[Broad generalization alert] There are points where I think we can be hard on Sam Young, just because he isn’t DeJuan Blair. He isn’t a big smiling guy. He doesn’t seem to have the same joy of playing. He can suffer by comparison.
We identify with Blair easier. We love the game and wish we could have even a portion of that athletic ability and talent. Blair makes it easy to watch. He seems to get it, and plays like a big kid who enjoys it.
Sam Young looks joyless and at times grim. There are points where he seems to be sulking. At points, he probably has.
He said Young is good when he plays within the parameters of the offense. He isn’t good when he tries to freelance and operate outside the offense. I’m paraphrasing, but that was the gist of what Fields said.
Fields wasn’t exactly calling Young out for being selfish, but he was brutally honest in answering the question. It’s interesting because Fields is Young’s closest friend on the team. Young is a loner for the most part, but he and Fields have a good relationship. For Fields to come out and say what he said he had to feel like Young’s recent play was undermining the team’s play to an extent.
I’m sure some of Young’s demeanor is personal dissatisfaction with his play, but he is a senior and should be more careful in how he carries himself. If we’re noticing a difference, I’m sure the younger players who look up to him notice as well.
It would be nice if he would do a better job of covering up his true feelings, but again, this has been the way Sam Young has been his entire career. When he’s been frustrated by the way he’s playing, injury or lack of playing time, his body language hasn’t exactly hidden his feelings. He doesn’t talk a lot, but he doesn’t exactly hide how he’s feeling either.
The one thing that can’t be forgotten is that Young wants to win. He may not be acting in the way we want, but part of why he is still at Pitt is he wants what we want.
“We’ve made some history and we’re continuing to make some history,” Young said. “And I think we’ll continue to make history down the stretch.”
Most of all, Young wants to make it in March, when Pitt has repeatedly failed despite being a Top 25 fixture for eight seasons. The Panthers, second-round losers to Michigan State last season, haven’t advanced past the round of 16 since 1974 or made the Final Four in 68 years.
While Pitt running back LeSean McCoy turned pro last month after two excellent seasons, Young will play his entire college career.
“It’s a chance for us to do things Pitt has not done in the past,” said Young, who considers a No. 1 seeding to be the first step toward a deep NCAA run. “Having the No. 1 seed, I think, would put us into the NCAA tournament with a big confidence boost. I think it’s very important for us to get that.”
Young has been in a funk — except when playing WVU. At least he’s in it now, and there is plenty of time to come out of it before March.
