Hoping for a shocker. Will settle for a performance that encourages.
ESPN2 somewhere around the 10 pm spot.
If you like to break out the liveblog from the site, Click Here.
Otherwise it is below.
UPDATE: The epic MAC football battle that is still going on ESPN2 has pushed the start time ot around 10:25.
Update: Tip at 10:25.
Quality game for 30 of 40 minutes. Tied up with about 10:30 left and then all of a sudden the white team couldn’t find the bottom of the net. I hate to say it, but I feel pretty good about a lose. There is a lot of fight in this young team.
Great job by Texas fighting through adversity when they easily could have collapsed.
Brad and Gary really worked hard in the second half, and seeing Brad slash to the hoop was fun…and Nasir/JJ despite giving up inches battled for the ball.
Still, as a PITT fan, lots to be happy for, and thankful for!
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Hail to PITT!
-al-
It was good for Pitt to face a team like Texas — good for them to face athletes like James, Balbay and Bradley and a big body like Pittman.
Obviously it was a lot tougher for Gibbs to shake loose last night, which was to be expected.
Woodall looked good again, which is really encouraging. When he’s out and Adams is playing, the offense basically shuts down. Adams is a nice role player to eat some minutes and he can play D and hit open jumpers, but that’s it.
At least Wanamaker played aggressively, drew some fouls and got to the hoop a couple times. Unfortunately, he’s never going to be able to shoot and that makes him a one-dimensional, easy-to-defend player.
Love Robinson’s hustle, but he is just so undersized to be competing inside with the big boys. It’s painful to watch him get tossed around.
But at least we don’t have to worry about Taylor leaving Pitt early for the NBA. Somehow I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. Hoping he turns into a nice 4-man, though. Him ever playing center seems a stretch, unless they’re able to change his body dramatically over these next couple years.
It will be fun watching this scrappy group fight their way through the Big East.
Negatives – Lazy passes in the first half lead to turnovers. Foul trouble.
The flagrant foul on Wannamaker changed the tide of this game. Should not have been a flagrant.
Fletch, I’m discouraged. McGhee is a suprise and a bright spot. He doesn’t get pushed around and had a double-double while playing only 20 minutes. He has to stay out of foul trouble. It’s a different team when he is on the floor. Way too many turnovers for a Pitt team
However, I love Jamie selling the “no excuses, we came to win mentality”… basketball is a game of matchups, flow and mental toughness (how do you finish), any game can turn on talent/fouls/shooting, but many times, it comes down to having a winner’s mentality at the end to close out games. Pitt has done well with that in the past (sans the Villanova game in E8) Jamie expects that from all of his teams, and I love that he is selling this (regardless of the rankings and talent disparity)…
the problem with mcgee is that he cannot defend the entry pass to the post bc he’s too slow. then once he gets worked past the block, he’s dead in the water bc he can’t elevate or move his feet quick enough. he was backed down with ease many times last night, but hopefully he can improve there as much as he has with his offense and rebounding hustle.
This team can definitely make the NCAA tournament. In fact, it would be very disappointing if they do not.
Robinson is undersized, but there is a history of undersized guys being successful in the Big East. Everyone likes to compare Robinson to Jaron Brown, who was a pretty good rebounder. Brown was actually smaller than Robinson, and although he turned into a decent shooter, he did not start that way. Robinson may always be a niche player, but I think he has a role on this team.
They really miss Gil Brown – not because he is some type of star in waiting, but because his particular skill set and size give them much more flexibility. He can play three positions, and has the ability to get to the hoop. He is also a good perimeter defender and has shown flashes of being a good rebounder.
The “lot of hustle, not many wins” is a real possibility, and Dixon really needs to guard against this. I think this is what Dixon’s post-game comments about not accepting the concept of good losses is all about. I may be looking through blue and gold colored glasses, but I think this team pulls a couple upsets along the way, and probably loses a game or two they shouldn’t, and ends up being on the bubble come March.
These kids are talented and are going to get better as the year goes on.
Greg in N.O., are you sure that you were watching the Pitt-Texas basketball game?
link to bebballreportpitt.blogspot.com
It’s a sobering read. In short, the team is basically what he expected, although a couple of individual performers are not. McGhee has been a pleasant surprise; not an elite player, but solid so far, particularly with improved focus, and proved last night he can maintain that against elite competition. On the downside, Dokish expected Miller to contribute, and indicates his lack of progress may eventually lead to his exit from the program.
His overall analysis is that this is a team of role players with no real stars. Based on talent level and experience, he feels this team should not be close to 20 wins, but between the coaching staff and the intangibles that are ingrained into the team, he predicts a regular season record of 20-11. I’m guessing that would mean they would be need to win a game or two at the Big East Tournament to play into the NCAA’s.
His final word: “memo to the Big East: you better get Pitt now, because this may be your last chance”
It’s a long write-up with comments on all of the players, and it is a bit sobering to us optimists (at least for this season), but well worth the time.
I believe the staff wanted M Walker to commit before JJ Moore did because of the need at the 5 position … now the staff aren’t so sure that they want to go 2 schollies over the limit.
Finally, I agree that by next year Richardson will be a very capable replacement at either the 4 or 5. I’m also hoping that Zanni will be a contributor — saw him in the summer league and was impressed by his athleticism — he just needs to build up his strength, thus getting M Walker may not be as necessary as it seems now.
It appears that right now, Dwight Miller is the big disappointment. He is 6’8 and supposedly very athletic but i not getting any PT — very troubling unless he is injured.
It is interesting to think about this team WITH Blair. I’m not as convinced as Dokish that this is a top 25 team even with Dujaun. Just replacing McGhee with Blair doesn’t solve all the other problems that Dokish so accurately points out. Would/should Blair play the four? McGhee, Blair, Brown, Dixon and Woodall is potentially a far superior starting lineup to what Jamie is trotting out there now. Imagine having Gibbs, Robinson, and Wanamaker coming off the bench? But the Dixon injury and Brown immaturity are a big part of that equation. It makes for an interesting barroom discussion.
Good points. But don’t forget, a Blair/Dixon/Brown starting lineup, supplemented with McGhee/Gibbs or Wanny/Robinson with a breaking-in period for starters Woodall/Taylor was the PLAN.
If you asked JD (and most fans) which options they would coose for 2009/2010:
Option A — current, trial-by-fire Baby Panthers
Option B — Blair/Brown/Dixon/Woodall/Taylor starters suplemented by McGhee/Robinson/Wannamaker/Gibbs
I think B would win out in a vote.
If pundits think the Option A Baby Panthers are a bubble team (at best) right now…I find it hard to believe JD could not create a 24-26 win, tournament team out of option B.
Thoughts?
Interesting if we can land him, for sure.