Very, very interesting. According to the always plugged in Chris Dokish at NBE Basketball Report, the Pitt coaching staff may pull a rabbit out of their hat for point guard insurance in 2009-10.
Enter Chase Adams. The 5?10? Baltimore native who is currently visiting the Pittsburgh campus with his Mom. Adams has spent the last three seasons at Centenary College in Louisiana where last season he averaged 14.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and 4.5 apg, while making 39.8% of his three point shots and 70.3% of his free throws as a junior last season. He was also named Summit League Defensive Player of the Year thanks to his 83 steals (2.7.game). He has averaged 2.3 spg over his three year career.
Despite playing for a very poor team, Adams showed that he could also play against major Division 1-A programs. As a junior, against Mississippi State, Adams had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and nailed 4 out of 8 from three point land. Against LSU, he had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals, and against Texas Tech, Adams had 23 points and 6 rebounds, while making 4 out of 5 of his three pointers. For the season, Adams scored 20 or more points eight times, had 5 or more rebounds ten times, and four or more steals nine times.
Adams, who is an excellent student, would be eligible immediately because Centenary is on probation. He will only be eligible to play this season, which would give the Panthers the opportunity to still continue to fill their scholarship limit for the 2010 class.
There will be questions about whether at 5-10, 175 pounds, Chase Adams can handle playing in the Big East for the full year. The thing to remember is that there is no guarantee he would be the starter. He would add some vital depth at the point guard position, and most importantly still allows Pitt to use the scholarship for the 2010 class.
The only risk, if you can call it that, is to the chemistry. If Travon Woodall or Ashton Gibbs take this negatively it could be an impact. Both kids, however, have been team players from HS to college. Woodall volunteered to come off the bench in his senior year of HS. More likely, both would take it as another challenge to be met if they want to get playing time.
Upside; (1) depth and (2) experience at PG which may be particulary valuable with a team loaded with young players
I give slight advantage to downside … unless Woodall is one of these players who are susceptible to injury
And to w Bill, specifically, you give Wannstedt the benefit of the doubt even though he has accomplished not nearly as much as Dixon. If there’s anybody that deserves our faith it’s Jamie. I think this is a sure sign that PG was a problem. I mean, if they found a guy down in little Centenary, them they were clearly looking hard.
I was less concerned about the PG spot after seeing Woodall play in Greentree, but obviously Dixon wanted a little insurance. I certainly do think Gibbs playing a lot of point absolutely takes away from this team’s upside, so maybe JD is looking for ways to keep Gibbs firing.
I think adding Adams will only help Woodall’s development and help the team in general. His strengths seem to very much fall in line with Dixon’s philosophy. I really hope they land him.
Look on the bright side here. He will only be here for a year so we can still go for semi talented big man for 2010. Maybe the crop of frontcourt players we have now matures well and we can go for a SG for next season, who knows. I will be fine if we don’t land anyone else for this class but can this team do without an experienced PG? If this kid can handle a whole Big East season then why not? It’s not like we have that many real options left for this class. I’m excited for this season even if we go in with Gibbs and Woodall platooning at the point this season.
Aslong as Cincy, Pitt, WVU, and rutgers get in the final poll, thats all that matters.
Meanwhile, it was just announced that Pitt vs NC St will be nationalized televised by ESPNU … a channel not provided by local Comcast, but we will be able to watch Minnesota play Eastern-Central Tennessee State on the B11 Network
Check out this link:
Looks like Comcast is adding ESPNU in the Pittsburgh area.
Polls are susceptible to flaw, but this is ridiculous. Nothing tears down that fourth wall of the suspended disbelief we all have for following something so silly as sports, like seeing the Notre Dame fanbase continually catered too. Sometimes I feel like the media outlets think college football, nay, THE INSTITUE OF SPORT ITSELF would cease to exist without Notre Dame.
What would we all do without the casual fan who is a diehard irish fan because his neighbor’s cousin’s best friend went to Notre Dame.
Loosely affiliated fanbase! Go spit Notre Dame!
HTP
Kolby Gray was on yesterday.
I got to see ESPNU a couple years ago when I lived out of the area, and really liked it .. many fb and bb games as well as good sports talk. Note that while ESPN and ESPN2 are always focused on the UFs, USCs and Oklahomas, you get to see many other schools highlighted … Kolby Gray, for instance.
“Was also named honorable mention all-conference and all-Louisiana.”
Honorable mention? He must have played in a terrific conference. (However, his stats are impressive.)
Roman Tubner: He is a health and exercise science major
Willie Woods: He is majoring in physical therapy and aspires to start his own physical therapy practice.
Chase Adams: A business major, he would like to play basketball professionally overseas after graduating.
David Perez: He plans on studying medicine and becoming a physician’s assistant or perhaps something else in the field of medicine.
Daman Starring: He would like to play professional basketball in the NBA or overseas upon graduating from Centenary.
Tyler Johnson: Majoring in physical education with a minor in health. Wants to be a college basketball coach.
Jerrald Bonham: He is a physics major with a minor in engineering and hopes to own his own engineering complex and architecture company.
Maxx Nakwaasah: After the completion of college wants to become an accountant.
“…McCoy has looked shifty and quick out the backfield this entire camp. He has great vision which allows him to see the holes quickly and he has the burst to get into them. But what has been somewhat of a surprise is his blocking ability. He gets good level. He gives good effort. He finishes every time. In fact, it almost seems like he enjoys it…McCoy’s blocking has been so good that he’s currently slated to be the lead blocker on kickoff returns.
‘That’s more blocking,’ McCoy said. ‘It’s cool. Anything to get on the field, I’m willing to do.'”
link to cleveland.com
Wonder if he has any ties to Jermaine Dixon coming out of Baltimore. Also wonder how Dixon’s foot is coming along. I like this option even more if Dixon isn’t recovering as quickly as hoped. But my fingers are crossed.
P.S. – Centenary has an awesome nickname. The Gents. Makes Panthers look lame.