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December 18, 2009

I have to admit to being a bit disappointed by all the “chicken little” reactions to Pitt basketball so far. There seems to be a disconnect between the realism before the season that this was going to be a rebuilding year and a team that would be a NCAA bubble/NIT team to seeing it actually happen. Players not as good or as experienced as Young, Fields and Blair. Struggling to execute on offense, shaky defense, lots of turnovers.

Things not seen from Pitt basketball in a while. Leading to frustration and anger. Angst over how the talent level could possibly dip or coaches could possibly miss on evaluations. Frankly, just plain silliness.

Pitt has the longest streak of making the NCAA in the Big East. A conference that includes teams that perennial top-ranked programs with top coaches.  Few are the programs that don’t suffer a down year. Whether it’s a dip in talent, injuries, inexperience, lack of chemistry and/or any combination. Regardless of the recruiting and coach. Florida, Ohio State, Syracuse, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, UCLA, Illinois and Washington are just some recent or present examples.

After last season ended and DeJuan Blair declared, the expectations of this team doing well were not based on Nasir Robinson, Gary McGhee, Travon Woodall and Brad Wanamaker. Those were supposed to be the supporting players. Like Keith Benjamin, Antonio Graves, Levon Kendall and so on. Guys who were not stars but role players and part of the system. Players who had the time to learn and know their roles. They provided energy and sparks at times. They were not the stars but they were vital to the team.

The hope was that Gilbert Brown was going to be the latest Pitt junior to make the “leap” to centerpiece of the team. That Dante Taylor would be at worst DeJuan Blair-light. That Jermaine Dixon would provide the strong defense and leadership. That Ashton Gibbs would continue to be the 3-point assassin to make teams pay.

Well, that has not worked that way. Gilbert Brown has been suspended, and who knows for sure how well he’ll play when he comes back (and if he can avoid being injured for the 245th time). Jermaine Dixon has been hurt all season and is only now trying to play his way back into shape. Dante Taylor is a freshman playing a new position — and while talented — looks that way frequently. Gibbs has been forced to do a lot more than simply spot-up and fire.

As for the supporting players. Well they have had to do a lot more than expected and many would want. This seems to be the source of much of the frustration. Seeing guys who should be supporting or role players have to be almost central to the team exposes more of their flaws, rawness and how far they still have to go. Which in turn fuels fan frustration and hyperbolic statements as to their ability and skills (more specifically, their lack thereof). With more than a little vitriol and annoyance focused on Nasir Robinson and Brad Wanamaker.

I understand the frustration with both — to varying degrees. I like Wanamaker, except for the fact that he perpetually looks out of control. Even when he isn’t. I think it hurts him with the officials who hesitate to give him calls because it appears that he is barreling around and into people — almost like the antithesis to Duke players that flop upon being a light breeze striking them.

With Robinson, well, I touched on him before. That inability to finish just kills. In that, he has shown no growth from last year in spots to this year as a starter.

To me the biggest factor this year is that there is no focal point for the team on the court. Whether a guy on offense or a true leader at the point. You look at the guys on the team, and they are all really good teammates. Guys that want the team to succeed. Who will work hard. They say the right things. Put their egos aside. Every cliche like that, and would have us speaking glowingly of them — if they were winning.

Unfortunately, this team has been struggling and this team needs some sort of alpha dog on the team. Wanamaker, Gibbs, Woodall  or Jermaine Dixon. Almost by virtue of their experience and position played on the team. One of them has assert some control out there.

One final thing this season should have made clear to everyone. Coach Jamie Dixon did not reject the overtures of Arizona and USC in the spring because he felt he was coming back to a special team this year.





gilbert brown will be terrific in big east play this year

Comment by Tony Alabama 12.18.09 @ 4:44 pm

great analysis … especially the part that this team so far is made up of support players … maybe going back to the woodshed this week will do this team some good. I had expected this team to start slow and get better as the year progressed, but didn’t think it would be so painful (just spoiled I guess)

Comment by wbb 12.18.09 @ 4:48 pm

what’s wrong with the NIT this year and Final 4 next?

Comment by tx panther 12.18.09 @ 8:01 pm

Well, I think that UCLA (who is in a “rebuilding” year)would settle for the NIT.

Comment by BigGuy 12.18.09 @ 8:26 pm

anyone else see Bob Knight’s comments about Calipari. I loved it. Calipari is a flat-out scumbag and I don’t care how successful he is, I’m glad Pitt never gave him the time of day.

Comment by OntarioLett'sGoPitt 12.18.09 @ 8:27 pm

I still think this team has a shot a making the tournament. They can get to 20 wins. Taylor will be a force by mid-season (and a beast next year). Brown and Dixon will greatly improve our defense and along with Wannamaker, add some maturity to the lineup.

Comment by HbgFrank 12.18.09 @ 8:34 pm

FYI — weather forecast tomorrow for Charlotte is wintry mix, high in mid 30s … good old southern hospitality

Comment by wbb 12.18.09 @ 9:27 pm

“I still think this team has a shot a making the tournament. They can get to 20 wins. ”

HbgFrank, I hope that you are right, but my math may not be as good as yours. Would you name the teams from where the next 12 wins will be coming? (Ok, we should win the next three. Where will the 9 wins come from after that?)

Comment by BigGuy 12.18.09 @ 10:29 pm

Herb Pope article in NY Times. Looks like Charles Smith got him to go to Seton Hall.

Comment by alcofan 12.18.09 @ 11:04 pm

Hope you’re right Frank, but like BigGuy, I found the math near impossible after the Indiana loss. That was a “must-win” in my mind in order to hit that magical/arbitrary 20 wins.

As to Charlotte, Weather.com says 47 degrees and partly cloudy. Can’t wait.

Comment by Bryan 12.19.09 @ 12:32 pm

to get to the magic “20 win”, this team can lose to the all the big dawgs —Syr/UConn/Vill/WVU twice/ND/Louisville, win the next 3, including the opener with DePaul, beat Bobbie Mo, and grab 8 wins from the likes of St. Johns (2), Rutgers, Seton Hall (2), Providence, SF,and a win at the BET…That’s the math & Jamie’s Christmas list.Obviously need better defense, better scoring at the 5 & 4, and a fiery boost from Gil Brown to get there. Stay tuned. Hail to Pitt

Comment by Bossdaws 12.19.09 @ 2:21 pm

any live blog for the mount st. marys game? Or is there anyplace I can watch the game on the internet?

Hail to PItt

Comment by Neddy 12.19.09 @ 3:36 pm

Quick guesses, the starting five?

Gibbs(PG), Dixon(SG), Wanamaker(SF), Robinson(PF), McGhee(C) Too bad I can’t predict Taylor(PF)

Comment by BigGuy 12.19.09 @ 3:45 pm

I think it will take a miracle to get into the tournament but if anybody can do it, it’s Dixon.

Comment by Mark 12.19.09 @ 7:09 pm

BigGuy, here you go:

Tue, Dec 22 Ohio (W)
Mon, Dec 28 DePaul (W)
Sat, Jan 2 at (5) Syracuse (L)
Mon, Jan 4 at (25) Cincinnati (L)
Wed, Jan 13 at (14) Connecticut (L)
Sat, Jan 16 Louisville (L)
Wed, Jan 20 (11) Georgetown (L)
Sun, Jan 24 at Seton Hall (W)
Thu, Jan 28 St. John’s (W)
Sun, Jan 31 at South Florida (W)
Wed, Feb 3 at (6) West Virginia (L)
Sat, Feb 6 Seton Hall (W)
Mon, Feb 8 Robert Morris (W)
Fri, Feb 12 (6) West Virginia (W)
Thu, Feb 18 at Marquette (W)
Sun, Feb 21 (8) Villanova (L)
Wed, Feb 24 at Notre Dame (L)
Sat, Feb 27 at St. John’s (W)
Thu, Mar 4 Providence (W)
Sat, Mar 6 Rutgers (W)

This scenario would actually give us 21 wins. I picked us to win at home vs. WVU because (1) I hate WVU and (2) If Cleveland ST can give them a game, then we should be able to at home. Also, I noticed that Pitt gave Texas more of a game than UNC did today, and we did it without two starters. I’m just not willing to call the season over yet. I look at some of the good things being done by Woodall, Robinson, and Taylor (limited at this time, I’ll grant you), and can’t help but think we’ll see more of the good and less of the bad as the season goes on. Throw in Dixon and Brown with improved play from our new faces and you could have a 20 win season.

Comment by HbgFrank 12.19.09 @ 7:30 pm

HbgFrank, your math may work out. I got a lesson in calculus today from WVU and Georgetown. We need help at PF. Perhaps Gil Brown may play some minutes there and do some scoring. Hopefully more than two guys will be able to score, and McGhee will have better consistency. McGhee almost got a double-double in 24 minutes, but JD still wants to take minutes away from him and play Taylor. However, I will not question JD’s judgment.

Comment by BigGuy 12.20.09 @ 12:23 am

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