07 @ 11:53 am

I also agree that these are heady times for Pitt BB. 6 years in a row with 20 win seasons. Who would have ever thought it??? I truly believe the foundation has been set and the momentum will be excellerating in the near future.

I know we are losing Gray and Kendall this year but I am so excited and impressed with next year’s recruits and 08 looks like it will be just as good. There are athletes in those classes who I believe will take this program to another level.

I think of Blair, Dodson, Wannemaker, and Vargas (if the land him) as special players who can create their shot, hard to guard, and when its crunch time…..SCORE, particularly Dodson.

Of couse don’t forget Fields and Young from this team. Remember they are only sophmores. The future looks bright!

Comment by Kenny 01.30.07 @ 12:09 pm

We have every reason to believe that Pitt will be the beasts of the Big East for seasons to come. Now that is a great feeling.

Comment by Eric R 01.30.07 @ 12:17 pm

Other than the win — my two favorite moments from last night’s game.

1. When they showed Dixon sputtering nonsense about 1 timeout left, while Graves kept putting two fingers up to try and clue him in that they had two left. Dixon just kept on with the gibberish. I guess those stories about how nervous he is before games and how the players have to calm him down are true.

2. After a Panther hit a couple foul shots, Sam Young grabbed the ball and went to the baseline to go ahead and inbound it like it was still Pitt’s possession. Classic. He thought it should still be their ball. I would like to spend 10….no make that 5…..minutes in Sam’s head…it must be awesome in there.

Comment by Attila Cosby 01.30.07 @ 12:26 pm

agree with all of the above. There are times when we look like we have no idea what we are doing-then go on to play a very disciplined 2nd half of tough smart basketball. Jamie did a good job of settling them down at the half–but I really think that we need to focus on handling full court pressure–we are sure to see that. Passing over the top is one of the solutions–make teams pay for pressuring you. I did like our running more last nite-that gives this team an extra dimension. OUr man to man D is really improving–I would like to be able to do enough zone that we can mix things up–particularly against a team like Marquette that struggles from the outside.
Really impressed with our road record: that is a good sign for March.

Comment by tph60 01.30.07 @ 12:32 pm

attila – i noticed that during the game, about sam with the FT..i was cracking up…..i bet dixon was pissed though…sometimes his head is just not in the game………

these close games are good for our team down the stretch…we really tired nova out……hopefully funks like our first half here, and other first halfs during the season can be worked out….id absolutley love to see a game where everything clicked….i guess st. johns, but id love to see it vs a good team………

Comment by Schoe 01.30.07 @ 1:05 pm

Yeah, but what about the Football team?

Comment by Reed 01.30.07 @ 1:22 pm

Regarding the timeouts, that was hilarious. Kendall and Graves kept holding up two fingers and Dixon kept saying 1 timeout, 1 timeout, and then he finally said “…no 2 timeouts.”

Comment by Omar 01.30.07 @ 1:47 pm

Kenny,

We will definitely miss Gray next year. He was that big man we’ve been missing for a long time. It would be nice to have another agile 7 footer in the pipeline.

Comment by Rex 01.30.07 @ 3:29 pm

Kenny,
Who was the original “agile 7 footer?”
😉

Comment by Dave 01.30.07 @ 3:40 pm

Rex, I will miss him too and it would have been nice to have him for another year.

But the program will have to do it with what they got. Hopefully Wallace, Diggs, and McGhee will be able to give them some quality minutes at the 5 spot next year.

Comment by Kenny 01.30.07 @ 4:08 pm

Lets see Dave, first lets define agile.

“–adjective 1. quick and well-coordinated in movement; lithe: an agile leap.
2. active; lively: an agile person.
3. marked by an ability to think quickly; mentally acute or aware: She’s 95 and still very agile.

ag·ile (āj’É™l, -Ä«l’) Pronunciation Key
adj.
Characterized by quickness, lightness, and ease of movement; nimble.
Mentally quick or alert: an agile mind.

1. moving quickly and lightly; “sleek and agile as a gymnast”; “as nimble as a deer”; “nimble fingers”; “quick of foot”; “the old dog was so spry it was halfway up the stairs before we could stop it”
2. mentally quick; “an agile mind”; “nimble wits”

From those definitions it can be seen that there are basically 2 criteria for being agile. 1) Being qucik qucik and moving with coordination. 2) Being qucik of mind

Of course Gray meets the second criteron and especisally this year. As for the first he does have some quick agile like moves in and around the basket but he is hardly Russell, Akeem or Okafor like but then agian none of them were 7′.

Gray has shown this year that he is definitely agile in the cranial domain. He has the abiltiy to think quickly and make good decisions.

So as to the first truly agile in both senses 7′ center, none really come to mind but I do know that when he was playing at LSU, I saw Shaq grab the rebound on the defensive board and then drive the court and drive to the hole and score on more than one occasion. But he has put on a little weight since then!

Comment by Kenny 01.31.07 @ 9:57 am

You know that being qucik in foriegn lands is just the same as being quick in English, LOL

Comment by Kenny 01.31.07 @ 9:59 am

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