First off, let me begin by going back to the game on Monday in Philly. Big time congrats to Villanova’s game day entertainment department. The lettuce throwing competition during a media timeout was pure gold. I think it was mainly a ploy to get ‘Nova a free timeout so Jay Wright could go tanning. Personally, I would have gone with a water gun fight.
However, moving forward into this unnecessary break we have from Pitt hoops…After picking up a win over in Eastern PA, we bring our season total to 20 wins with a ton of room to pile on more. Only seven or eight years ago, we would be very happy with 20 wins. That’s especially true with the type of attention and expectations that were given to any Pitt hoops team; it was pre-Pete, pre-Oakland Zoo, pre-Ben Howland recruiting, and so on.
Then the ultimate goal for any NCAA basketball team at that stage becomes “Hey, let’s try to make the Big Dance as an at-large bid,” which we managed to accomplish in 2001-02, also knocking out the goals of winning the Big East Tournament, making the NCAA tournament as a conference champion, and reaching the Sweet Sixteen. All of that in the same year; expectations were on the rise.
Now the next goal is getting over the Sweet Sixteen hump and reaching the Final Four and winning a national championship. We went three straight years to the Sweet Sixteen, then only the first round in 04-05 and the second round last year. All of this culminates by asking the final question: when will Pitt basketball fans be satisfied?
At this point through both conference and non-con games we have a pretty solid gauge of where this team stands. We’ve seen them against horrible teams, decent teams, top 25 teams, and even a top 3 team in Wisconsin.
Another Sweet Sixteen year is expected from this team for sure unless someone very important gets injured. Getting to the round of eight would be no surprise from this team at all. They could go all the way (notice I never said they would or that they have the best chance of anyone else to do it) and no one would think twice.
So is the Sweet Sixteen a failure? Or is it the Elite Eight? Should we be satisfied if we don’t make it to Atlanta and the Final Four?
Then there’s also the Big East tournament to throw into the mix. If we run through the three (or four, however it’s unlikely) games needed to win it and then go out in the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament then is it something we should be happy with? If we bomb up at MSG then how far do we need to get to make this season worthwhile?
Personally, I don’t think this team can be happy with anything less than Elite Eight, especially if they don’t manage to win the conference tournament. This is the type of team than can get to the Final Four and it’s possible for some to think that anything less than even that is a failure.
I’m sure everyone has their own separate answers to all of those questions depending on what you thin “success” means for this current Pitt team. What are yours?
I only wish I could say the same thing for the football team. I had no problems with going to minor bowl games and winning. I have a big problem with not making any bowl game.
We have improved our out of conference schedule and the selection staff can no longer stick that up our ass.
Let’s face it, with a little luck we would have beat Marq and OSU.
This is a true team that has potential with both inside and outside shooting.
I like our chances to advance beyond the sweet 16, after that who knows, anything can happen.
Since I’m not wound up about the BB team, I’ll agree with Tony above and say that I’ve been completely entertained by the BB games I’ve watched so far this season, think they are a good team and that with some luck and decent seeding have an outside chance to go deeper than in the past.
First round loss would disappoint, and everything after that would be fun to follow.
I think Big East Regular Season and tournament championship plus an elite eight run would be a great year and solid for out future recruiting.
I love this Pitt Panther squad. I love how absolutely NOBODY blows them out – they are always in the game (only 3 losses of 10 or more points since 2001). I love how they play tough defense and make teams earn every point. I love how they pass the ball to find the best shot.
Having followed this team since the 80s, and having suffered through the Willard era, I will never again express disappointment if this team finishes the season in the tournament and ranked, no matter what seed or in what round they lose, so long as no players behave poorly, end up in rehab or get arrested for stealing from another player’s mother.
However, I believe this Panther squad is impeccably coached, and has overachieved every year since they lost in the BET finals against BC in 2001. The team’s success is an indicator of how well Howland and Dixon have prepared these overmatched young men to line up against UConn, Syracuse and other basketball powers in the toughest hoops conference in the country (except this year) and SUCCEED with regularity. The recruiting is slowly catching up with the sterling winning percentage.
This team is NOT being built for a one year run. It is not filled with selfish players biding their time until they are eligible for the NBA draft. It is built for continuity and transition. It should be some time (barring disastrous injuries) before we see a Pitt team that is not a player in the national rankings. Last year was supposed to be a down year, and yet they surprised everyone by maintaining this level of excellence through the transition from Taft/Troutman to Gray/Kendall.
I feel it is just a matter of time before this team kicks the door in to the promised land of the college hoops uber-elite. However, if this team were to continue to be ranked high, go to the tournament and play exciting basketball, I’m not going to whine about it.
I also agree with BB. To lose because of the exceptional performance of an opponent is much easier to swallow than losing because Pitt played poorly.
whoa, whoa, WHOA!!! Stop talkin’ crazy there, Kyle!
I’m 36 and I don’t see this happening until AT LEAST my 50th birthday; if ever…
You dream big, kid!
Note that Paul Rhodes has a mention also.
Well, seems like our Special Teams have improved since then, we might even see them as a strength this season with the new punter, returning solid FG kicker and Porter returning KO’s. Whoever replaces Revis on punt returns will at least match up as Revis didn’t do great back there IMO (with one wonderful exception).
As far as the ncaa, its time for this team to make that elusive “turning of the corner” and make the final four . Just when you think the football team is going to make the turn they take 2 steps backwards. I hope the bball team can step up and get it done. The talent and coaching is there its just a matter of executing and playing smart.
for once, just once, id like to see pitt make the elite 8, final 4, and play a #1 seed….if they lose that game, ill be ok with it…i just want to see how we match up with the florida’s, unc’s, ucla’s of the ncaa……..a win vs one of them would mean wonders to our program……
Regardless of O’Bryant’s performance against Gray last year, had Pitt played a stronger overall game – something they were fully capable of doing – they would have won. That’s the one thing that makes me nervous about the tournament: Pitt’s penchant for a terrible first 20 minutes. Somehow, someway, Dixon has got to get this team to play smart, intense basketball for 40 minutes from the very first game of the tourney.
As for the BET, I actually don’t care if they win. I just want them to get through it without any injuries or Gray working so hard through 3 or 4 games in as many days that he comes into March Madness a little tired. He was clearly worn out last year and while he’s in better condition this year, it still worries me. That and FTs. Those damn FTs!
I almost feel that there is a lack of discipline that permeates Dixon’s teams at times – it gets written off for various reasons, but I have yet to figure out any other reason why the team can’t seem to start strong, shoot free throws, or put a team away. Its a consitency thing – after all the success I still watch games and wonder how Pitt will manage to pooch it if they’re not up by 20+.
I would be satisfied with an Elite 8 appearance. To me, it indicates that the talent and the coaching is improving. Being perenially hung up at the sweet 16 has me thinking that we just don’t have the guns or the coaching to get further. Look, we haven’t beaten a GREAT team this year. Loosing to OK State and Wisconsin doesn’t bother me too much because of the quality of these opponents overall, but the Marquette loss at home disturbed me. Lots of people pontificate over “the matchup”, but guess what? Thats what the post-season is all about, and great teams find a way to coach/work through those things. We can pile up the wins against weaker oponents early, and we can tear through a relatively weak conference, but until we actually beat a great team, I have a hard time classifying the Panthers as a great team.
Elite 8 or bust ! 🙂
“I almost feel that there is a lack of discipline that permeates Dixon’s teams at times” I feel the same way. There is no excuse for coming out complacent, lackadasical, and/or overconfident in seems to be about every third game they paly. They are halfway through their conference schedule, those bugs should have been worked out for the most part. Either they, the coahes or a combination of both are not addressing it. As was said before, play a first half like that in the NCAAs and most likely you go home.
Success for this team would be making it into the Sweet 16. Improvment as a program would be the Elite eight. Anything beyond that is gravy, anything less is disapointment.
Having said the above, I look at the current Pitt BB program with unbridled enthusiasm and expectations for the future. I look forward for not only better players and NCCAs results but for Dixon to grow into a better or more complete coach.
Go Pitt!!!
In terms of THE TOURNEY, it’s the seeding that counts, so Pitt has to continue to wrack-up the wins, or… they won’t go any deeper than the Sweet-16, IMO. And due to this, I couldn’t agree more with the comment posted by Schoe…
“…you need to get the right seed in order to do well in the tourney….what happens if the tourney selection committee screws us and gives us a 3 seed again, and we are stuck facing a tough 2 seed in the 2nd round (pitt-ok st a few yrs back)…theres nothing the team can do about that except play their best to win…and if they come up short, it happens…….”
…that about sums it up.
I’m thinkin’ beer sales’ll be statewide by ’08. 2108.
This team is built to win it all – they have a star big man, 3 point shooting, solid defense, and an extremely deep team. Basically, they’re the Pitt teams of the early 2000’s, but with much more scoring punch.
When I think about the Elite 8, is that really an accomplishment? I think if you lose in the Elite 8 and go out that same weekend, it’s not much of a difference than the Sweet 16. At least when you get to the Final Four, you have another week of people talking about your team and bringing the school that much more publicity. The Elite 8 would be okay (and we eventually need to get there), but with the talent on the team this year, I think it’d be disappointing not to get to the final weekend.